Maya Brenner’s Surprising Source of Design Inspiration
“I think that we are most successful when we pace ourselves and allow everything to grow organically.”
Maya Brenner is the founder and designer behind jewelry brand Maya Brenner Designs.
What was the Lightbulb Moment that inspired you to fully dive into what you do?
My business started as a part-time project while I was working as a social worker in New York City. Making jewelry was a hobby to calm my nerves after stressful days. People began to take notice of the pieces I was wearing and asked if they could place an order. With that and a $3,000 loan from my grandmother, I started Maya Brenner Designs.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned in your current career?
That jewelry design isn’t all that glamorous. Sure, you start with a fun sketch process but beyond that it is a lot of math, science, and waiting for sample after sample after sample. It typically takes 1-2 years to get a product from my head to our website.
What often sparks your creativity or gets you into the creative zone?
Travel has always been my number one source of creativity. However, this last year since we’ve all been grounded, I’ve found a lot of inspiration from my family, friendships, and customers. Everyone was spending so much time separated from their loved ones, stuck inside, and feeling down that I wanted to create pieces to make people feel more connected and bring a little joy in their everyday life. We really focused on developing very sparkly yet wearable pieces that could inject a little glamour in your day, even if you are only wearing sweats. I also created a lot of family-centered pieces like our pavé wordplates to represent grandma or mom.
What is your unfiltered advice for anyone looking to break into your industry?
I think when people are starting their business they feel like they need to have hundreds of SKUs, followers, etc. But I think that we are most successful when we pace ourselves and allow everything to grow organically. Also make sure that you are always sticking to what you love.
Follow Maya on Instagram here, and shop her chic jewelry pieces here.
June 15, 2021
By Ashley Tibbits