A Chat With Our Founder And Designer Melissa Araujo
We’re so excited for the launch of our new website! We hope you’ll love the pieces we've added as well as our new site. We're also incorporating our M-A Creative Minds Series, once a month we’ll interview and feature another independent creative. This space is to celebrate and discover the multifaceted lives of these interesting artists. Through this series we hope to create a source of inspiration, empowerment, enriching your lives with their stories and experiences.
For our first feature we spoke with our founder, designer and creative director Melissa Araujo and asked her a few questions.
“I wanted to have relevant and smart conversations with other independent creatives. To have a space for us to talk about their work and life experiences. It will range from painters, to sculptors, to freelancers and much more. I hope people will find them as interesting and talented as I do.”
You come from a diverse cultural background; growing up in Brazil, with very academic parents that sent you to study abroad in Canada. Later you lived in Spain and travelled a lot for long periods of time. How do you think that range of experience has inspired your work?
In one way it has made me very open-minded and aware. I grew up in Brazil, a very mixed country, including my family background. Brazil is a paradox where everything and everyone is very different and yet very complimentary at the same time. This has made me open and interested to all types of people, cultures, styles and so on. I've always felt privileged to be from Brazil even with all its socio-economic problems. Experiencing this type of environment of beauty and ugliness has impacted me tremendously, in my work and personal values. I've built my world on contradictions.
Why did you want to start the M-A Creative Series?
I wanted to have relevant and smart conversations with other independent creatives. To have a space for us to talk about their work and life experiences. It will range from painters, to sculptors, to freelancers and much more. I hope people will find them as interesting and talented as I do.
How would you describe your work in 3-5 words?
Personal, minimal, sustainable, challenging and rewarding.
What do you want people to take away from your work?
I want them to recognize a part of themselves in it. I want them to feel empowered, beautiful and free. That at M-A, we care about our impact on the planet as a brand and as individuals. That all of our actions (and inactions) matter, above all diversity and equality matter.
What have been some of the biggest challenges along the way?
Imposter syndrome, financial instability and educating others on the benefits of slow fashion vs fast fashion. As a creative with total autonomy it is wonderful, but having total financial responsibility is terrifying all at the same time.
What advice would you give to an emerging creative wanting to get into the same line of work?
Look inward and allow yourself to express your imagination in whatever medium you are capable of. Be kind to yourself - and forgiving, too - if you aren't able to create immediately or constantly in this moment. Fashion isn't easy, there is no glamour when you're an independent designer. Go into it because you love what you do and stay focused.
When faced with failures or rejection don't let them discourage you. Remember why you wanted to do this in the first place. Collaborate and learn from your peers and friends. There's no shame in trying and failing, and there's no expiry date on your artistic process. Don't fall into other people’s narrative and don’t compare yourself to others. Do you and keep moving forward!