Meet Sienna Hayes: Costume Maker, Tailor and Founder of Sewn by Sienna
Sienna Hayes, founder of Sewn by Sienna, working in her London studio at Hotel Elephant’s St Johns Studios, Walworth.
Sienna Hayes is a London-based costume maker, tailor and freelance seamstress working across theatre, television, live performance, touring productions, weddings and events. Through her business, Sewn by Sienna, she creates bespoke costumes and garments for performers, drag artists, festivals, creative productions and private clients.
Based at St John's Walworth Studios in Elephant & Castle, Sienna's practice brings together technical sewing skills, tailoring, costume interpretation and a love of bold, expressive design. Her work spans bespoke wedding outfits, performance costumes, touring wardrobe roles and one-off commissions, supporting clients and productions across London, the UK and beyond.
Alongside her studio practice at St John's Walworth, Sienna works as a touring tailor and wardrobe professional. She has toured the UK with Strictly Come Dancing and created a bespoke tailored suit for television personality Craig Revel Horwood to wear on his UK tour. Her experience also includes working with leading costume designers, performers and television productions, bringing specialist sewing and tailoring skills to both stage and screen.
Sienna's work demonstrates the breadth of London's creative industries, combining traditional sewing skills with contemporary costume design, performance, fashion, live production and creative entrepreneurship. Her studio at St John's Walworth provides a calm, bright and professional space where clients can visit for fittings, ideas can develop, and garments can be carefully made by hand.
Close up of Sienna Hayes working with sequins in her studio at Hotel Elephant.
Costume Making, Tailoring and Creative Workspace in South London
At Hotel Elephant's St John's Walworth Studios, Sienna is part of a wider community of artists, makers, designers and creative businesses working from a former school building in the heart of South London. For a costume maker and freelance seamstress, having a dedicated studio space is essential: it provides room for sewing equipment, fittings, fabric, garment construction and the detailed making processes required for bespoke costume and tailoring work.
From performance costumes and touring wardrobe work to bridal alterations and bespoke garments, Sewn by Sienna reflects the skill, care and creativity that sit behind the scenes of the fashion, theatre and live entertainment industries.
To learn more about Sienna's work, visit: www.sewnbysienna.com
Follow Sienna on Instagram: @sewnbysienna
Q&A with Sienna Hayes, Founder of Sewn by Sienna
Sienna Hayes working in her South London studio at Hotel Elephant, St Johns Walworth.
Can you tell us a little about your journey into costume making and what inspired you to start Sewn by Sienna?
I graduated from Wimbledon College of Art back in 2018 with a degree in costume interpretation for theatre & film. Soon after graduating, I got my first job making theatre drapes in Colliers Wood, where I stayed for a year and then took the leap as a freelancer after being offered a junior role in a bridal alterations parlour in South London. I have been freelancing ever since and still LOVE IT 7 years on!
I started Sewn by Sienna because I wanted to have full control of my work and also loved creating bespoke outfits for people. I started making costumes for friends and family in the performance and drag world, which soon led me to working in theatre and TV. Along the way, I have made some amazing connections and friends within the industry, which is now where most of my work comes from: recommendations.
Recently, I have ventured into the touring world, which I LOVE, but I will always do Sewn by Sienna when I'm not touring with pop artists. The dream is to grow sewn by Sienna, so it continues while I’m away.
Your work ranges from bespoke costumes and drag performance wear to freelance sewing. What do you enjoy most about creating garments for performers and creative clients?
The majority of my work focuses on bespoke wedding outfits, bespoke performance costumes, touring tailor/wardrobe assistant roles, and general freelance seamstress work. To be honest, I love them all equally. Touring allows me to see the world whilst doing my dream job, and making bespoke wedding outfits allows me to provide a special bespoke experience for clients on the biggest day of their life, which is really rewarding.
“My studio is such a safe space for my clients and me, which is really important.
I love the brightness of my studio and the high ceilings - I always get compliments on my space. Having a calm place to work, as well as being able to shut the door at the end of the day, allows me to switch off for the evening.
Great studio neighbours too!”
All the tools of the trade! Sewing machine workstation in Sienna’s costume making studio at Hotel Elephant.
Looking back at your career so far, is there a particular costume, collaboration or project that stands out as a favourite?
Going on Tour with Lady Gaga has been my biggest achievement. Collaborating with her touring tailor to make one of her opening costumes in two days will always hold a special place in my heart. Eternally grateful for this opportunity.
What advice would you give to young people interested in costume design, sewing or pursuing a creative career in fashion and performance?
Talk to people in the industry, be bold, work hard and listen. Go to as many exhibitions as you can, try to inspire yourself daily and make friends in the jobs you do!
If you could design a dream costume for any performer, artist or fictional character, who would it be and what would you create?
This is super hard to answer, but I'd love to make the costumes for the main act of the Super Bowl!
Close up of Sewn By Sienna branded signage in Sienna’s South London Studio.
From costume makers and prop makers to designers, artists and creative entrepreneurs, St John’s Walworth Studios is home to a vibrant community of practitioners working across London’s creative industries. Find out more about St John’s Walworth Studios, explore current studio availability, or learn about Hotel Elephant’s wider creative education programmes for young people.
Photography by Marcus Hessenberg