This Influencer-Approved Collection Is Going To Be The Must-Have Vintage Of The Future

The joy of wearing vintage is that you can find truly special pieces that cannot be found in your local high street megastore. Avoiding fast fashion is, of course, always preferable for the environment but it also means you can focus on finding beautifully made clothes you really love – and which you'll keep forever. Tracking down said pieces, however, can be time-consuming. So, what if I told you that there exists a brand creating unique, incredible clothes with a focus on craftsmanship, which will undoubtedly become the vintage treasures of tomorrow?

While this sounds too good to be true, it actually isn't. Hayley Menzies set up a stall in 2011 in London's Portobello Market selling a tiny edit of very special pieces designed and made in collaboration with artisans she met while travelling in Asia. Since then, she has grown her brand into an influencer favourite that continues to deliver the sorts of clothes that inspire compliments wherever they go.

Imbued with a wanderlust spirit, there is a heavy focus on animal motifs throughout each collection and spring/summer 2023 is no exception. From exquisite knitwear to show-stopping dresses, Hayley has produced an offering to cater to all aspects of life but which always feels luxurious and super-special. Thanks to her collector's eye and love of vintage, she's a designer who knows exactly what she wants – and what will last.

There is a strong focus on craft throughout Hayley's collections, which is reflected in the transparency of her supply chains and manufacturing processes. All of the knitwear, for example, is made by Dora and Ana, a mother and daughter team in Romania, while the yarns are sourced by Hayley from prestigious long-standing Italian mills. 'We primarily work with natural fibres such as silk and organic cotton, chosen for their beauty as well as their lower environmental impact,' says Hayley. 'Our wools are guaranteed non-mulesing and uphold strict animal welfare standards.'

It's no wonder, then, that Hayley Menzies has developed an earnest following over the past few years which is only growing by the day. While you may not necessarily immediately recognise the brand name, there's a very stylish faction of Instagram who have been very well acquainted with Hayley's work for a while now. Louise Roe, Emma Dabiri, Fearne Cotton, Elle McPherson, Vogue Williams and Sophie Hermann are just some of the brand's fans.

To celebrate the spring/summer collection, influencers such as Charlotte Williams, Zeena Shah, Zara Martin and Sophie Hermann attended the launch of a new pop-up space in Harrods, no less, where they all wore pieces from the new range. From bouclé cardigans and printed denim to beautiful cotton maxi dresses that will look as good at a summer wedding as they will on a beach, it's broad and versatile, with that ever-present focus on making products to be treasured.

Hayley has even started marking the labels in her clothes with the season date, so that treasure hunters in future know exactly where their vintage wonder came from.

It's more important than ever before that we learn how to truly value our clothes. Fashion's impact on the environment can no longer be ignored and it's a sad truth that some of the incredible animals that are so alive on so many of Hayley's prints may be extinct in the very near future. It's a subject very close to the brand's heart, as Hayley has long worked with charities like WWF and Wild Tomorrow.

So, if you can buy less while still living in beautiful clothes that you'll want to pass down to friends and family, now's the time. And I can't think of a better way to start than with Hayley Menzies.