We had the good fortune of connecting with Joya Ma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joya, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I always wanted to do fashion and wanted to start my own brand because I think it is a great platform to build to express my message about women empowerment. Joya Ma fashions are designed for strong, independent women who have a powerful sense of self expression. Blending luxury with surrealist art, her garments embrace female empowerment through unlikely combinations of classic influence and exposed silhouettes with dynamic curves and sharp edges. Empowering women to express themselves boldly and fearlessly. Her brand embraces rebellious ambition and desire – because she feels like these are qualities that we should all celebrate and encourage in one another. These pieces are both an investment in style as well as an ode to being your boldest self. Invest in a style that screams “Here I am”, because looking your best should never mean diminishing yourself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Joya Ma is a multidisciplinary creative with a degree in fashion design and entrepreneurship from the esteemed Parsons School of Design. Born in Los Angeles, California, but have spent her life in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Arizona, as well as world traveling experience, Joya has a global vision and interpretation of art and fashion.

A CFDA finalist and the recipient of Underfashion Lingerie, Joya was a mentee at Carolina Herrera. After working under some of the industry’s top talent, with residencies at Christian Siriano, Alexander Wang, Zang Toi and Christian Cowan, Joya launched her own luxury fashion brand Joya Ma.

Joya utilizes clothing as a medium and connection to express herself explicitly, upfront, and straightforward. An advocate for women to have their own voice, to be confident, and to encourage everyone to express themselves no matter what culture they come from. Her use of bold highly saturated color and rich textures create high quality captivating pieces that ooze femininity – with an added touch of class, sophistication and a dash of whimsy.

It was definitely not easy and there’s no easy way out or shortcuts to success. Joya fundamentally believes in hard work pays off and perfection. She wants the world to know her brand stands for encouraging confidence to women form inside and out.

Joya is always looking for new opportunities to work with global retailers and wholesalers, as well as showrooms to reach more local and global audiences.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Joya is based in New York City and this is one of the best cities that has great art and galleries and shows. She would like to take my friends to some of my favorite galleries in Chelsea, take them to her coffee spot in SOHO then off to some shopping in the stores that carry my brand and designs. She will then take them to around Lexington Ave and 59th st, there are many of her favorite restaurants around that area. She would also take them to a Broadway show or a ballet show.

It is truly an amazing city to experience the art, the fashion, the shows, the food and culture.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Joya has always found inspiration in the women in her family. Her grandmother, who remains elegant and fashionable well into her 70s, and her mother, a connoisseur of art, design, and traditional craftsmanship, have both been sources of great influence. Joya’s independent spirit rebels against authority – her collections makes swift decisions with aesthetic prowess which often pays homage to her cultural background.

Website: https://www.joyamaofficial.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joya.ma/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joya-ma/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUc575_qwc1nzhkzsVxGTSw

Other: brand instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyamaofficial/?hl=en

Image Credits
Photos by Joanna Fang, Alana Campbell, Chloe He。

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