Stepping into Batsheva Hay’s boutique on the border of the Lower East Side and NoLIta is like stepping into a window in her mind. The patterned floors and lime-green curtained walls are as warm and eclectic as both Hays and her designs. It’s this welcoming attitude that helps the designer keep a close relationship with her customers, too. “What I’m making is a rolling manifestation of what people want,” she said. About half of this season’s resort collection is see-now, buy-now, with the plan to keep adding more items based on the silhouettes that do well, whether bought by a Brooklyn performance artist or a woman from Hay’s synagogue. “Am I personally wearing a see-through dress with just a bra and panties?” Hay asked, noting one mint-green lace babydoll dress, which sat alongside her popular puffy-sleeved lace crop top. “No, but I also know my customer base has widened, and I think that’s amazing.”
Using this hybrid format also allows Hay to play with vintage and deadstock fabrics, like one cocooned floral dress that was accented by a black velvet trim and matching upholstered belt. New this season is an assortment of taffeta dresses—a material which Hay says got a bad rap in the ’80s but is overdue for a comeback. “It’s durable, it keeps its shape, and it’s fancy,” she said. A bright pink style featuring a detachable apron with pearl buttons at the waistline was a particular highlight. Overall, the collection is a work in progress. “It’s kind of an active organism,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to operate on both.”
