Who said uniform dressing had to be minimalist? For designer Batsheva Hay, her uniform is a frilled and fun frock that she can wear all day long with anything from sneakers to heels. Hay’s own dress code is the inspiration for Batsheva, and in many ways this collection is really all about Hay’s own obsessions and life. She functions as her own fit model and designs for what she needs and wants, rather than imagining what some far-off woman might desire or what might pump up her sales. The method works because Hay is enmeshed into New York’s creative intelligentsia; her design process and desires are colored by those of the plugged-in and witty women around her.
For Resort, Hay has expanded her offering ever so slightly. On one end are the even more fantastical pieces, like a minidress with heart-shaped pockets in a cherry red color or a moiré version of her signature ruffled silhouette in a rich raspberry color. On the other end of the spectrum are pieces that could appeal to those previously afraid of Batsheva’s big colors and bold shapes. Separates are a newish thing in this arena, like a cropped Victorian blouse or an easy full skirt. Hay has also introduced a longer silhouette that, while still trimmed with a ruffle at the hem and sleeves, is devoid of the girlishness that colors the rest of the collection. Dare I call it tough? With moto boots or a catty stiletto it certainly could be. There are also plenty of new accessories, from puffy headbands to bandanas to sarong-scarf hybrids, that will provide a point of entry to Hay’s world for new customers and a gotta-have-it piece for existing ones.
Still, my hope for Hay is that she doesn’t get swept up in style numbers and bottom lines, and keeps her eponymous collection as more of a self-expressive art project than a full-blown fashion collection. Her own intuition is what makes Batsheva so singular in the market. Where else can you hear a designer talk about obsessively scrolling eBay and Etsy for vintage quilting fabrics and actually believe it? Perhaps her lookbook, shot in her mother-in-law’s artist studio with a certain maverick panache, is her own way of saying, “I’m an artist, too!” I believe it, and so should you.
