Although she graduated from UTS with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles in 2017, Dessy Hairis has always had a passion for business and, mixed with her love for intricate details and prints, Bydee was born.
Finding her niche
Dessy began her fashion and textiles degree in 2014 and loved the diverse creativity that her studies allowed her to explore. From screen printing and fashion sketches to digital pattern creation, students developed a wide range of skills. Dessy found her niche, as she discovered she preferred working on smaller scale pieces where she could focus on intricate details.
“One of my favourite works I created for a UTS assignment was an underwire longline bra. Upcycled from a family heirloom, I created a structured bra with underwire and boning from a red lace dress of my grandmother’s, which at the time was over 25 years old,” she says.
With focus placed on upcycling and sustainability; another assignment that caught the attention of Dessy’s followers was a pair of men’s trousers bought from St. Vincent De Paul. Dessy upcycled these to a bralette and cropped kimono, using the waistband as the under bust band. This shape later appeared on her website in an array of printed fabrics bought from Remnant warehouse, a fabric store which relies on larger fashion houses fabric donations.
Embroidery was a stand-out subject for Dessy, and while completing her Design theory unit in Singapore 2016 after having just completed a semester long embroidery subject, she made it her mission to hand bead an entire bikini top in her downtime from her studies.
The beginnings of Bydee
Dessy’s brand, Bydee, began popping up at markets across Sydney. Being able to meet and learn from the Bydee customer, Dessy fell in love with her community and could really see how confident her designs made her customers feel.
Markets became a weekly ritual, and Bydee blossomed. Dessy worked tirelessly during the week to hand-make each of the pieces she would bring to the markets over the weekend. Even in these early days, despite the growing following, Dessy never thought her brand would grow beyond the markets.
“Customising sizes for women struggling to find pieces that catered to their proportions and sourcing fun, unique laces allowed the brand to grow, and the customer was able to purchase pieces hand tailored perfectly for their bodies,” Dessy says.
“Meeting all the amazing women, their partners, friends, and family was the best. I would grow relationships with these people, and they would visit regularly.”
Bydee resonated with these early customers, and some international students even requested pieces be made and sent to them back home, long after their initial exchange had ended. Dessy knew she had started something special, something she loved.
It was clear that by the time Dessy graduated, she was ready to pursue Bydee full-time.
“I remember standing in line in our graduation gowns, waiting to be called on stage to receive my degree; my parents, sister and partner all waiting patiently to applaud. I however wasn’t focused on receiving my award, I was backstage emailing customers who were asking for tracking numbers and enquiring about product restocks.”
And so it grows
Dessy’s mother, Sia, became an invaluable part of Bydee. As Dessy struggled to keep up with demand, Sia stepped in and quickly learned Dessy’s designs.
“I moved from working at Mum’s kitchen bench to working with her as Bydee’s first real employee,” says Dessy.
As Dessy focused on growing the swimwear category, speaking with overseas manufacturers, improving the website and branding whilst also managing customer service and dispatch, Dessy’s Mum took on sewing the handmade lace pieces, which were a main feature in their weekly market stalls.
The online presence was slowly growing, and Dessy placed an emphasis on content and campaign imagery, using her hard-earned savings to go overseas and shoot the first Bydee international campaign in Italy. At this point, Dessy’s focus was for Bydee to grow beyond just a market stall.
“I knew the potential of an online brand and presence…it would mean I could reach so many more women. I invested in improving our dated website and continued to invest in strong imagery, which saw conversions increase.”
Although hesitant to leave her roots, it became impossible to keep up with the weekly market stalls. The final market stall was an emotional and critical moment in Bydee’s evolution, becoming a solely online brand.
Dessy hired her second employee, and the third followed not long after. Working from home was no longer possible. It was time for Bydee to find a warehouse space and further grow her team.
Going global
Now in 2023, Bydee’s offerings include swimwear and ready-to-wear with customers across the globe and a team of over seventeen to thank.
Dessy’s goal from Bydee’s inception, and still to this day, has always been to create a brand dedicated to women, focusing on travel-inspired pieces with an attention to detail, while striving to reduce the brand’s environmental impact.
During my time at UTS, I established many skills, both soft and hard, which have aided in the growth of Bydee. One of those includes ensuring there is always meaning behind designs.
“As the Creative Director at Bydee, I ensure every collection has a story and meaning behind it.” she says. “This is conveyed through the little details you see on each of our pieces, from the hand-beaded details to the custom gold alloy charms that are designed in-house for each collection, through to the thought-out binding that complements our custom prints. UTS taught me how to take inspiration from all facets of life and transfer it into meaningful designs and creations.
“The networks developed at UTS have also guided me through the growth of Bydee, including working with peers in a contract capacity or reaching out to previous tutors for interns. UTS is a community I am proud to always to remain a part of.”
