We recently connected with Maya Fasthoff and have shared our conversation below.
Maya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
I think the fashion industry in the U.S and Canada have long overlooked the Americas’ design treasures. There is so much talent in the American continent, not just in design but also a lot of artisans and talented hands that can make so much of the fashion consumed in the more developed countries of this side of the globe. If the fashion industries in the U.S and Canada looked to tap into the talent pool right in their neighborhood, everyone would benefit tremendously, not just in fashion but in all fields. I think this frame of mind of taking your manufacturing to the other side of the world is shortsighted.
I realize it would take time to develop the framework to do more business with the rest of the Americas, but is not impossible. Some Latin designers already do this with great success, maybe now other designers need to follow their lead.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have had a number of careers in my life, but I’ve always been a creative person…crafting was always my hobby. At some point many years ago, I started trying my hand at making jewelry. This took time to learn and develop, but I started growing in my style and eventually had a chance to give it a try, get a website going and all that jazz. My jewelry style has evolved over the years, gradually reflecting my Colombian background – the tropical nature, gold and traditional aesthetic, but also modern design influence.
In many of my jewelry designs, there’s the factor of being able to wear pieces in different ways. This comes from having grown up with limited resources, which made me look to always maximize wear for everything I owned, which wasn’t much.
This life experience has served me well in life and in the way I design. What my clients can expect, is a Casually Elegant and tropical upscale aesthetic in jewelry, with a twist.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being creative, is the satisfaction of imagining and creating something that can make someone else feel beautiful…this can be challenging since the nature of being creative is to keep creating new things, different things, and at times too many things. But the challenge of keeping all these ideas alive is itself rewarding too. When someone finds any of those ideas beautiful and wants to wear them, that is the best feeling…all those little ideas born in a designer’s mind take life and go on to shine with their new owner, spreading not only beauty, but also the love that it took to make those pieces.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Initially my only focus or goal was just to create pieces that reflected my cultural background with a modern twist, and to make them timeless and wearable in different ways. But early on I had the vision of serving another purpose…I realized I could eventually have them still be hand crafted, and have them crafted in my home town Cali, Colombia; where I could work with a social program employing mothers who are heads of families.
There is a tremendous need for work for single mothers, and there is also a great source of hand crafting talent available in Colombia. Colombians are very entrepreneurial people and there is a tradition of hand crafting things, this can be a great resource not just to many families in need, but also to companies looking for talented labor. The added bonus to me, would be having the pride of having my designs made back at home.
I’m still working towards this goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mayafasthoff.com
- Instagram: @mayafasthoff
- Facebook: Maya Fasthoff Jewelry
Image Credits
All photos taken by Maya Fasthoff.