Diasporic Designs: Maya Burrows making waves across the pond
Published:Friday | November 3, 2023 | 12:07 AMShanel Lemmie/Staff Reporter
For Maya Burrows, creativity ran through her veins even before she entered the world. Born in the United Kingdom to a Bajan father and Jamaican mother, Burrows is now making her way as a designer.
“I’ve always been creative. From I was young, I’ve been involved with the carnival Mas band to help make costumes and do tours over the UK within the different carnivals. I really enjoyed making costumes and I think that’s what first sparked my creativity. I knew I wanted to make things that people [can] feel beautiful in.”
Drawing inspiration from her maternal grandmother, who was a seamstress, Burrows said she started her journey into fashion formally at the age of 19 at the University of Northampton in England.
“I studied art in college for about three years, from [ages] 16 to 19, then when I was 19 [years old] I went into fashion design. Since then, I’ve been trying to do my thing in freelancing.”
The 23-year-old says she got her first big break earlier this year, when Jamaican artiste Lila Iké caught wind of one of her pieces.
Remembering the interaction she said, “After graduating, my collection was posted on Instagram and Lila’s stylist saw it and she really liked one of the outfits and she messaged me for Lila to wear it at a concert. She was headlining the Lost in Time festival, so after they had borrowed that outfit, they asked me if I would want to design her something for a concert and I took up the opportunity. I made her the outfit that was based on her first EP The Experience.”
She continued, “It was really nice, it was a great experience. She was really welcoming as we had met before. It felt comfortable and exciting to work with her. She had a great vibe.”
Her graduate collection, titled ‘I Am’, which Iké garnered some affinity towards, revolved around the topic of misogynoir, which is a form of discrimination that black women specifically experience. Burrows expressed that she is passionate about using her work to tackle social issues.
“I think it’s really important to tackle social issues in everything you do. Fashion is something that everyone is a consumer of, making it a good way to get a message out and make people aware of what’s happening today. With social media being at its all-time highest it’s easier to reach people; whether you have a small or big platform, you should use it for good, when and where possible. I want people to be able to look at me and my brand and know what I stand for and know that they are purchasing from a conscious and ethical designer hoping to contribute to a better and more educated society.”
Also, pulling on other aspects of her own life, the collection is heavily influenced by Burrows’ Caribbean heritage.
“My heritage was the main focus for my last project, which was a story of the Caribbean diaspora in the UK and honouring 75 years since Windrush and being proud to represent the Caribbean despite being born and raised in the UK. Having this heritage is something I’m very proud of and would love to show more throughout my work.”