Cheval, the designer formerly known as Hayley Paige, likely won't be able to work in the bridal industry again until 2027.
Cheval has been in the midst of a legal battle with JLM Couture, the parent company of Hayley Paige Bridal, since December 2020 over her use of the @misshayleypaige social-media accounts.
JLM was granted a preliminary injunction against Cheval in March 2021, which prevented her from using Hayley Paige, a trademark owned by the company and also her birth name, in any public setting. A judge denied Cheval's request to dissolve the preliminary injunction on July 25.
Cheval's employment agreement with JLM expired on August 1, and she had previously announced her intention to launch a bridal line under a new name after the agreement ended, but the latest ruling forced her to change those plans.
According to court documents reviewed by Insider, Cheval is now allowed to work in the bridal industry or any other industry that competes with JLM since the employment agreement expired.
But according to the same documents, she cannot be "identified" as a designer or use her identity to promote the sales of a business in competition with JLM Couture until August 1, 2027, which would make it difficult for her to actually work in the bridal industry.
Cheval, who announced her new name on Monday, told Insider she was "blindsided" by the ruling.
"Up until about five days before August 1, when the ruling came through, I had been very mentally prepared to reenter bridal," she said. "That was heart-wrenching and soul-crushing, and I felt blindsided. I did not prepare for the alternative in that sense."
"This is a gut punch, and it's really devastating. And I think my biggest fear in life is disappointing people," Cheval went on to say. "I immediately thought of all the people that I would be letting down and all these people that have stuck by me and supported me through this whole journey that were really looking forward to this date and this moment for me to get back out there."
"I felt like I was put on this earth to do something, and I've been stripped of my ability to do that," she said, speaking of designing wedding dresses. "It's so crushing because it feels like it's meant to be."
Despite her disappointment, Cheval is now in the process of starting a new business venture that does not directly compete with JLM. She did not divulge to Insider what her new business venture would be, but she said it would be a product for women.
"To have to pivot like that is a really big deal," she said of her new path. "But I wanted to make sure I approached the situation with respect to the district court and with an understanding that this is my situation."
"I think it really became a moment for me to realize I have been given these restraints and I'm in this position and I need to figure out creatively what I can do with it," she said.
As she has adjusted to the news, Cheval has looked at her legal predicament as an opportunity to grow.
"I've always seen myself as an artist and as a creator," she said. "This has given me a whole new excitement for other frontiers. I always thought that bridal was my linchpin, but really I have this opportunity to engage and captivate with even more women now."