We’re delighted to have Angela May as our guest here today. Angela May is the owner of a small womenswear and kidswear boutique ‘Maya May’. She also runs a fashion portfolio business called ‘Maya May Creative’, catered for showcasing models and artists as well as designers such as herself.
Maya May features her collections in various local markets, you can follow her activities on her Facebook page. Over the past few weeks, we have had the pleasure working with May on her two business websites and the freshly launched online shop. She’s here with us today to share more about her, her business and other exciting things in the pipeline.
So, May, how did your interest in fashion start?
I’ve always loved art and design. I have countless doodles of tall skinny women wearing all sorts of gorgeous dresses. I love to play dress up when I was little girl and now I want to dress up other people.
Running my own fashion label has always been my dream. So I got my degree in Bachelor of Design and like any hopeful girl with a dream, I tried an escapade of business ventures with other entrepreneurs here and there. Not all amounted to success but every effort earned me loads of experience.
In 2011, I finally took the plunge and started my own label – Maya May. My collections are designed for women in their twenties to fifties. They range from easy to wear blouses to loose fitting tops, convertible dress-to-tunic outfits made of soft comfortable fabric like chiffon, cotton mix jersey and even silk satin for special occasions. In 2012, Maya May branched out to the Kiddo collection for girls in the 3-5 year old range.
How would you describe your brand?
My brand is all about the amalgamation of comfort and style. You can see it in every piece I design. My motto is elegant yet practical – this is true to what I live by, and most women I know. My collection features colourful prints and detailed embroidery best paired with your usual basics like jeans, tights, shorts and skirts. I always design pieces that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion, and most importantly, in a style and material that you should always want to be in, ‘cause they’re so comfy!
Where do you look for inspiration?
Colours and details around me, things I see in nature, architecture, and even food! I also get inspired by interactions with like-minded people in the creative industry – doesn’t have to be fashion designers like me, but also artists, photographers, musicians, bloggers, or even website designers like yourselves. My brain gets stimulated by conversations and collaborations with these people. I think maintaining a certain level of curiosity is a must in my line of business. When you stop asking questions and reaching for more is when you need to start to worry about your sanity!
When you have a new collection, how do you get the word out?
For a while, my only avenue is Facebook. I could drive people to my old website but it was badly designed and out of date, I didn’t even bother anymore. I’m glad I got you to revamp it. It looks so lovely now and fits the brand perfectly. Ever since I got that one up and running, I’ve been putting news about my collections and activities there too.
And now you also have an online shop.
Yes, I do. In fact, I have had this online shop for a while, it just hasn’t been set up properly and I’ve been too busy for it, so thank you for doing such a great job getting that up and running for me, and all your help with the campaigns. Such a relief to be able to pass on the marketing coordination to you, now I can concentrate on the fun stuff – designing more collections!
What projects are you currently working on and where do you see yourself in the future?
I’m working on my new collection called “Pick fresh from the market”. The design will be for the local market audience, chic little easy-to-wear numbers at affordable prices.
In future? I’m still going to be designing and creating, I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love what I do. This is my dream, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.
And—last, but not least—If you could talk to your ten year-old self, what would you like her to know?
That’s easy: never give up. Always stick to what you want to do no matter what others say, and keep creating. Think big. Search for what inspires and stimulates you, and of course, don’t forget to have fun while you’re at it!
Thank you, May for stopping by and for this chat!
If you want to learn more about Maya May, visit her shop or her website and subscribe to her newsletters for Maya May exclusive offers.