We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Heidi Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Heidi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

This is my absolute favorite story. I set up a booth at different markets around the Northeast almost every weekend of the year. At one market a beautifully styled woman strolled right up to my table to chat. We had a fairly normal conversation for a craft show, talking about how we had met last year and how excited she was to be shopping from so many makers and small business owners. I complimented her outfit, she liked my new designs. After a few minutes, she leaned in a little bit and said “I would really like to touch foreheads with you, would you do that with me?”

I stepped out from behind my table, leaned forward and let her gently press her forehead to mine. It was very brief, somehow not that weird in the moment. She said thank you and left and left without buying anything. I die laughing every time I think about it.

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.

May and Mary makes organic clothing that feels good. We offer pieces that are comfortable, wearable and functional. That means dresses with pockets, bra tops and crop tops that are made in house, plus super soft t-shirts and sweatshirts that are manufactured by our partner here in NY.

Our clothing features hand dyed colors and hand carved linoleum block prints that are inspired by nature and our interaction with it. All of our items are available in sizes XS-3X and we are working to expand our size range to 6X.
We believe in size and gender inclusivity and are committed to ethical production and sustainable fabrics. Every body deserves clothing that fits and makes them feel comfortable in their skin.

The question I get most is “are you May or Mary?” and I am sorry to disappoint, but I’m Heidi. I named the business after my grandparents, Maynard and Mary. They were a huge influence on my childhood and made sure I grew up thinking about sustainability and conservation. They taught me to dream big, and that I could truly do anything I put my mind to.

I started May and Mary in 2015, after a cross-country move from Ithaca, NY to Portland, OR. After years of using recycled materials under a different brand name, I set out to build a brand focused on comfort and functionality as much as style. I wanted to be able to produce multiples, so I moved from recycled materials to sustainable fabrics like organic cotton and bamboo. I hand dyed my fabric because I could get a discount on larger rolls and then cut and dye my own colors to my liking. And if I’m totally honest, I started tie-dyeing when I realized how hard it is to get an even dye when you are working with 10 yards of fabric at a time. I love playing with colors, but I was dreaming of designing prints too. After meeting a woodblock artist at Portland Saturday Market, I was inspired to start carving my own linoleum blocks (like custom stamps) to bring my ideas to life.

In 2021 I came back from a small break from the business and started working with a manufacturer to get the softest basic tees and sweatshirts you can imagine. I’m still sewing about half of the products I sell, but this change has allowed me to produce 10x the inventory and has made a huge difference in my business revenue. I’m so proud of the prints I have been producing and the new dye techniques I’ve been able to learn!

This work is deeply personal to me. As a non-binary person in a curvy body that has always struggled to find clothes that combine fit, functionality and style, I wanted to make something that FEELS GOOD. I wanted the fabrics to feel good on the skin and for you to feel good wearing them. I strive to make clothes that become your favorites.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot many times as a business owner, and in life – they tend to coincide. I think the biggest pivot happened when my grandfather (Maynard, the “May” in May and Mary) passed away at the end of 2018. I moved home to help care for my grandmother and had to figure out how, and if, I was going to run the business from my tiny hometown. I had been used to weekly income from Portland Saturday Market and there wasn’t anything like that happening in Cuba, NY. I wasn’t sure how long I would be staying, so it didn’t make sense to apply to larger markets with application cut-offs six to nine months in advance.

I ended up scaling the business way back and getting a job at Home Depot for a few months. This was not a glamorous pivot, but it was what needed to happen. When I finally came back to the business full time 2 years later, I was able to re-launch and triple my revenue that first year. So, not glamorous, but definitely the right move.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

My grandmother taught me to sew when I was 7 years old. We made a little purse out of a pair of jeans that I had outgrown. I started sketching designs for clothing when I was 10 or 11, and I think the first “fashion” item I made for myself was a pair of knockoff JNCO jeans, made by splitting the seam of a pair of jeans and adding bright yellow fabric.

So, when I started May and Mary I knew how to sew and drape clothing but I had to teach myself how to make and grade patterns. There was a lot of trial and error, along with many online tutorials and pattern-making books that I got from my college roommate who went to Parsons. I also had to source fabric and dyes, which just meant googling “organic cotton fabric suppliers” and ordering a lot of swatch samples. I did the same thing for dyes. When I was ready to outsource some of my manufacturing, I just went back to google and searched for “organic cotton manufacturers” and clicked around. I found a few companies that make blank basics and ordered some samples. One company happened to use the same bamboo/organic cotton blend ratio that I was using, and their organic cotton felt just like mine. That made the decision easy.

I also have to credit my time working at a cookie manufacturing company in Ithaca, NY (shout out Emmy’s Organics!). When I worked there I learned how to maximize efficiency, so my sewing and printing studios are set up like a mini factory with everything I need in reach. I work in batches and when I’m developing a new product, I test how long each piece of the production takes and see where I can cut time without sacrificing quality.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mayandmary.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayandmaryapparel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mayandmaryapparel

Image Credits
Michael Smith and Wendy Houseworth