Where Are They Now? with Mary Claire Hayes

Where Are They Now? with Mary Claire Hayes

By: Elena Ossoski

Mississippi has nurtured so many talented creatives that have found their home-away-from-home in New York City, and Mary Claire Hayes is irrefutably one of them. After growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Mary Claire Hayes ventured to Ole Miss to pursue an Art History degree. Before Hayes graduated in the spring of 2019, she spent her undergrad wisely: working hard during her internships with the Yoknapatwpha Arts Council (located in Oxford’s very own Powerhouse) and Sotheby’s in London, England. 

“My parents met at Ole Miss during summer school, so, of course, the school was always a part of my life,” Hayes said. “I pushed against going to Ole Miss for the longest time, but then in high school, I visited my older sister while she was attending, and it felt like a no-brainer.”

While many college students feel as if they’re dragging themselves through the desert every time they have to go into a classroom, Hayes revealed that she rarely missed a class since the content was so captivating. 

“It was honestly a dream to sit in a room looking at images of artwork and then discuss the different techniques, influences, and the stories behind them.”

In addition to working for the Yoknapatwpha Arts Council and Sotheby’s, Hayes spent two of her summers in New York City doing various internships that gave her the confidence and insight to land the job she has been working since leaving Oxford. The move to New York was anything but nerve-racking after spending her childhood vacations in and out of the world’s biggest cities. 

“I always wanted to move to a big city!” Hayes said. “My mother lived in New York after college, and my parents always took us to cities when we went on a family vacation, so I felt confident I could move somewhere big and exciting.”

In the fall of 2019, Hayes began her career with Pierre Frey, a family-owned fabric ‘maison’ that is based out of Paris, France. While the company is rooted in Paris, Hayes works directly with interior designers out of their New York City showroom. 

“I originally wanted to work with art, but I have ended up gravitating towards a place where art meets interior design,” Hayes explained. “I love being immersed in the interior design business and constantly feeling inspired by beautiful things. To be more specific, I love the art history behind the older textiles within Pierre Frey: one of our fabric lines, Braquenie, is so historically esteemed, it was actually used to dress the train cars for Napoleon. Pierre Frey has an extensive archive in Paris with an entire team who work directly with these items. Hopefully, I’ll get to visit someday soon!”

Contrary to the popular styles among the masses at Ole Miss, Hayes found her own way to make a style statement whilst admirably going against the grain--with class. It’s difficult to describe Hayes’s style without comparing her to some of the most fashionable women in history.

“I am a bit of an old soul...I love pulling inspiration from old Hollywood, classic movies, and socialites of the past,” Hayes described.“Lately, I’ve been obsessing over Carolyn Bessette’s wardrobe. She’s so chic, modest, and timeless, yet still very sexy.”

When it comes to shopping, Hayes said that she tends to choose the affordable route: pieces from Zara and wardrobe staples like her favorite wool coat define her style as the essence of classic elegance with an edge of modernity. 

As if her impeccable style isn’t impressive enough, Hayes left me with one final notion about how her time at the University shaped her into the wise-beyond-her-years, New York City professional that she is today:

“This could be said about any large university, but I believe Ole Miss is a really mature place when it comes to overlap between the alumni community and the current students,” Hayes explained. “I learned a lot about how to converse with adults since you are constantly surrounded by friends, family, and adults (i.e., game weekends). This sounds strange, and obviously, I had tons of good, old immature fun, too, but the mature aspects of Ole Miss really help you after graduation when you’re out in the real world. Making connections and impressing the right people is very meaningful, and I feel the Ole Miss social scene excels in preparing students for life post-grad.”

To keep up with Mary Claire, follow her on Instagram @maryclairehayes, and for more features on our talented alumni, continue to check umsquaremagazine.com and our Instagram page.

Photos provided by Mary Claire Hayes.