The New York-based designer talks handmade beginnings, New York style, and all things We Go Far
Hadley Tutton doesn’t overcomplicate things. At 26 years old, the Indianapolis-born, New York-based designer has carved out her own lane with her brand We Go Far, a label less defined by seasonal trends and more by instinct, mood, and the occasional walk past a well-dressed stranger. What started during the stillness of the pandemic has grown—slowly, intentionally—into a label that values process over polish. Her studio is her apartment, her mannequin is her sketchbook, and her pieces live as reflections of her personal inspirations. We sat down at The West, a Williamsburg local hang, to talk about designing wedding dresses, styling tutus over pants, and why fashion, at the end of the day, should be fun.
What’s a typical day like for you in New York City?
Honestly, everyday is different which I actually love. I get up every morning and walk my dog [Henry]. It’s our little routine and I love it. Then I journal and -get my ideas together, maybe do some mood boarding, go over what I need to get done for the day. Right now, I’m working on my spring collection. If I have custom orders, I usually prioritize those. But then I spend my mornings touching base with my intern and doing social media stuff. Then in the afternoons is usually when I sew or work on my collection. I always finish out the day with another walk with my dog. He is a huge part of my life. I really go with the flow. It kind of depends what job is thrown at me or if I have any custom orders or if I have any specific projects I really want to work on and get done that day.
How many custom orders do you get?
Not as many as I would like…I would probably say one or two a month, not a ton. Obviously I would love to have way more than that, but it’s kind of good because then I can really focus and make those perfect rather than spreading myself too thin. When I started, I was strictly doing knits, like I’d make you a knit hat or a knit sweater. Now I’m kind of like, tell me anything you want or need and we can work through a design process. Literally I’ve made dog collars, dog leashes, anything you want! Right now I’m designing a girl’s wedding dress which I’m super excited about.
What’s your go-to look for when you need to feel confident?
Love this question. Definitely something colorful, and comfortable. I always gravitate towards colorful pieces, especially pink, I love pink. I usually try to incorporate one piece that I feel excited about or I think adds something fun to my fit. Like recently I’ve been loving a tutu or little skirt over my pants. Also always love a hat, headscarf, or funky hair style.
What’s the most unexpected compliment you’ve ever received, and how did it make you feel?
The most unexpected compliment I’ve received was from a few of the models who walked in my last show and it wasn’t anything to do with my designs. They said something like “you are always so happy and inclusive and positive and make this more of a fun space rather than the super competitive space that the fashion world usually is.” Being complimented on how I go about designing and putting things together rather than what I am physically “making” made me feel really good because that’s a huge message I try to express through my brand. This is for fun. We’re not changing the world.
Can you share the story behind starting We Go Far? How did the name come about?
It was during the pandemic, I remember I started learning how to knit just for fun. Then I was like, wait, I can actually make some cute, fun things. I went to college for fashion design so I kinda always knew I wanted to have some sort of brand, store, or company. Something I would be in charge of. That’s when I was like, okay maybe it’s a good time for me to start my brand. I figured since everyone was sitting at home not doing anything it may get more attention. Initially, it was a fun way to pass the time and a new creative outlet for me.
When I first started the brand I really struggled with a name. Literally even to this day I always randomly want to change the name. At first, it was “lover NYC” but after a year that started to sound weird to me. It wasn’t like I had a story behind the word lover. Then I was thinking, “Hadley NYC” but Iwas still like, okay, no don’t love that either. I literally could not come up with anything.
Someone suggested to me the store Café Forgot. I went in there and I was like “how’d you guys come up with your name,” and she told me to walk around NYC and pop into nail salons to look at the names of nail colors. She said that all of the nail polish names are so catchy and creative. I was like wait, that’s such a good idea. Everyday I would look at street signs, food packaging, nail colors, restaurants, random things. Eventually I saw a sign that said “We Go Far” and I was like okay, yes. I felt like it resonated with not only my personal story, but the story behind the brand as well. It just kind of stuck. I went with that in 2022, and we’ve never gone back. It wasn’t really super planned out. Here’s a clothing brand I want to have, here’s a plan and let’s put it into production. Everything’s always been handmade and always done by me.
Walk us through your design process. From concept to final product, how do you bring your visions to life?
I take a lot of inspiration from people walking on the streets in New York, and honestly I find myself designing pieces that I personally would be excited to wear. I have been trying to be better about taking inspiration from moments in my life rather than things I see online.
Usually I don’t make patterns or anything. I have a little mannequin in my apartment that I drape everything on and then I just pull it off and sew it there. It’s usually a pretty quick process. Occasionally, especially for custom orders, I’ll sketch out and come up with the exact fabrication, design, exactly what it’s gonna be. But for most of our runway collections and the new spring collection, it’s very much just draped, fun, layered pieces that I’m maneuvering in the moment rather than planning super far out. My process is pretty simple compared to designers who are more technically skilled, which is something I’m always working on as well.
Having been involved in various creative roles, including your work with Awoke Vintage, how have your experiences shaped your approach to fashion design?
I’ve definitely been super lucky when it comes to the previous experiences I’ve had working within the fashion industry. With that being said, this industry is tough, and living in NYC can oftentimes make things feel small and exclusive. I’ve learned that having a good group of people who build you up is definitely helpful, especially being a small designer. So I would have to say staying true to yourself and surrounding yourself with quality people makes things so much easier and fun. Staying positive obviously enables more creativity.
How does living in NYC influence your designs and brand identity?
I love that question. I definitely, especially being from Indiana, see the impact of being surrounded by so many creative and diverse groups of people here in New York. It’s super inspiring and also brings ideas to my head that I literally would never even think of or see being somewhere else. So definitely I think the creativeness and eclecticness of the people who are here really inspires me. Literally every time I leave the house, I see someone wearing something cool or inspiring that I bring back to my mood boards. I love to look back at them and take inspiration.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for We Go Far?
Ideally, I would love to see We Go Far grow into a much bigger and more successful brand. We Go Far has always been something I do for fun, but now that I am seeing the brand naturally grow I find myself working on it more “full-time”. Right now, having fun and being creative are my main goals when designing. So ya, I guess I would say I want to become bigger and better while still staying true to myself and what this is all about for me.
Up until now, all of the pieces I’ve created have been one of a kind, which really limits the quantity of each design I can make. From upcycling vintage garments, to using second hand fabrics that can’t be replicated, my design process makes it almost impossible for me to replicate my designs. Typically I just drape the fabric then cut and sew. It’s usually a pretty quick process. Moving forward, I want to develop patterns for some of my designs so I can get them put into production.
I definitely want to grow the team, grow the production and keep growing the brand. While, you know, always having fun and making the pieces unique and creative but staying to my main message–it’s for fun!
