Maral Yazarloo is the designer behind the collection, using the first two letters of her first and last name she created her brand name ‘Maya.’ Showcased at London Fashion Week trough the House of Middle Eastern Asia. collection draws inspiration from the traditional aspects of Middle Eastern culture ranging from Persia to Iran to India.
As the name of name of the collection, ‘Deja vu’ suggest it provokes nostalgia of times that have happened before the present day, as fashion is so fast paced Maral explained that she wanted to slow things down and embrace traditional design aspects and create a feeling of the past life. One aspect of this was the footwear, the models’ feet were wrapped in sheets of leather, bound with leather ties, Yazarloo personally did this for each and every model, emphasising the importance of “connecting to Mother Nature” through natural materials, something that modern footwear supposedly separates us from.
The collection was intricate, rich in colour and each piece has a story relating to get life. Inspiring quotes in a variety of languages reading things such as: “you were given this life because you’re strong enough to live it.” Contrast stitching lined the seams forming iconic and structured silhouettes.
Maral’s Persian heritage was embraced and provoked inspiration for the hair, creating an ancient warrior feeling through an intricate basket weave which was then distressed. The hair style created a perfect base for the vibrant head pieces adorned with heavy embellishment.
Jo Sugar created the brief of subtle sparkle, using all Body Shop products. Highlighting bronzer, gold shimmer eyeshadow and radiant highlighter were key products used to complete the look, used predominantly to illuminate the tear ducts, eye lids, temples, cheek bones and the cuspids bow. Browns were used to contour the eyebrows and add definition to the model’s eyes. This look correlated well with the colour and style of the collection, creating luminous fresh skin tones, perfect under the lights of the runway.
Photos: Kayesha Clarke
Words by: April Edgar
