Written by Zoё Frantz
Edited by Leah Champagne
Since the pandemic, handmade clothing has gained a lot of traction as more people have started using apps like Depop and Etsy. For this month’s designer spotlight, I wanted to highlight Dazy Chains, a very whimsical and colourful knitwear brand based right here in Montréal. The very talented designer of the brand, Hayley, was kind enough to take the time to sit down with me and discuss her wonderful brand’s story.
To begin, Hayley explained how she got into designing her pieces. She said that, like many people, she picked up some hobbies while we were all locked down, one of these being knitting. She told me how she started out just to learn the basics, using herself or her partner as a model for sizing and fit, and confided to me that she would secretly crochet while she was in her Zoom meetings for work. At first, she never thought of selling her pieces; the most she did was make a balaclava or scarf for her friends. But then, as she got more familiar with certain patterns and how certain fibers lay, Dazy Chains was born.
“I’ve always loved having a creative outlet.”A McGill psychology graduate, Hayley stressed that she always wanted to protect art as a hobby. She always looked for creative outlets like at Fridge Door Gallery, and also did graphic and layout design for the Undergraduate Psychology Students Association Journal, but never set out to pursue the arts full time. “I was a big Tumblr and Polyvore girl, but never labelled myself as someone ‘into fashion.’ I feel like getting into knitting helped really illuminate fashion as a form of world-building for me,” she remarked. “I grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, and I used school as my excuse for living here; but, once I graduated, I kind of just stayed,” she explained, laughing. Hayley loves Montreal because it gives her so many avenues of creativity and a great deal of opportunities to showcase her work – she’s sold her pieces at Annex Vintage in Mile-End, AlsoCool Market, and Retail Pharmacy in New York City, to name a few. “I love selling at pop-ups because I get to meet people and see them get excited about my pieces,” she said, “It’s really rewarding to see where my work is going, instead of just posting them into the void online”
Picture credit: Katarina Riopel / Studio Écru (@studio_ecru)
One thing that made me curious about Dazy Chains was the brand’s name. Hayley’s explanation of this was fascinating – “It’s kind of a double meaning,” she began. “When I started getting into knitting, I read about chain stitching,” later adding, “I also work for an AI company, and there’s this concept in computing where you connect multiple devices with a wire” (this looks similar to a flower crown, or real chain of daisies). She also mentioned that she learned that one of the first computers was a garment-making machine. So, she wanted her brand name to show this interconnected history between computing and knitting.
In terms of inspirations, she gave me a whole list (included below), but she told me that her main source of creativity is the knitting community on Instagram, namely creators such as Katya Budkovskaya (@shrewfriend), Nong Rak (@thenongrak), and Becca Ricks (her website: https://beccaricks.space/). For Hayley, Dazy Chains is not about the money. The project sustains itself by allowing her to re-invest any profits from the pieces into buying local & high quality fibres from Laines Biscotte in Montreal, and the handspun yarns of small yarn spinners like @bluusknit and @awildoffering on Instagram.
But ultimately, she just wants to cultivate a healthy Instagram space, “The brand kind of just became a way to compartmentalize my online word – I was feeling very exhausted with the optics of having Instagram, but for some reason reframing it as a way to share knits and follow others with similar interests made it a much healthier space for me.” According to her, the knitting community is extremely supportive, and she doesn’t plan on stopping knitting anytime soon, because it runs in the family.
For anyone interested in getting their hands on one of Dazy Chains’ gorgeous pieces, Hayley is planning on doing an online restock at the end of February, and a pop-up at Système on February 28 from 5 pm to 10 pm. She is also accepting submissions for a publication of photography, patterns and interviews with other fibre artists called Needlebound that should be launched in early April.
Where to find Dazy Chains
- Instagram: @dazy_chains
- For inquiries: hello@dazychains.ca
- Brand Website
- Brand Linktree
Picture Credit: Katarina Riopel / Studio Écru (@studio_ecru)
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