The Inter-Views of Fashion: Hayden Harnett

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So, let’s start from the beginning. Where are you from and how did you get to New York?

Kentucky originally. But I lived in Hong Kong for a year before coming to New York.

Oo, Hong Kong? What was that like?

I was the design director of an accessories company – and I love Hong Kong. It’s not quite as big as New York but still so global. Not as fast paced, but very familial. It’s just a smaller scale, but I love it. I get really sad if I go too long without visiting.

So how on Earth did you get from Hong Kong to Greenpoint?

I moved to downtown Manhattan when I first got here. I found an amazing place with exposed brick and this disco mirrored bathroom. I’d get up every morning and pretend I was in Studio 54. It was a great workout! But then I went to Hong Kong for almost a month, Ben was cat sitting, and when I got back to New York my cat didn’t want to leave, so I sort of had to move in. But I love it here, I don’t really feel the need to go to into the city that often.

Me too! Greenpoint’s kind of an amazing place to be right now. So let’s talk about Hayden-Harnett’s birth. You didn’t just move to New York and say, “I’m going to start my own line.” Did you?

No way. I was working for Liz Claiborne when I got here. I was the leather bags designer. And then suddenly it felt like the right time. It was like my biological entrepreneurial clock went off and I had to do something for myself. I just turned to Ben one day and I was like, “I’m going to do this.” The next morning was actually April Fools’ Day – it must have been a weekend because I remember having a long breakfast – and I just started sketching a logo. The two inverted H’s are for both of our initials and it looks the same turned either way. I guess it sort of worked itself out in my sleep actually.

Did you dream it?

Yeah! I used to dream of musical cords in my sleep, but now they’re kind of all over the place. We painted the entire wall by the bed in chalkboard paint so that I can jump up in the middle of the night and sketch.

So what was the next step in launching your label?

We took a really methodical approach. You know, I was like, we have to sell this many bags to pay our rent and our bills and be able to travel. And we just did it. If we had to go down to Soho and sell them on the street we would have.

You make it sound so easy!

Well that’s just the way I approach things. You have to do it your way. I’m very organized, everything needs to be in its place – you can see that in the way I design my bags – but it translates to everything in my life.

So how did clothing enter the picture?

We launched apparel in spring of 07 – that was with Sonia Agostino who actually works at Target now. Our current clothing designer is Laurel Wells who used to have her own line. But now she lives in Greenpoint and works with us and we love her! When we started, I wanted to do dresses that are both special and modern. Great party dresses, but I’m still an H&M and Zara girl so it had to be pieces that’d easily mix in. Everything we’ve done since bags has been a natural evolution of the brand. I really think in terms of longevity – I want someone to buy a bag and know that we’ll still be here in forty, fifty years.

Can we talk about Target?

Yes! It’s happening.

That must be so exciting for you. I’ve always wondered how mass collaborations work. Did you call them, do they call you?

They contacted us. They asked us for a design concept and sketches. We actually did that before we even did our regular collection because they needed it in two weeks!

A lot, or actually all of the designers I can think of, recycled a version of their past collections into their present partnerships. Did you take the same route?

There are actually a lot of unique pieces. We’re not going to knock ourselves off. We want real fans to be able to go out and buy the entire collection and we really wanted to do something special. It has its own spirit, its own mood. It needed to complement our line, not conflict.

How many shoe styles did you do? And where will they sell?

There are nine total. We used the same leather and hardware as the bags and really focused on function. You can dress them up, dress them down. We’re starting out in just a handful of retailers and our store, obviously.

Speaking of, are you going to open any more stores?

Definitely, that’ll be our next step. We’re actually in talks with Grand Central Terminal. They’re revamping their retail scene and it’s an amazing place. It’s just very bureaucratic so it’s moving kind of slowly. Which is ok because we have a lot going on right now! But having a store is so important. Without your own store, you can’t tell the whole story and I’m really into the narrative.

What’s the biggest difference between working for a major corporation like Liz Claiborne and working for yourself?

When I was there, I just did my job. I was a handbag designer, I sketched bags, handed them to someone else and sketched some more. Here, I do everything. Well, Ben’s the CEO, he does the financial stuff, the internet, but I oversee everything. There are seventeen people on staff, we’re like a family. I would never want to not be involved with everything. I love it all.

Interview conducted by Fashionista. To read the rest click here.