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Designer Batsheva Hay and actress Rebecca Hall are new to the Met Gala but they’re old friends. The two met through writer and director Maya Singer some years ago—Hall was already a fan of Hay’s prairie dresses—and have kept in touch ever since. “She places preorders for my collection every season through my email that I send out to friends and family!” Hay says. When Hay, who was born and bred in Queens and now resides in the Upper West Side, was invited to this year’s Met Gala, having the British actress by her side was a no-brainer.
Since Hall is not based in New York City, Hay worked with her via text message to create the look. “It was really nice to dress her because she is very easygoing and has that attitude with dressing,” says Hay. “She doesn’t freak out about it.” While designing the dress, Hay opted to mix different floral taffetas with black PVC. “I am at my best when I do a real mashup—a real hodgepodge that is unexpected,” says Hay. Hall gave her stamp of approval by heart-ing a picture over text. The final result was a gown that was based on a classic Laura Ashley silhouette, with, of course, the addition of PVC.
As for Hay’s dress? The cheerful piece boasted a floral print and puffed sherbert orange sleeves with purple polka dots and a belt that tied into a large bow on the back. She crafted it out of leftover fabric from Hall’s dress. For a charmingly in-sync addition, both dresses had Hay’s signature ruffled collars. Call them two pieces in a very chic pod.
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