Hey there I’m Haylie!

I am the one woman show behind Zapantis Designs. I’m from a small town in Virginia where I remember chasing butterflies, planting flowers with my granny, and curating found treasures of the natural world. During my junior year of college I took my first dye class, and instantly saw my future as a dyer. I vividly remember the day we learned about natural dyes. I became instantly attracted to the unique dye process of indigo. A dye that seemed very much alive, leaving myself mesmerized by the oxidation process on cloth. I spent many Friday nights tucked away in the dye kitchen, dipping endless piles of fabrics blue. Little did I know at the time, that was the start of Zapantis Designs.

Shortly after graduating from college with a degree in fibers and a concentration in sustainability and social practice. I began teaching indigo and nature workshops to kids. I thought to myself if I don’t start my own business now I may never do it. So, in the winter of 2017 I set out on my first two holiday shows and never looked back. 

While in college, I spent some time working as a beekeeping assistant for a USDA contractor. While working with her I instantly fell in love with the workings of the hive. A female run democracy that pollinates the world around us, and oh the honey! So so good! (If you have never had honey straight from the hive you are missing out!) While working as a beekeeper and a textile dyer simultaneously, I found a connection between the textile industry and pollinators.

Without the many pollinators such as bats, birds, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, flies and wasps we wouldn’t have many of the natural dyes and fabrics that allow us to create. The world around us is full of potential color, from spices, trees, lichen, foods, berries, blooms and even bugs. The ecosystems around us are full of richness if we just looked closely. We each have a responsibility to take care of the planet, to protect the natural world around us no matter how small.  I aim to create thoughtful, one of a kind goods with the planet in mind.

Zapantis Designs is for anyone who values the natural world, and the amazing colors our ecosystem can lend us. A wise woman once told me, “only surround yourself with things that give you a flutter of the heart.”  And that’s exactly the kinds of pieces I seek to design.