A conversation with Mayka's founder: May Orfy
"I don't want it to be so trendy. I want it to be more like my signature look, my signature detail, something that would stay with you," said May Orfy, Mayka's designer.
In two years and a half, Mayka proved itself in the fashion industry with its quality, affordable prices, unique pieces, and special styles making it accessible for everyone looking for a chic, outstanding look.
Swipe through as Orfy discusses everything to us about her success, her brand's concept to the challenges she faced, and her daily routine that keeps everything in check.
What was the inspiration behind your brand?
May: I wanted something that is accessible to everyone. And something different. If you buy something from the brand, you will cherish it; you would wear it most of the time, a special piece that you would wear when you have something or somewhere special to go, or you want to look good that day. And at the same time, I don’t want it to be so trendy. I want it to be more like my signature look, my signature detail, something that would stay with you and be very apparent that it is the brand. I wanted to focus on that, the signature, and the pricing.
What were some challenges you faced when making your brand?
May: Definitely to find the perfect production facility for me. Because I wanted someone who has a really good quality and is affordable, it took me a lot of months and a lot of trials to find someone who would understand the brand, who is on the same page as me, so it was very challenging. Still, I continued, and I found someone.
How long did it take you to make such recognition to your brand?
May: It took me a year to work on the brand after I graduated—a whole year to first research designing, development, and all of that. And then I launched after a year. Now it's been a year and a half into the business. So, I would say it took me two years and a half.
What is your daily routine when it comes to handling your business?
May: I like to be hands-on in many areas, I like to learn from my mistakes, and I like to know what is going on. So, what I do is in the morning, I first check all my emails (collaborations, business emails, and all the people I work with) and all the DMs. I love taking care of our social media because I feel like it has a personal touch. So, I always write a plan for what needs to be posted and whether I will be doing styling videos. Next, I like to ask customer service the good feedback we got and the negative feedback; I always like to make a list to see what people love more and what they are not liking. Later, every day is very different. I mean, now, for example, I'm only getting a sample for the summer collection, so every other day, I'm doing things with the models finalizing the new collection. I'm also designing for winter 2021, Now is a very heavy designing month.
How would you inspire fashion designers to start their own business?
May: My biggest advice would be: find something that is your own. Don’t just go out and do it for the sake of your love of fashion, so you want to create a brand and imitate a lot of brands. I would say. Now we have many brands and so many choices, so I would say try to take the time to find something that is especially you, that people would look at from far away and would say, oh, this is her brand. Find that signature style and take your time and develop it because it took me around seven years of studying and development and thinking so, it takes a while. It is the most challenging process: developing your brand and knowing what your niche is. And don’t think that it is only fashion because it is a business. It is like any other business. So you have to have someone that understands, that had a business background. And understand how the back-end works. Because if you don’t have that, then it won't operate.
Do you have any targets for 2021:
May: Yes, I want to make two new drops, and I am planning on growing our team.
