ITALIANO – PORTUGUÊS – FRANÇAISE

Sara Maia is a portuguese fashion designer from Porto. She worked with a famous portuguese brands and now she lives in London.

I wrote her to ask an interview and she was very enthusiastic. I want share with you our email interview.

Lilly: Tell us your story, where did it all start for you?

Sara: My story started with my childhood I am daughter of 3 being the middle one we are all in creative areas thanks to my mom that had a crucial part in our childhood my sister is into interior design and brother into architecture, and I obviously got into Fashion. My mom raised us, she stayed home with us and gave a big incentive to play and tell us wonderful stories which she draw beautifully at the same time to help us visualize the story, and like that I started to love illustration and became fascinated, starting to play and creating myself my own worlds not only dressing dolls but the whole world with it till the last detail. After that, i tried to do a course in Fashion design but instead I got into a 3 years course in Pattern Cutting which I didn’t quite because it wasnt very creative and only technique course, but nowdays I think it is fundamental to me having that knowledge. After that course got admitted into CITEX known to be one of the most demanding schools of fashion in Portugal and finished it successfully.

Lilly: Could you tell us more about your work process?

Sara: I always start in a research for some kind of feeling or atmosphere avoiding internet and where I think everyone is going to obviously search for inspiration and focusing more into something I have with in me. My final work is also about me and my ideas but also how I would imagining how the world could be like, starting with something I could wear, but also other people would like to wear also hopefully if they get what I’m trying to talk about. That research starts collecting simple ideas and concept images usually not related to fashion, but more with something going on around me, even music helps alot developing this feeling and creating a certain vibe. When finally I think I got somewhere, I will translate all these different concepts into clothes.

Lilly: What inspires you into Fashion?

Sara: I do understand the world of fashion but I don’t allow myself to be consumed by fashion like some. I don’t get inspiration by fashion, but instead I am inspired to do fashion. I don’t have any Idols in fashion or anyone I aspire to be, but I do have designers I love and that I appreciate their work.

Lilly: Plans for the future?

Sara: I think like every designer, my main objective is to continue creating developing my brand “Sara Maia” and hopefully begin to expand taking advantage the fact I am in London where people are definitely more into fashion that in Portugal where only a small percent of people are interested into fashion. So here I think there is a lot more opportunities to create work relations with people that get my work and also try to get my name out there not only in London but other countries as London is such a big centre of fashion for the world.

Photos: Sara Maia Lookbook