In 2011, Hayley Paige, a then-unknown 24-year-old bridal designer, began her career in bridal fashion with JLM Couture in New York. She went on to build a bridal brand synonymous with dreamy, modern gowns — until she lost her rights to it.
“I had a false sense of security,” said Ms. Paige, now 39, who had signed a contract with JLM Couture, a wedding wear designing, manufacturing and distributing company, back then without having a lawyer review it. “It gave them the right for my name to be trademarked because it was the name of the collection.”
In 2015, in accordance with the contract terms, a three-year extension kicked in. (During that time, she got married in 2015 and divorced in 2018.) By March of 2019, she started negotiating a new contract with a lawyer, “thinking this is going to be easy. I was bringing in licensing deals and getting influencer opportunities,” she said of her added value to the brand. “I’d outgrown my original position. A reset needed to happen.”
Negotiations continued until December 2020, when Ms. Paige was hit with an unexpected 100-plus page lawsuit from JLM Couture, claiming trademark infringement, violation of the noncompete agreement, and the promoting of other companies without the brand’s permission. “It even claimed they owned my name,” Ms. Paige said. An emergency hearing was granted two days later. Both sides hired litigation teams.
Ms. Paige, whose legal name is Hayley Paige Gutman, said she felt victimized “when a federal judge ruled in 2020 that I could no longer use my name in any business, commerce or to publicly identify myself because of ownership of using the trademark.” She added that she also “lost the right to control my social media accounts. Then they prevented me from designing wedding dresses.”
In October 2023, JLM Couture filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced in a news release that they would be restructuring the business. Ms. Paige never stopped fighting. In May, after a four-year public legal battle, Ms. Paige regained the use of her name and brand in a court-approved settlement.
After publication, a spokesman for JLM Couture confirmed that it had reached a settlement with Ms. Paige, adding in a statement, “We wish her the best.”
From her in-house design studio in Palm Beach, Fla., where she now resides with her fiancé, Conrad Clevlen, 36, a real estate investor, she shared her journey to reclaim her name and brand, her new partnership with Madi Lane Bridal, a manufacturing and distribution bridal company in Australia and her forthcoming bridal collections.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
In 2023, JLM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Why was that a turning point for you?
We got a new judge and an opportunity for a settlement. I paid JLM $263,000 to get back my entire intellectual portfolio, including my name, designs and anything encompassing of the brand. It’s not just my name I got back, but my ability to work, to be allowed to tap into my design aesthetic, to own my art.
How did you go about getting the right to use your social platforms again?
I fought to get back my social media accounts, which were done in the appellate court. They ruled in my favor, stating that whoever opened the account owned the account.
During your four-year court battle, how did you find the inspiration to start a new business?
For a long time, I was in a purgatory survival mode. I couldn’t bring in income, or sketch a dress because that was considered promotional, or use my name. I needed a new strategy so I could keep creating and moving forward. I had a huge shift in 2022. In order to move forward with my life, I had to detach from this idea of Hayley Paige. I didn’t need to be a wedding designer as my identity.
What was your next business venture?
I was only allowed to do something noncompetitive. I started the shoe company She Is Cheval, French for horse. I studied French couture and loved the Parisian influence. It became my moniker to be strong. Shoes were a great accessory to a dress, and it was a transferable skill set. Shoes felt like I was owning my destiny, my life and my creativity.
What changes have you noticed in the bridal industry since you’ve been gone?
More talent is coming to the marketplace. There’s a huge overflow of products paired with dilution. Brides became more educated regarding what they want. Expectation for a quicker turnaround is greater. Brides don’t want to wait a year for their dress. That window has shortened to six to eight months.
How will you relaunch Hayley Paige?
The new launch will be signature to the DNA of Hayley Paige — splashes of color, textural juxtapositions, novelty beadwork, and thoughtful detail in the embroidery. I plan to have rompers and mini versions of the dresses. Maybe it’s an engagement outfit or something that you can wear as a second dress or a second look for a bachelorette party.
We will do an industry sneak peek, sharing designs during New York Fashion Week and reintroducing the brand to bridal stores. We will be having a public launch and debut in August or September. The goal is to have dresses in stores by that time.
Inspiration comes from the nuances of design in this collective collection, so not everything has to go together. I’m inspired by the print design I did for Cheval. I created a French toile pattern that told the story of my creative journey, but in scenes. I want to continue with that, which I’ll incorporate into fabrics and into the actual material of the dresses to help tell the story, which has changed over the past four years. I’m planning to rebrand Cheval. I want there to be synergy between the two brands, so we’ll be releasing bridal-specific shoes that go with the new Hayley Paige dresses and handbags.
What will your marketing strategies be this time around?
I relied on social media in the past, and it was a great way to communicate. But it feels diluted now. I want to do more in-person events, real canvassing and brand activations. Now that I’ve gone outside of the bridal space, and done shoes, I have more of a returning customer, not just a bride, so I’ll be doing events that are more of a sisterhood.
What were your biggest takeaways from this experience?
In the low moments where your soul feels like it’s on its knees, you have to maintain your enthusiasm and your love for what you do. I still feel very connected to who I am and my craft. I’ve learned a lot of really good lessons about not trusting everyone and that a lot of people will take kindness as a weakness. It doesn’t mean that you can’t fight back when the time requires it. I fought hard for something I believed in. I learned reinvention doesn’t mean you have to become somebody new.
