I’m delighted to be bringing back The Low Down just in time for the Holidays and to kick it off by introducing the designer behind my number one pick on this year's Women’s Gift Guide, Hayden Lasher. Hayden is the great-grandniece of fashion icon Henri Bendel and is one of the chicest people I have ever met. Hayden embodies everything in the Fashion realm and exudes style in everything that she does. Her couture brand of handbags are designed in collaboration with Belgian shoes and feature the same Italian leather, structured silhouette and signature bow detailing. I, for one, was immediately taken by their beauty and have been enamored ever since. I first met Hayden at the University of Southern California where we were sorority sisters in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Now as a busy mother of three and living in Houston, Texas, Hayden does an impeccable job of balancing work/home life and I am beyond delighted to have her share her incredible and timeless pearls of wisdom with us today. Please welcome, Hayden Lasher!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.I am a proud fifth generation Texan.

I went to USC for undergrad and Parson’s New School in New York and Paris for graduate school. I always wanted to be in fashion; fashion and art were always a big part of the landscape of conversation in our house, but I really began to focus and invest in pursuing it as a career when I was in high school.

2. I would love for you to share your road to becoming a handbag designer and producing some of the most coveted bags.

I started out interning at Michael Kors HQ at sixteen and then at Marc by Marc Jacobs in my early twenties. When I moved to New York for school, I began interning at Oscar de la Renta and they hired me two weeks before graduation. I worked in sales and design for shoes and handbags and was able to design my wedding shoes while I was there. I went on to launch my own company ten years ago.

3. Do you plan to go beyond handbags and if so, what would be some of your dream pieces to produce?

I LOVE the handbag business and don’t have any plans at this point to expand beyond, but I never say never…I am very interested in interior decorating and design and may be interested in designing a few home products so maybe I can manifest that for 2024.

4. Where do you see your business in another 5 years?

Thriving! My company is amid a glow up and I see my business expanding significantly in the next five years.

5. Who has inspired you most along the way?

My family has always been a huge inspiration to me. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and creatives. My great grand uncle was Henri Bendel, whose designs I have studied since I was a little girl. He designed my great grandmother’s wedding dress. My grandmother was the epitome of chic and I have her voice echoing in my brain – “make it so that it lasts forever.” The first bag that I made was named the “Elene” in her honor. My mother has an incredible sense of style and color, and she has always inspired me to take risks with color combinations and dare to be bold.

6. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

The work/life balance is always a constant juggling act, and it doesn’t mean you will keep all the balls in the air at the same time- you just have to identify which ball you can let go of to keep the rhythm.

Also, blondes should wear red. – Henri Bendel

7. What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

Trust your instincts…they have gotten you this far. You will always be surrounded by people who have an opinion of how things “should” be done whether it pertains to your business or your children…only you know what works for your business and your family.

8. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

There are plenty of things I wish I knew along the way, but my honest opinion is that it’s a blessing to start off unknowing because it’s tough to start anything if you know how hard it is going to be.

9. What does work/life balance look like for you?

I started my business even long before I had children with the idea that I would want flexibility once we started a family. I typically drop my kids off at school and begin the grind but when carpool rolls around, I become less available until they have gone to bed. Of course, there are times that the schedule can be more demanding and that when I enlist the help of my kids. Their involvement in the task at hand, I hope, will leave a lasting imprint about what it takes to run a business and inspire in them a love of entrepreneurship. My husband is only mildly disappointed that my four-year-old son has changed his dream job from doctor to “selling purses with mom.”

10. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

My favorite family tradition is every year on our anniversary, my husband and I take a photo of him dipping me like he did for our wedding dance. It always gives a glimpse of the stage of life we are in from our first years of traveling to our more recent years of kids hanging onto our legs. I love to see how we are growing together through the years.

11. How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

I regret to inform you that exercising in the morning before my children wake is the best way to get my day going. It gives me mental clarity and lets me catch my breath before I am everyone’s everything for the rest of the day.

12. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

I have faced plenty of adversity and I think a lot of people, because of social media, only see people’s blessings. The challenges that I have faced have all taught me one thing – we persevere, time heals, and most troubles are temporary.

13. I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

I think it is in the dailyness of life that women can support women. Be a part of someone’s “village” whether it is supporting their work or their family life. If you are are able, buy from a local woman owned business, help spread the word about a product or company you love, carpool, drop off dinner just because. Women can do anything and everything, but we shouldn’t always have to.

14. How would you describe your sense of style?

Classic, feminine, and timeless.

15. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

An Hermes scarf: all you need to look chic anywhere you go is a great bag (i.e. Hayden Lasher handbag) great shoes, and a great scarf.

16. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

A pave cuff earring

17. What is one thing on your wish list for the Holidays?

Do I have to choose just one?

DTLA Custom painting on one of my handbags

Khaite Leather Shearling Jacket

Petra Palumbo handpainted water carafe

Thank you, Hayden! I am truly thankful to learn from you and am so grateful that you have shared your journey thus far in the Fashion World! I will never forget the Henri Bendel quote you shared “Blondes should wear red!” I wish you the best as your Fashion empire continues to grow and I have no doubt that the Hayden Lasher brand will be a household name in no time. Cheers!