Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with fashion designer Masha Ma


Masha Ma, discount AW 2011, illustrated by Holly Exley

Womenswear label Masha Ma, described as “semi-couture”, features fabulously chic and powerful silhouettes with a contemporary yet elegant feel. The stunning structural tailoring is shown beautifully through dramatic styling and inspirational photography.  

Masha completed her MA in Womenswear at Central Saint Martins in 2008, where her collection was selected to be shown at London Fashion Week and went on to be bought by B Store. She then went on to win the ‘Mouse Ji Best International Innovation’ Award at 2009′s China Contemporary Design Contest. 

This year she will also be presenting her collection at the Palais du Louvre during Paris Fashion Week in October. And with publications such as Vogue, Elle, Pop, Harper’s Bazaar, AnOther Magazine, Cosmopolitan, L’Officiel and even French Playboy featuring the label it seems well on it’s way to global success. 
I caught up with Masha during her busy schedule… 


Images from Masha Ma AW 2010/11, Resort, courtesy of Masha Ma

I love your latest collection, there are some stunning silhouettes and the styling and photography is beautiful! What was your inspiration?  
The collection was inspired by Nancy Sinatra’s song, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The garments had prints with bullets on them and safety pins as embellishments all in combination with soft feminine fabrics.  

How would you describe your design principles to anyone who wasn’t familiar with your work?  
Chic, modern arrogance, semi-couture with designs that are bold yet intricate and focus on the unraveling of the female form.  

You must be excited for your London Fashion Week debut as well as your up coming collection presentation at the Louvre. How has the preparation been?  
It is an incredibly exciting time now and even though it has been so busy, my team and myself are having a great time working towards it.  

What shows are you looking forward to seeing at London Fashion Week?
We’re so busy with our own show, I don’t think I will have time to see any other shows.  

Is music important in your studio? What’s been on the stereo recently?  
Our studio has a very eclectic sound coming out of it; with so many different people working together we have all sorts of different music playing all the time. From Lady Gaga to Nouvelle Vague and Rachmaninov, we’ve got all areas covered.  


Masha Ma, SS 2010, Illustrated by Aniela Murphy

What advice would you give to anyone with the dream of pursuing a career in fashion?  
Stay focused, work hard and don’t forget to have fun. 

Are there any blogs you read religiously? Or any you find interesting or inspiring?  
I try to read as many blogs as possible; it is such an amazing new media you just can’t ignore. It would be hard to pick a favourite but I have been reading Amelia’s magazine for quite a while! 

And finally, what’s your next goal?   
Right now all the focus lies in creating the new SS11 collection. I guess my immediate goal would be, successfully getting through our London Fashion Week show and our trip to Paris. 

Categories ,Aniela Murphy, ,Another Magazine, ,b Store, ,Central Saint Martins, ,China Contemporary Design Contest, ,Cosmopolitan, ,couture, ,Elle, ,Harper’s Bazaar, ,Holly Exley, ,Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, ,L’Officiel, ,Lady Gaga, ,London Fashion Week, ,ma, ,Masha Ma, ,Nancy Sinatra, ,Nouvelle Vague, ,Palais du Louvre, ,paris, ,Paris Fashion Week, ,photography, ,Playboy, ,pop, ,Rachmaninov, ,vogue, ,Womenswear

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