Queens-born Batsheva Hay started her eponymous label in 2016 after leaving her job as a lawyer and deciding to experiment with designing dresses for herself and her daughter. Growing up, Batsheva’s artist mother would often take her to flea markets and vintage shops, dressing her in antique calico dresses, which became Batsheva’s uniform throughout her time at Stanford University and Georgetown Law. After leaving her job at a big law firm, she began to redesign some vintage dresses, which were worn to bits, and quickly became obsessed with the design process. She bought her fabrics on eBay and at quilting shops, and she still uses vintage and limited-run cotton quilting fabric to make her clothing, along with a wider range of fabrics, some of which she designs herself.

As Batsheva’s dresses got more attention from magazines and retailers, her collections grew. Now she is designing four collections a year and expanding her line to include knits, coats, tees and sweats, accessories and even jewelry.

Batsheva lives on the Upper West Side with her husband, photographer Alexei Hay, who she collaborates with on brand imagery, and their two small children, Ruth and Solomon.

Hay has been a CFDA Member since 2019.