May 2, 2010

An Interview with Project Runway's Maya Luz

Brassiere Joe in the Colonnade Hotel hosts "Fashion Show Fridays" every week. This week Maya Luz was featured and showing off her brand new designs and accessories. Maya is beautiful in person and so down to earth.  She was the favorite in Project Runway but the 22-year old felt she needed more experience and left the show.  She has no regrets, a Mass College of Art degree, and all the opportunities she wants.  I spoke to her briefly before the show to find out a bit more.

How has being on Project Runway furthered your career?
It helped me a lot by realizing who I was and what I was going for. I think in the beginning I was like I just want to win and through the process realized I have some growing to do which is why I left the show. I want to explore and see what my clientele is. I am just starting out and I think to go and win Project Runway would have been too much to handle. You never know if you are going to win but there is a chance.  Nina Garcia and Tim Gunn both told me I would probably make it to the final three.

How did Nina and Tim help you?
Nina said some interesting things that I really took to heart.  I just need to go out and explore a little bit more what I want to do with this.  I think being fresh out of school a lot of fashion students tend to go and out and do all these really crazy things that don't work and I believe I had an element of that too. Now I am just trying to refine my craft and find my niche.  Accessories are really something I want to do. I think I have a good eye for it.

Tell me a bit more about the accessories....
So, what I am pretty known for are the ball and chain bags. I don't know if you saw Marilyn (yes people, as in Reisman, famous Boston fashion socialite) but she has purchased a few from me.  I am always interested in doing something different because so many bags are just ordinary, especially cocktail bags. To me accessories are the thing that pulls it all together, it is the icing on the cake. I want to be the designer that when someone walks in the room people are like "where did you get that bag!" and that is the effect I am going for.

Tell me about some of the materials you are using.....
I am actually sponsored by this company called Valtekz and they have composite fabrics. They do mainly boat interiors and hotel interiors . I contacted them because my step dad is an architect and I was digging through his office and found one of the sample books. He told me to take it and from there I started making bags out of the samples from the interior design company.  I contacted the company and told them I wanted to work with them. It is really soft and sews beautifully. It looks like metal. I am trying to bring to them more of a fashion angle because they are mainly interior designers.

Seeing as your step dad is an architect, does he have any influence on your designs?
My whole family did. My mom is also a photographer and a painter.

Maya's designs are truly gorgeous and she has great things ahead of her. Everything from the clothes to the bags and jewelry were unique yet wearable. Sure enough, I did see Marilyn with her spiky Maya bag front and center on the table. She is one lucky lady.

1 comment:

Megan Johnson said...

i can't believe she's only 22!

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