“There was the cotton candy girl; there were the girls who were tanning, and the girls who were washing the car. I wanted to create a role for every person depending on what they were wearing. I wanted to create a scene with an audience.”
Maya was deliberate about the casting process, careful not to succumb to the modern ideal of working exclusively with influencers or signed models. Instead, she sought ways to capture the essence of downtown New York. Maya describes the cast to be the coolest girls—those who unapologetically embody their individuality.
As a former organizer and host of underground cabaret parties, Maya wanted to infuse her brand with the same sense of play. The parties started in a Tribeca loft, eventually moving to various establishments around New York City, such as NSFW, a members-only, erotic club. “It became a community where people came together to just be themselves. Choosing a different theme for each party was creative for me. There was a school-girl theme, Playboy Bunny, Studio 54, Alice in Wonderland, Black Swan.”
Although the pieces in “Collection 003” were designed to get wet, it’s a mistake to assume the collection is limited to swimwear. AYAMA refuses to fit into a category. In fact, much of “Collection 003” wasinspired by outfits from Maya’s underground parties—dance attire and lingerie similar to swimwear. For Maya, AYAMA Car Wash was not just a launch party. It was an act of rebellion, a way to confront misogynistic ideals that run rampant in the fashion industry and beyond.
