Haixi Ren is a Chinese fashion designer based in New York and the founder of REN HAIXI, established in 2020. Before launching her label, Ren worked at respected fashion houses including Thom Browne and Vera Wang, where she became aware of the fashion industry’s growing textile waste issue. After graduating from the Parsons School of Design in 2020, she founded REN HAIXI with a focus on zero-waste design methods that transform leftover fabrics into couture pieces. Known for soft color palettes, sculptural shapes, and hand-crafted details, Ren creates garments that feel expressive yet modern. Her designs have been worn by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, Billie Eilish, Kesha, and Megan Fox. Each collection reflects a balance of craftsmanship, emotion, and a more thoughtful vision of luxury.
Haixi Ren Questionnaire
Picture credit: Khloe Kardashian captured by Greg Swales
Q. What inspires you most when you begin designing a new piece or collection?
A. What inspires me most is fine art, especially painting techniques. My work is deeply influenced by abstract expressionism — I think of the body as a three-dimensional canvas. I translate brush strokes, texture and painterly energy into textile and consider how a garment can paint itself onto a body through drape and sculptural form. This merging of art and fashion is at the core of my design process from concept to execution.
Q. Many of your pieces feel more like art installations than traditional garments. How do you approach the relationship between fashion and art?
A. I think of fashion and art as inseparable, but I always keep real-world wearability in mind. Yes, many of my pieces are conceptual — they evoke emotion like an art installation — but I design with a purpose. My main clientele are celebrities and music artists, people who wear garments for performance, red carpet moments, and visual storytelling. These pieces are wearable art, but they have function — they communicate identity, presence, and power. When I design for a specific client, I consider their personality and how they’ll move and live in the piece.
Q. How does it feel to see your designs worn by celebrities on the red carpet or at major events?
A. It’s incredibly exciting and I feel so grateful when a celebrity puts on something I’ve spent months creating. It’s validating, but there’s also a danger of becoming addicted to those big moments — chasing the next headline, the next viral image. I have to remind myself of my core goals: to create meaningful work and push my art forward rather than simply pursue press.
Q. Looking ahead, how do you envision the evolution of REN HAIXI, and what do you hope people feel when they wear your designs?
A. My vision for REN HAIXI is to evolve from wearable art into purposeful fashion that empowers the wearer. I want to expand beyond couture into pieces that serve real women in real life — whether it’s on stage, at work, or in private life. I want women to feel beautiful, ethereal, sexy, intelligent, and powerful when they wear my designs. My work has always had sustainability at its core — zero waste and made-to-measure — but it’s also about personal expression and confidence.
Q. What advice would you give to young designers who want to build a brand with purpose but fear taking the leap?
A. My advice is simple: just keep creating. To build a brand, you need to produce enough work that people can see your vision. Putting pieces into the world — even imperfect ones — helps you learn what resonates and what needs refinement. Public feedback and interaction help shape your identity as a brand because, at the end of the day, you design for people. If you never release anything, you’ll never know what needs fixing or how your voice will evolve. Stay persistent, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to iterate.
