EXCLUSIVE Reveal of Hayley Paige's Dreamy Short Film, Plus Q&A With the Designer

Bridal designer Hayley Paige returns with a new collection and short film, sharing exclusive insights on creativity, reclaiming her name, and the next era for her iconic brand.

SHE'S BACK.

After a long legal battle fighting for her name and right to design, bridal fashion darling Hayley Paige has officially returned. We had the chance to catch up with the designer following the debut of her collection — which she aptly named “Twice Upon a Time” — and what it means to finally create under her own name again.

And we're so excited to pair this intimate conversation with the exclusive debut of her cinematic short film campaign, “Vows & Vrooms” by Tony Castañeda, which was shot outside of a private estate in Palm Beach and filled with flamingoes and “floof” (classic Hayley!).

Love Inc.: This is your first wedding dress collection since the lawsuit. What was your vision going into it, and how did it feel designing again under your own name?

Hayley Paige: “Twice Upon a Time” is a revival of creativity—with a hint of reckoning. A love letter to the girl who has always been in love with wedding dresses. I didn’t return to sketching with vengeance—I came back with reverence and deep appreciation.

I wanted brides to feel like they were stepping into a story that had always existed—one that continues to evolve to their unique rhythm. Designing under my own name again felt like turning a key in a long-locked door.

Not just a return, but a reclaiming. Not just a collection, but a declaration: that the art will always outlast the interruption

Love Inc.: Were there any specific design elements you wanted to reclaim as “you” in this collection?

Hayley: Yes—gowns that behave like daydreams. Oversized motifs, optical florals, color shifts that feel like mood rings, dramatic pintucks, iridescence over sparkle. I wanted to reclaim my rhythm and layer silhouettes like brushstrokes on canvas. There’s a visual cadence that I’ve always held sacred—an architecture of whimsy—and it’s stitched all over this collection.

Love Inc.: Did you approach this collection differently because of the freedom and fresh start it represents?

Hayley: Freedom didn’t change my approach; it deepened my expression. For the first time in a long time, I designed without worrying about dilution or distortion. Every gown was made in full fidelity to the feeling and thankfulness. The process became a sort of emotional tailoring—cutting out the doubts, pinning joy in place, and stitching in sincerity.

Love Inc.: How did the legal battle experience shape you as a designer and as a businesswoman?

Hayley: It made me meticulous with my contracts, and even more meticulous with my convictions. As a designer, it reawakened my why. As a businesswoman, it taught me that a brand isn’t just what you build—it’s what you’re willing to rebuild…. And start over with.

I learned that if your name grounds you, then your voice is what helps you grow in every direction, even after being uprooted.

Love Inc.: How do you see the Hayley Paige brand evolving now that you have full creative autonomy again?

Hayley: Hayley Paige is not just a brand—it’s a growing archive of love stories and ever collaborating. A story in motion. With autonomy comes a return to intimacy: working closer with brides, celebrating craft over churn, and building emotional infrastructure into everything we make. The brand will always be romantic, but now it’s more grounded—like a fairytale with some grit.

Love Inc.: What are your plans for She Is Cheval, and are you planning to integrate the two brands?

Hayley: She Is Cheval was born when I had no name to sign and an unusual restriction on trade. It carries the spirit of resilience and pivoting, and it taught me why it’s sometimes necessary to shapeshift your creative expression. I see the two as sister brands: one rooted in couture and heritage, the other defiant and driven by a newfound sense of self. We’re still discovering how they move in orbit around each other—but there’s magic in that ambiguity. If integration comes, it will be poetic, not prescribed.

Love Inc.: Do you remember the first sketch or gown from this collection that made you think, “I’m back!”?

Hayley: Yes—there was a gown called Once a Swan. It had a sweetheart neckline shaped like wings in mid-beat, and pintucks that felt like soft ripples across a lake. When I sketched it, my hand trembled a little. It was a moment of emotional muscle memory. I felt like I was revisiting a memory and also discovering something new.

Love Inc.: If you could describe this new chapter of your career in three words, what would they be?

Hayley: Care. Chroma. Craft.

Love Inc.: You debuted your collection at The Colony in Palm Beach and it looked incredible –what was the inspiration for the runway design?

Plus-Size Lingerie for the Honeymoon (and Beyond!)

Hayley: I wanted the inside to look like the outside was growing in—an overgrown dreamscape where vines, nostalgia, and florals blurred the line between ballroom and botanical fever dream. Palm Beach itself inspired the aesthetic: eccentric, luminous, unapologetically colorful. The Colony was the perfect backdrop for a collection about return—it gave us a place to bloom both wild and fanciful.

Love Inc.: What were some thoughts/feelings that were running through you right before, and then right after, the show?

Hayley: Before: A trembling mix of terror and tenderness. I kept thinking, I hope they feel it too.

After: Relief, release, and a resurrgence in my soul. I remember whispering thank you—not to anyone in particular, but maybe to every version of me who didn’t give up and every person who helped me get there.

Love Inc.: Your legal battle put a spotlight on a serious ongoing issue within creative industries: young artists being exploited by larger companies. What would your advice be to other creatives starting out, who want to seize those opportunities but without being taken advantage of?

Hayley: Treat your talent like intellectual property—because it is. Don’t mistake exposure for equity. Ask uncomfortable questions. Protect your name like it’s your future self’s inheritance. And know this: your story is the only thing no one can take from you, so write it boldly and often.