Heather Royal of Hoboken on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Heather Royal. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Heather, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing myself. I’ve never phrased it that way until now, but I’d say I am chasing the fullest, truest version of who I am- or want to be. Everyone has detours, but I’m someone who has had a sense of what I want and what I’m meant for from a young age. Sometimes the detours are intentional; I’ve definitely made choices that rerouted me from the path I’d like to be on, but those side journeys are necessary to build- strengthen my foundation or gain perspective. As long as those detours are temporary, they’re still investments and opportunities to recharge for the long chase. The risk is being too comfortable drifting off-course, getting comfortable in a life lived inauthentically.

What does that mean professionally? I know I’m meant to create, to work with my hands, to apply that to a trade where I can be selective with projects. I used to feel pressure to scale operation and commercialize so that I had a global footprint with a legion of employees and a recognized, respected brand. I’ve had a taste of the track leading there and discovered the process extinguished my passion for the work. It distanced me from the art and intimacy of customizing unique pieces for individual clients, and responding to a market means following external validation and trends. I also realized I don’t enjoy outsourcing production to sample rooms for my designs to be worn by countless strangers as much as allowing each piece be it’s own story. I prefer to offer one-on-one service and a level of craftsmanship that isn’t mass-produced, it’s what the truest version of myself is more aligned with, and a more accurate reflection of my values.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Heather Royal, working under my name as an artist and designer. I’ve been creative all my life, doing some commissioned painting and drawing, but the bulk of my projects are bespoke bridal and occasion wear. I was introduced to the industry as a teen, something that began as a way to make money after school while saving for college. Since then I’ve been on the creative and corporate side of both small shops and top industry players, was contracted to tailor for A-list celebrities for major events, and for over a decade have worked with clients on custom orders either for new designs or reimagining heirloom pieces.

My brand seems to attract a like-minded clientele; often my brides are artists themselves or come from a creative field or entertainment. They have a specific vision in mind and we work together to bring the look to life. I work from a home studio which lends itself as a bit of refuge for brides especially. Whether their wedding is a huge ballroom blowout or a city hall affair, it’s an intensely emotional time that requires out of the ordinary coordination- I enjoy having a private, comfortable work space and providing a truly personalized experience, something that has become less common with modern times.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Hesitation and overthinking- I’d love to release those. It takes me a long time to begin, whether it’s a project or a hard conversation. I agonize over the best approach and try to mitigate what may not even happen. Some of that might come from perfectionism; I feel safest in control and always want to make the right decisions. Of course I should be careful and intentional about my work- mistakes mean wasted time, material (and money), and a big enough mistake could mean starting over completely. But at this point I’ve lived through enough failures and success to trust that I’ll manage through the unknown. I’m a seasoned professional, if mistakes happen I’m solution-oriented and have proven to myself time after time that I can pivot and mold something beautiful out of a mistake. That’s undeniable once I get into a rhythm, but if I could jump over the hurdle of how and where to start, I could save time and accomplish more.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I haven’t given up but I took a hiatus which I touched on in the previous piece. Years ago I faced layers of my life simultaneously crumbling: a professional partnership that had turned hostile (which became a legal nightmare and financial drain), a personal life that had been leveled, and a health scare which could have dismantled my future plans (luckily a false alarm). I’m tenacious and all-in with what I’m passionate about so was completely devoted to everything I was building at the time, personally and professionally, but the ground beneath me collapsed. It was an awful period; I was uprooted, ashamed to be so blindsided with no contingency plan, forced to step back and remove myself from deadlines to contain and ride through emotional chaos and grief. I had to let go of the dreams I’d become familiar with to sort the rubble of my situation, gather what was possible to preserve, choose what I wanted to preserve, and then assemble a new life from the shards. I was gutted. It took time to stop seeing everything through that lens of loss, where grief was a toll every other thought or feeling passed through. 

But I dug myself out, got a corporate day job for survival and distraction, and am grateful to have supportive people around me who provided the space I needed to both unravel and rebuild. My parents let me relocate my studio, equipment and the inventory I’d spent years collecting to their home, stored and ready for when I was. At the time I was doing more bridal consulting but did have to cancel one custom order in progress- a royal blue mother of the groom gown. The piece was at least 85% complete, far enough along to hand over to a tailor; only needing minor adjustments to the bodice, zipper and appliqué placement, and a hem once she selected shoes. The wedding was still months out but I imagine the client was irate. I returned the deposit and gave her everything, including all the pattern work, and assumed the time, money and material loss. 

An artist friend of mine got engaged shortly after. I know she hesitated in asking me to get involved with her wedding, but it was cathartic. I loved her vision and was honored to take it from concept to wear; her bridal ensemble will always be one of my favorite projects. She gave me the perfect opportunity to ease back into myself and recognize that this operation is a dream I’m not willing to give up. Other creative pursuits- painting, drawing, etc- naturally returned once I reconnected. My art and my proximity to it may evolve or look different through the highs, lows and strained periods of life, but I don’t know that giving up is an option for creatives. In retrospect, I don’t think this is something I can truly escape while still breathing, and I’m glad for that.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I always understood technology to be a vehicle to accelerate the mundane and improve processes, meant to allow us to reclaim time for what makes us human- discovery, relationships, cultivating interests, joy… New technologies should better lives and advance civilization, but it seems we’ve gone beyond automating necessary functions to replacing the very important tactile, in-person engagement that we need as curious, social creatures. Creative endeavors are part of that, and I think many of these ‘smart’ cheat codes and modes of instant gratification rob us of other skills, of the character-building and resilience earned with each of our individual trial and error journeys. There’s a difference between using CAD in product design and entering a list of keywords for an entirely AI-generated project.

Many smart people are full steam ahead with our AI revolution, applying smart chat and AI components everywhere, from coffee orders to dating apps and AI companions, music, art and modeling. I think the direction we’re going there is totally wrong. While I agree this technology can be democratic and brilliant, the human experience seems to be collateral damage. I’m concerned that instead of offering tools for us to progress, we’re engineering a less able, less expressive and less complex mankind. The evidence is in my generation and those following- less learning, lacking in the arts of conversation, community, intimacy, critical thinking, decreased attention spans- and our bond with the natural world is fading (separately this technology requires an incredible amount of mining, water and resources we should be conserving). I don’t want to read a poem or receive a letter from Chat GPT. If we’re stunting our creative potential and emotional intelligence, reducing opportunities for raw interaction, we’re not connected our humanity, we’re losing it.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I only had ten years left I’d probably stop taking commissions and just work on what I want, finally putting the materials I’ve saved for ‘that piece’ to use. I’d focus on developing and realizing my vision instead of deliverables. In a similar vein, I have work from university days with good bones and potential, but they’re collecting dust right now. I’d enjoy pulling my favorites and completing them with the skill and perspective I’ve developed since then- so they become more than an academic exercise. It would give me a sense of accomplishment. And hopefully I’m doing all this from my dream tall-windowed greenhouse studio in some beautiful part of the world, between travels with people I love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heatherroyal.com
• Instagram: @heatherroyal

Image Credits
Cicily Ashcraft
Ally Moy
Alejandro Cerdena
Marissa DeCinque
Daia Fabricae Tranzer