Batsheva
Batsheva is a New York womenswear label founded by former lawyer Batsheva Hay in the mid-2010s. It is known for modest yet whimsical prairie-style dresses with stiff collars and tiered skirts.
| Founder | Batsheva Hay |
|---|---|
| Base | New York |
| Signature | Prairie-style dresses |
| CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund | Finalist 2018 |
| Website | batsheva.com |
What is Batsheva?
Batsheva is the label of Batsheva Hay, a New York designer who grew up in Queens and trained as a lawyer, earning a law degree from Georgetown, before turning to fashion. In 2016 she decided to focus on design after having a vintage Laura Ashley dress remade, and she then established the Batsheva label.
Products and positioning
The brand centres on dresses described as modest yet whimsical, with stiff collars, tiered skirts and deliberately naive prints. Batsheva showed prairie-style dresses at New York Fashion Week in 2018, and its look became closely associated with the wider prairie dress trend of the late 2010s.
Recognition
Hay was a finalist for the 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and has been a member of the CFDA since 2019. Her designs have been worn by actors including Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain and Lena Dunham, and she co-designed the dress Ella Emhoff wore to the 2021 US presidential inauguration.
Why it matters
Batsheva is an example of a small New York designer brand that shaped a broader trend through a distinct, highly recognisable silhouette and strong cultural visibility.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the designer behind Batsheva?
Batsheva was founded by Batsheva Hay, a New York designer and former lawyer.
What is Batsheva known for?
Batsheva is known for prairie-style dresses with high collars, tiered skirts and naive prints.