Final week, designer Skye Barker Maa held a launch occasion to current her model SKYE|AIRE and showcased her designs in a mini vogue present. Held at Manufacturing unit Vogue, owned by Maa, friends have been capable of mingle after which discover seats by the doorway of Stanley Market for the runway present. With a love for avant-garde vogue, designing was one thing that Maa by no means thought to pursue. Nevertheless, the start of Manufacturing unit Vogue helped change her trajectory.
Picture by Jackson Davis
What began as a music faculty known as Neighborhood Music advanced into an in depth vocal program. This then impressed her to open up her personal theater program known as Manufacturing unit 55. It was throughout her theater program the place children and adults wished to be extra concerned with manufacturing and discover ways to create props and costumes. With this in thoughts, Maa employed professionals to assist educate costume design lessons.
From there, she realized that by working with professionals, who have been additionally designers, there was a vogue want that wasn’t being met. It was with this concept that she purchased a 2,500-square-foot Manufacturing unit Vogue area to concentrate on creating extra lessons for adults and youngsters.
Picture by Jackson Davis
“The evolution of me as a designer was that I had all of those extremely expert workers members round me and each time we’d have downtime or have been in between initiatives, I’d present them a sketch and be like let’s make this,” Maa stated. “I used to be already producing small vogue exhibits on the aspect and I ended up doing my first assortment with my workforce.”
Whereas Maa just lately offered her Manufacturing unit 555 enterprise and Neighborhood Music — one thing that she has owned for 13 years — Manufacturing unit Vogue has continued to develop by providing batch manufacturing. Because of this Maa and her skilled design workforce work with regional designers to make their garments and assist them deliver them to life. Collectively, they take the design sketch and put it via the style design means of sample making, development, manufacturing and achievement. There are additionally alternatives for established designers who need assistance stitching or need to focus extra on designing.
Picture by Jackson Davis
“It’s been such a journey, I’m all the time amazed by the individuals who begin careers at this level of their life,” Maa stated. “The rationale I offered Neighborhood Music and Manufacturing unit 555 is as a result of I discovered my ardour and that is my path.”
Along with proudly owning her personal enterprise, Maa additionally showcased her first assortment titled “Life Aquatic” at Denver Vogue Week’s (DFW) fall season. Impressed by attending the aquarium along with her son, Maa determined to show the ocean creatures she noticed into cloth for her designs. She created a black and white sample to symbolize an Eagle Noticed Stingray and blue and pink patterns for an Octopus.
“The Eagle Noticed Stingray and the Octopus are unique designs. I created them with a graphic artist,” Maa stated. “I mainly took my footage of the Eagle Noticed Stingray and gave it to a graphic designer and he and I labored on the materials.”
Although some have been fast to guage the quirky assortment, Maa has all the time had a ardour for avant-garde and understands that her designs will not be for everybody.
“It’s undoubtedly unique, hopefully not one thing like anything on the runway,” Maa stated. “I hope that’s all the time what I do and that it sparks dialog both manner.”
With that being stated, her launch occasion was a manner for her to introduce her model to the general public and provides individuals an opportunity to see her assortment who have been unable to attend DFW. Maa additionally debuted her SKYE|AIRE web site. Although her DFW assortment primarily showcased womenswear, Maa stated that menswear can be accessible on her new web site. This entails outfits with hoods and fits made out of the identical materials as her “Life Aquatic” assortment.
Picture by Jackson Davis
“There’s additionally a sensible design primarily based on it too,” Maa stated. “The stuff with actually lengthy trains, there are variations with out them that additionally exist — that’s usually what individuals purchase.”
Whereas Maa hopes to sooner or later showcase her designs internationally, proper now she is specializing in making ready for her personal non conventional vogue present held inside The Dali Alive Exhibition positioned within the Stanley Market. The present will embrace dance performances by jk-co grownup up to date dance and a photograph expertise by Tony Gallagher Pictures — all designs are additionally impressed by Dali.
“[My collection is] stunning however it’s additionally bizarre too and made out of non conventional materials,” Maa stated.
See SKYE|AIRE, Rachel Marie Hurst, Matilda Marginal, Adobe Darko, Tyne Corridor, MadVan Designs, Romper Lady and Hott Pink Matter take the runway on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. on the Hangar at Stanley Market. Get your tickets right here.
All images by Jackson Davis
Video by Brian Lanzer/Lanzer Productions
Make-up: Guerrero Virce and Jocelyn Cruz
Fashions: Londyn McClain, Lauren Walker, Grace A Obrien, Rian Williams, Angelina Moon, Izzy Balcer, Vanessa Gallegos, Haven Mayer, Ariah Shuffler, Awetash, Skye Barker Maa, Guerrero Virce, Genesis Ashley Gomez, Shayna Boyd, Sam Charney and Jocelyn Cruz