Last week, the designer Skye Barker MA She held a launch party to present her brand. SKYE|AIRE And she showcased her designs in a small fashion show. Held by Factory fashionOwned by Maa, guests mingled and then got seats near the entrance. Stanley Market Show for the airport. With a passion for avant-garde fashion, designing was something Maa never thought she would pursue. However, first Factory fashion It helped change her direction.
Photo by Jackson Davis
It started as a music school Neighborhood music It evolved into an extensive audio program. This then inspired her to open her own theater program. Factory 55. In her theater program, it was time for children and adults to become more involved in production and learn how to create furniture and costumes. With this in mind, he hired experts to help teach costume design classes.
From there, working with professionals who were designers, It was an unmet need for fashion. It was with this idea that she bought 2,500 square meters of land Factory fashion A place to focus on creating more rooms for adults and children.
Photo by Jackson Davis
“My evolution as a designer is because I have all these highly skilled workers around me and when we’re down or in between projects, I’ll show them a design and I’ll do it. “Before, I was doing small fashion shows on the side and I finished the first collection with my team.”
Maa sold her recently. Factory 555 Business and Neighborhood music – What she had for 13 years – Factory fashion It continues to grow by offering batch production. This is what it means. Ma and her professional designers collaborate with regional designers to create their garments and help them bring them to life. Together, they take the design concept and put it into the fashion design process through the process of patterning, construction, production and finishing. There are also opportunities for established designers who need help with sewing or want to focus more on design.
Photo by Jackson Davis
“It’s been such a journey, I’m always amazed at people who start a career at this point in their life,” said Maa. “The reason I sold Neighborhood Music and Factory 555 is because I found my passion and that’s my path.”
In addition to owning her own business, Ma showed her debut collection, “Life Water,” at Denver Fashion Week (DFW) this fall. Inspired by being in the water with her daughter, Maa decided to turn the sea creatures she saw into fabric for her designs. She created a black and white pattern to represent the Eagle Spotted Stingray and blue and pink patterns for an Octopus.
“The Eagle Spotted Stingray and Octopus are the original designs. I created them as a graphic artist,” said Maa. “Basically, I take my Eagle Spotted Stingray photos and give them to a graphic designer and he and I work on the fabrics.”
Although some were quick to judge the extravagant collection, Maa has always had a passion for the avant-garde and recognizes that her designs may not be for everyone.
“It’s definitely original, hopefully not like anything else on the runway,” Maa said. “I always hope that’s what I’m doing and it’s going to spark a conversation both ways.”
That being said, the launch party was a way to introduce her name to the public and give people a chance to see her collection that they couldn’t attend at DFW. Ma also started her SKYE|AIRE website. Although her DFW collection mainly features womenswear, Maa says so. There is also men’s clothing On her new website. This includes hats and balls made from the same fabrics as her “Life Aquatic” collection.
Photo by Jackson Davis
“There’s also a functional design based on that,” Maa said. “Things with really long trains, there are also versions without them – that’s what people typically buy.”
While Maa hopes to one day showcase her designs internationally, for now she is focusing on her own non-traditional fashion show at the Dali Alive exhibition in Stanley Market. The show includes dance performances Jake-Co Adult Contemporary Dance and Photo Experience by Tony Gallagher Photography – All designs are inspired by Dali.
“[My collection is] It is beautiful but very exotic and made of non-traditional fabrics,” said Maa.
See SKYE|AIRE, Rachel Marie Hurst, Matilda Marginal, Adobe Darko, Tyne Hall, MadVan Designs, Romper Girl and Hott Pink Matter take the runway at The Hangar in Stanley Marketplace on January 31 from 7pm. Get your tickets here.
All photography by Jackson Davis
Video by Brian Lanzer/Lanzer Productions
Make-up: Guerrero Versace and Joseline Cruz
Models: Londyn McClain, Lauren Walker, Grace A Obrien, Rian Williams, Angelina Moon, Izzy Balcer, Vanessa Gallegos, Haven Mayer, Aria Shuffler, Awetash, Skye Barker Maa, Guerrero Virce, Genesis Ashley Gomez, Shayna Boyd, Sam Charney and Jocelyn. Cruz
