Today we’d like to introduce you to Mayka Vo.
Mayka, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m currently a senior in fashion design at MassArt. I’m so excited to graduate in May. I came from Springfield, Massachusetts and now live in Boston. I used to start my own business in handcrafting home decoration ornaments, stationaries like photo books, sketchbook, or things related to weddings like wedding decoration, photo albums and etc.
Yet, then I realized I needed to stay focus to finish school so 3 years ago, in 2015, I finished my associate degree in Fine arts and soon I knew what I wanted to be, it’s fashion designer. I transferred to MassArt in Boston, pursued fashion design as my biggest passion that I ever had.
During school time, I took jewelry and metalsmithing as another passion and knowledge desire. My expertise in fashion is women’s ready to wear and evening gowns. I have very good attention to details that help me to work on my gown for beading or doing wire knit for my jewelry without getting bored of it. Besides, photography is another experience that I love for years.
I started photographing the things I made when I run my business, and edited them. Since I’ve been in fashion design, I’m curious and want to photoshoot human. It’s kind of different feeling of shooting a solid object, very interesting.
So, after finished my senior year with all the garments I made, I brought my models out and photographed them. They turned out very well and an idea suddenly crashes into my head that I wanted to jumpstart my career as being a photographer and small handmade jewelry after graduate.
For a long-term goal, I will save up and run my own fashion and jewelry business when I feel more confident and have an efficient financial.
As far as today, I’m happy that I have a good amount of knowledge from school and from my own experiences. I’m ready to go out there and express myself, create beautiful things for everybody.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road to me. I came to the US as an immigrant 6 years ago from Vietnam. Everything here is new and strange to me, the weather, the people, the language, and living style. I studied interior design in Vietnam for 3 years.
The passion in the art in my heart was so big that I could live and die for it. My family suggested me a few major in medicine, nursing but I felt like I would dry out and die as a tree without water if I couldn’t go to an art school.
All my credits were not transferred from Vietnam so I basically started everything over again in the US. Slowly, I finished associate in Springfield so I could move to a bigger city with more opportunities in art study and working field. I’ve moved to Boston and lived by myself since then.
The passion got me through everything. I told myself that even if later I couldn’t find a job that I ever dreamt of or if I started a business, but it could never be worked out, I still take all those risks, those lessons, and happy to move on to another way in life, as long as I satisfy and happy with all my effort that I have put it to complete my passion.
I only have 2 months left till my graduation and I’m excited and scared at the meantime that I’m going to step out to the real world and can’t wait where future would bring me to.
Maykavo Design – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My expertise in fashion is women’s ready to wear and evening dresses. I have a very concentration on detail that allows me to create a beautiful work with great and unique detail and contain my taste that everybody usually says “oh it’s very you” when they look at my designs. I do handmade jewelry as side projects for fun and sometimes for an accessory for the garment that I make.
Who also deserves credit? Who else deserves credit – have you had mentors, supporters, cheerleaders, advocates, clients or teammates that have played a big role in your success or the success of the business? If so – who are they and what role did they plan / how did they help?
I mostly have friends and family support me on my long road. They stand by my side, understand my struggles and encourage me to go with my passion and always remind me of work hard for what I have chosen because one day my effort will be paid off what I deserve.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayka_vo/, https://www.instagram.com/maykavo_design/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaykaVodesign
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/maykavodesign/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayka-vo-5736b8b8/
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