Interview: Masha MA

You travel every year between Paris and Shanghai, can you tell us about your experience and how your career took off so quickly?

At 16 I went to study in England, at Central Saint Martins, where I received an advanced training in clothing design and obtained my master's and doctorate, before joining the Alexander McQueen atelier and working for many specialized institutions in the fashion world in Europe. I then created my brand MASHA MA and was, the year I obtained my doctorate, the first person in China to have access to the Press day of Paris Fashion Week. The education of the English high society allowed me to sharpen my logical mind and I am perhaps one of the rare young Chinese designers to have received a Western education. My way of thinking is therefore closer to the West and I like to present Chinese art using an international language. In 2012, I officially presented my clothing line MASHA MA at Paris Fashion Week and I have responded to invitations to participate in this event every year since. I returned to China in 2013 and created a rejuvenated version of my brand that I called MA BY MA STUDIO. Between 10 and 12 stores of this brand should open this year in China and many more soon in all provinces.

Time magazine says you are "China's first fashion superstar," what do you think?

I think it is more accurate to say that I am a fashion designer. I express oriental aesthetics through an international language and introduce Chinese culture to the world in a way that is accessible to Westerners, so that they have a better knowledge and understanding of it. It is an innovative and unique way for them and perhaps this is what defines me.

While defending original Chinese creation, you keep a workshop in Paris and take part in the official programming of Paris Fashion Week. Does this city remain the capital of fashion for you?

Parisian elegance and fashion shine throughout the world. The history of fashion is closely linked to that of Paris and the Fashion Week organized there is the most elaborate. In 2012 I was the youngest Chinese designer to be included in the official program and I was able to take advantage of an international platform to present Chinese design.

You have opened several MA BY MA STUDIO stores in China, can you tell us about the concept?

Business and design complement each other. An artist who creates art may not need to think about selling it; a designer, on the other hand, must keep in mind the commercial aspect of his products, beyond the stylistic creativity he must demonstrate. Since 2014 and the opening of our first store dedicated to the MA BY MA STUDIO brand in the Jingan Jiali center in Shanghai, we plan to open between 10 and 12 stores in all provinces of China, and between 80 and 100 worldwide in the coming years.

You often break Chinese artistic codes in your creations, where we do not find images of dragons or use of traditional red colors. Where do you draw your inspiration from? From architecture?

For a long time, the Chinese elements in design were simply referred to as Qipao (traditional dresses), embroidery, dragons and phoenixes or red wood. These elements are actually closer to the clean and trendy aspect of modern style, which is therefore partly based on traditional Chinese style; the use of silk, the shape of the lines or the colors of the prints could all evoke it. Chinese art contains much more than the color red or dragons and phoenixes and is not necessarily confined to a certain symbolism. My ambition is to present the traditional and refined civilization and aesthetics of China in a modern way.

While you were still a student at Central Saint Martins, you had the opportunity to collaborate with Alexander McQueen, what do you remember from this exceptional experience?

Before entering Alexander McQueen’s studio, I had a hard time understanding how an artistic medium like fashion could express a sense of power. It was only by accidentally reading an article written by Alexander McQueen that I realized it was possible. Working in European fashion institutions, I understood how to use a question as a starting point for my creation, unlike the Chinese way of thinking that would rather rely on results. I always seek to create beauty through my learning. The value of good designers lies in their ability to beautify an object or a form of life and share it with others.

Are your works the result of particular creative motivations, such as the search for freedom of speech and the desire to express oneself?

In China, everyone is looking for extraordinary and inspired designers, but it seems that they always lack a soul. Artistic creations are each inspired by different things. I want to give freshness to my creations and not get bogged down in a style inspired by a single element. I would like to express a Chinese fashion adapted to the new generations, through the power of the language of my creations. Everyone has their own attitude and opinion, without having to shout them from the rooftops.

You have your own brand, but would you agree to collaborate with other brands?

If an opportunity arises, we would be delighted to collaborate with other creators who share the ideals of life of the new generations and thus expand our possibilities.

You said: "It is easy to become a stylist but very hard to create your brand." How do you feel today?

Creating a few clothes is not complicated. Transforming a brand that people are starting to talk about into an evolved operating model is. I am an idealist, I hope that in ten years we will not look back on our era wondering what the cultural specificities or styles were and not being able to take stock of it. A quality brand does not just explore fashion culture, it stabilizes itself commercially. It is a permanent transformative process of the fashion industry. Its realization does not depend only on the quality of the design and requires patience, trust and sustainable efforts.

Your creations allow the public to appreciate “genuine Chinese design.” Do you think this was not the case before you? Are you currently looking to innovate artistically with other designers?

Creating a design brand should always be based primarily on innovation. Many people love fashion design but find it difficult to make money. Making a profit is not my goal. We are lucky to be in a time when the fashion industry is improving. We should try to regulate this market better to continue this transformation.