Clauson was discovered on an open casting call in Los Angeles, of which Ford Models signed her on the spot, a "surreal" experience she recalled.

[5] Clauson started modeling at age 14,[6][7] appearing in ad campaigns for Wild Fox Couture, Jag Jeans and in the Forever 21 catalog.

[8] In September 2010 she made her catwalk debut at the spring ADAM show in New York and also walked for Zac Posen and Calvin Klein.

[16][13] Five days after her TV interview aired, Hailey became the subject of controversy when it was found out she walked in three of the major shows: Diane von Fürstenberg, DKNY, and Oscar de la Renta in New York Fashion Week being still only 15 years old, when the age limit set by the Council of Fashion Designers of America bans models below 16 for catwalk shows.

Six months later, in August of that same year, Clauson made head-line news again when her parents reportedly were suing Urban Outfitters and two other retailers for the unauthorized use of risqué photos of Hailey on their t-shirts.

[19] In January 2014, model Hailey Clauson was the focus of an Agent Provocateur advertising campaign called "Behind Closed Doors," which was photographed by Miles Aldridge.