UK-based designer and RCA grad, Maria Lau, creates organic jewelry and accessories through luxury and recycled materials. By collaborating with designers, such as DKNY, Maki Ichikawa and Deborah Henning, Lau zigzags between runway dramatics and street fashion. Her playful sensibilities attract buyers who are looking for a sprinkling of dramatic flair. Lau sat down with FadMashion to give us an inside look into her world and the inspiration she gathers from it to create her whimsy-filled collections.
FM: Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you're doing now?
Maria Lau: Following a degree in Textile Crafts specialising in embroidery, I went on to do an MA in Mixed Media Textiles at The Royal College of Art in London, where I continued to work in an explorative way, designing through making. My interest always laid in manipulating textiles for the body to create rather experimental forms, which ranged from garment/ large pieces to smaller accessories for the hand. Jewelry became a natural progression as a simpler and more concise way of exploring mixed-media textiles for the body.
FM: How would you describe your style and its evolution over time?
Maria Lau: My style is rather eclectic, quirky, with a dose of fantasy. Attention paid to details, narrative and tactility is important. That all sounds like an amalgamation but a certain emotion or look can really drive the style, so it can become more minimal or exaggerated. My style used to be much more intricate and perhaps too eccentric. It has matured through a better focus on form, material and/or construction. I would say at the moment it is a harmony between casual and opulence.
FM: There has been a lot of talk about the distinction between fashion and art. What category would your work fall into?
Maria Lau: Although I am more driven by fashion due to its visual impact, constant reinvention and appropriation for the body, I would say that like an artist - I am also expressing and exploring my artistry of materials and craft regardless of trends and commerciality. There is a purpose to my use of materials, that is beyond function or aesthetics, in order to push the boundaries of jewelry through irony, disguise or even the resistance to conform. In my latest collection 'A Skin Less Ordinary', skin-tone 'granny' tights are repurposed for luxury jewelry, to blend with high-octane minerals to first capture the eyes, and then draw one into the surprising low-fi material. Hosiery is a great textile to work with for its potential to be manipulated. Since I am a designer-maker creating handcrafted jewellery for a fashion arena, I don't think I'm either defined by fashion or art, it is fashion with art.
FM: Are there any creatives or designers that influence your work?
Maria Lau: I am not directly influenced by any designers, but admire the work of designers such as Martin Margiela and Hussein Chalayan for the way they push the conventions of fashion. I do however take inspiration from stylists as well as musical creative expressionists such as Bjork and Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs - when they perform, through the combination of sound, costume and movement of the body.
FM: What challenges do you face in producing your collections?
Maria Lau: Like many new designers, I can be challenged by restricted resources and finances, which can limit the means to market my work to the right audiences. I am also aware that my work can be uncompromising in some ways, i.e. the use of tights which limits its commercial suitability, yet there is something in me that strives to push the boundaries and create new ideas for jewelry so that I take this risk. However this risk is balanced with more accessible pieces such as the magnetic hematine range, which are simple and metallic eye-catching pieces for AW 08/09.
FM: Who would you like to see wear your pieces?.
Maria Lau: Amongst my favorites would be Bjork, Roisin Murphy, Gwen Stefani, Valery Demure and Grace Jones of course. I would also like to see my jewelry on the everyday stylish person on the street, male or female, in a grey t-shirt and pair of jeans.
FM: Straying away from fashion and getting a bit more 'everyday', what is the best meal you've had recently?
Maria Lau: Gorgeous fresh seafood barbecue on a beach in Thailand on my honeymoon.
FM: Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?
Maria Lau: Relaxing... with a cup of tea and my husband.
FM: London is known for its outrageous fashion, tempermental weather, and underground scenes. What do think is London's best kept secret?
Maria Lau: It is easy to forget about the parks in London when amongst the city, so I would say the parks!
FM: Do you have any upcoming projects?
Maria Lau: There is scope for future collaborations with fashion designers, watch this space! I am working on my wish-list of retailers to take on my collections as well as reach specialist fashion and culture influencers.
FM: Where can we find your collections?
Maria Lau: The Fashion and Textile Museum Shop in Bermondsey, London and Aqua Couture in Leeds, West Yorkshire. My pieces can also be bought through personal order, via info@marialau.co.uk.
