THE faces BEHIND the ELEVATED Collective

Four women with tattoos laughing and hugging in a kitchen, one woman is being lifted in the air.
Four women with tattoos enjoying drinks and celebrating in a kitchen.
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Welcome.

Established in 2012, what began as Elegant Portraiture by Exc Photography has since evolved into the Elevated Elegance Collective, a refined expression of the artistry and all-women team behind the experience.

Created by Hailley, this brand was never meant to be just a photography studio. It was designed as a sanctuary. An elevated, intentionally curated space where every detail feels considered. Where judgment dissolves at the door. Where vulnerability is met with grace. Where confidence isn’t manufactured it’s revealed.

Here, elegance is not about perfection.
It is about presence. About being seen in your truest form and realizing that was always enough.

This is portraiture redefined luxurious, intimate, and rooted in self-worth.

Meet the Team

  • Black-and-white photo of a woman with long dark hair wearing sunglasses and a denim jacket, holding a vintage camera near her face, making a playful puckered-lips expression.

    Hailley Hawley

    FOUNDER/PHOTOG

    Instagram @elevatedelegancecollective

  • A woman with long brown hair and blue eyes applying red lipstick in a kitchen with white cabinets and granite countertops.

    Michelle George

    MAKEUP ARTIST

    Tiktok @michellegsmakeupcorner

  • Woman dressed as a witch in a black hat, with tattoos and orange hair, adjusting her hat

    Jessica Hall

    MAKEUP ARTIST

    Instagram @contouredbyjess

  • A woman with tattoos on her arm, wearing a white top and black shorts, standing in a kitchen holding a glass of white wine, smiling and winking at the camera.

    Shelby Nye

    SELF-WORTH COACH

    Facebook @ShelbyVi

  • A woman with light brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a black dress and glittery earrings, lying on her back and looking up, with her hand resting on her neck.

    Stefanie Harrington

    EVENT HOST

    Facebook @StefanieHarrington

A woman with dark hair, smiling with eyes closed, holding a vintage camera, wearing a dark top, jeans, and a denim jacket, sitting on the floor in a black and white photo.

I’M SO GLAD YOU FOUND ME

I’m Hailley, the founder of The Elevated Elegance Collective.

My experience isn’t defined solely by the 14 years I’ve spent behind the camera. It’s shaped by lived moments, the seasons of standing in front of the mirror and only seeing what I thought needed fixing. The quiet comparisons. The unlearning. The work of gently rewiring the stories I had absorbed about what a woman “should” look like.

I’ve stood where you’re standing.

The transformation I guide women through isn’t surface level. It’s the steady, compassionate shift from self-critique to self-respect. From harshness to softness. From performing confidence to actually feeling at home in your own skin.

I’m not here to change you. I’m here to help you see yourself differently and to remind you that a more peaceful relationship with your body is possible.

Hello
chat with me →
“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”
— Amy Bloom

The Studio

In 2018, my soul sister (not by blood, but close enough) and I created Meraki Fine Art Studios, a space that started as a creative haven. It was never just about business. It was about having somewhere to breathe, to dream, to create freely.

I co-owned that beautiful space with her until 2024, when life pulled us in different directions and she stepped into a new adventure of her own. It was bittersweet one of those chapters you’re grateful for, even as you turn the page.

Today, I fully own the studio myself. What began as a shared vision has evolved into something deeply personal. I now open the space to a handful of other creatives for their own ventures, and I mentor photographers within our community, something that brings me so much joy. Watching others grow inside these walls feels incredibly full-circle.

My intention has always been for the studio to feel like a second home. When you walk in, there’s a candle lit. The energy feels warm. There’s a snack and refreshment bar waiting for you. Little take-home goodies tucked in the bathroom. Every detail, every corner, was poured into with love.

It’s cozy on purpose. Calm on purpose. Private on purpose. The studio is by appointment only, completely intimate, and meant to feel like our own little world for a few hours.

I want you to feel safe there. Seen there. Comfortable enough to exhale.

And when you leave, I hope you carry a little bit of that warmth with you.