Meet Hayley N. Chow | Author, Poet, and Founder of history, undressed

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayley N. Chow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayley N., we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
history, undressed started out as a passion project in hopes of finding my community. I worked as a fashion stylist for both editorial and runway for over a decade, and my time in the industry played a key role in what propelled me to eventually build my brand.

As a fashion stylist and Classic film enthusiast, I had a great love for the history of costume design and wanted to find like-minded people. Little did I know that I would not only find my circle, but continue on to build such a strong and loving community of cinephiles and costume lovers from all over the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
history, undressed, (@historyundressed on Instagram), is a page where cinephiles, Old Hollywood lovers, and fashion history enthusiasts can come together to experience and learn from fashions past. We travel back in time to the Golden Age of Hollywood and provide fun yet educational content, with detailed backstories on costume designers, movie trivia, and more. We also foster a strong sense of community by offering immersive and interactive experiences.

Our mission statement is simple: To preserve the Classics. This entails supporting local indie theaters that screen Classic films (many who are shutting down left and right due to lack of interest), educating the public on the importance of the Silver Screen and its legacy, and advocating for the preservation of historical landmarks and costumes. With historical preservation comes historical education; and at history, undressed, we provide that with enthusiasm daily.

Building and growing this brand took, and continues to take an extreme amount of time and dedication. As a history page, hours of heart, research, and fact checking goes into each post. My passion for film and costume preservation trumps all hardships, and I am so excited for the future of history, undressed. We are growing everyday and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To Go Back In Time: The Texas Theatre, The Majestic Theatre, Cowtown Movie Classics, The Sixth Floor Museum

For Fine Art: Dallas Contemporary, Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Nasher Sculpture Center, Kimbell Art Museum

For Shopping: NorthPark Center, Vintage Martini, The NKC Store, Forestwood Antique Mall

For Eatery: High tea at The French Room or Potpourri Boulangerie, French cuisine Toulouse, Asian fusion at Komodo Dallas, Dining with a view at Monarch Restaurant, Dive bar at Cosmo’s

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that have contributed my successes and knowledge over the years. From designers that I’ve worked closely with, to the photographers, makeup artists, and other stylists on set; the fashion industry is always a team effort and I learned everyday from my colleagues.

In terms of writing, I’m endlessly thankful to my online writing community. The poetry community on social media is beyond supportive and uplifting. There is so much undiscovered talent and it makes my day everyday reading pieces written by my fellow poets. Using words as an art form is such a raw and vulnerable thing to do, especially when you are sharing it publicly. But the friends I’ve made make me feel seen and safe to share my thoughts through prose without feeling as if I have to censor my emotions.

Lastly, to my dear history, undressed community, thank you endlessly for following along my journey and supporting me as my page has evolved over the years. Together, we’ve dived back into the past and shared so many memorable moments. I learn everyday from my followers, many costume designers, historians, and other contributors of the industry who have lived so much more life than me, and for that, I am thankful.

Website: https://linktr.ee/historyundressed

Instagram: @historyundressed

Image Credits
Evan Losanes