The Sauce office this month is ruled by the cool, calm and collected aesthetic of minimalism: presented to us by our muse, Hayden Graye. Born in Tennessee, based in LA, jet-setting Taurus and model is bringing emo-esque beauty back.

The latest in our interview series combined with vintage fashion, (Ooh to the Jean Paul Gaultier shirt!) clean silhouettes and stunning imagery to bring back the classics of simplicity. Get to know our muse.

Hi Hayden, can you tell us a little something about yourself?

Hi. Well, I’m Hayden Graye, I’m non-binary, a Taurus (hard-headed af) and I was born in Tennessee... But I currently live in LA. I can never stay in one place so who knows where I’ll be even a month from now. Lately, I’m really into spending time and finally feeling comfortable being by myself.

Hard to do in a nutshell – but can you tell us about your career so far, how did you get into what you do?

Well, I started modelling where I grew up- in North Carolina-and I would always post my photos on Instagram and Tumblr. I just worked with local photographers and friends who had nice-ish cameras. I started to get recognised online for my look and my mother agency reached out via Instagram and I signed with them after months of discouragement from my peers. No one really fully believed in me but after a while of putting off my modelling career I finally said: “fuck it- what can I lose?”

I was 18 when I signed with my mother agency; still living with my parents and now, at age 20, I’m travelling every other week- I’m signed globally and I’ve worked with some of the biggest designers. I never thought I’d get this far but I’m so happy to be here and I can’t wait for what my future holds. I have so much more I want to accomplish.

I never really knew what I wanted to do growing up, I always liked modelling, always liked fashion and having my own personal style...but nothing really enticed me. At one point when I was little, I thought I wanted to be a forensic scientist because I always watched crime shows with my mom and Gabby from NCIS was a badass.

How do you cope with the stressful parts of the industry?

The industry has taken a huge toll on my mental health and self-esteem. I try to be open and transparent with my friends and even use my platform to speak out on the dark parts of this industry. It always helps me to talk about it and continue to strive for a healthy lifestyle. Exercising regularly and eating healthier have really helped me get through my struggles with self-esteem and overall health.

What influences your personal style?

I guess I take inspiration from all the things I see on Instagram and my weird phases I had gone through when I was in school. I love the Y2k and goth looks that were really popular. My personal style is super genuine and true to myself. I feel I have two completely different egos; sometimes I just wanna wear sportswear/grimy street style clothing and other days I wanna do a full glam look with heels and contour. I do everything in extremes.

Your earliest beauty memory?

Sneaking black pencil eyeliner into the bathrooms in middle school because my mom wouldn’t let me wear makeup until I was 16. I would do raccoon eyes every day in the bathroom before class and wipe it off before getting on the bus home. I was dedicated to the emo and “scene” look back then and I still hold on to some of those emo aesthetics and incorporate them in my daily looks.

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty is a feeling; an energy. You’re beautiful if you feel beautiful if you feel beautiful that energy radiates off of you and no one can take that from you. Everyone has their preconceived idea of what beauty is supposed to be and everyone’s gonna be a critic, so I just do me no matter what and I think that’s beautiful within itself.

“Beauty is a feeling; an energy. You’re beautiful if you feel beautiful if you feel beautiful that energy radiates off of you and no one can take that from you. Everyone has their preconceived idea of what beauty is supposed to be and everyone’s gonna be a critic, so I just do me no matter what and I think that’s beautiful within itself.”

A film and a song you recommend

My favourite movies are Kill Bill and The Shining. My dad’s a big movie buff and I would always watch his favourite cult classics growing up.

My favourite song right now is probably my friend’s Spicy. She just released it not so long ago; called You Did This. It’s her only song but her voice is so mesmerising I could listen to it on repeat all day. It’s on SoundCloud.

Follow Hayden here.

Thank you Hayden, Cherry, Joseph and Natalia x

Photography — Joseph Balestra
Stylist — Cherry Kim
Makeup — Natalia Lopez De Quintana
Model — Hayden Graye at State Management

Hayden Graye