Maya Winston on the Inspiration Behind His Luxury Handbags and Maintaining Cultural Identity

Published on 12/22/2023 at 11:56 AM

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The 2020 racial reckonings heightened awareness across many industries, especially fashion, ushering in a new era where BIPOC designers were supported and given the voice they deserve. This push paved the way for more Black-owned brands to emerge on the scene, and one newcomer has managed to set themselves apart from the rest — Maya Winston. In just one year of business, the Jamaican-born designer, now based in New York City, has created a luxury accessory label that's known for its viral handbags uniquely crafted in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East, including their small leather tote, most popularly worn by Angela Simmons, Tia Mowry, and Remy Ma.

"It's just those Jamaican roots; we can make anything fashionable."

Winston has since catapulted into the luxury bag market with a brand identity that's just as rich as the quality of his pieces. At 11, he migrated with his family to the US, where he learned firsthand how to sew from his mother, a sought-after seamstress, establishing the foundation of the Maya Winston brand. "Growing up in Jamaica, my mom was always making everyone's clothes, and as far as I could think back, I've always been surrounded by sewing machines, where I would often stitch my uniform whenever I messed it up," Winston tells POPSUGAR. "It's just those Jamaican roots; we can make anything fashionable. Take nothing and make it into something."

With over a decade spent cultivating his love for design (even starting the men's streetwear line Terry Winston in 2013, once worn by Teyana Taylor), the Bronx native transitioned to creating accessories for the elevated and confident woman, regardless of demographic. His highly-coveted bags have also captured the attention of major companies like Samsung, which resulted in an exclusive collaboration during New York Fashion Week that included a fireside chat with Winston and a billboard in Times Square. "I always told myself, I'm going to have a billboard one day. But I never stopped to think about what it would look like or its message," he says. "It was surreal, and Samsung was the perfect company to get consumers to know the face behind the name; it just made sense."

Ahead, Winston opens up about the future of his brand, cultural identity, the impact of racial inclusivity, and more. Keep reading for the full interview and shop his signature pieces.

Maya Winston on Celebrities Wearing His Designs

POPSUGAR: How did it feel to have your bags worn by stars like Angela Simmons and Remy Ma? Are there any celebrities you'd like to see wear your designs that haven't yet?

Maya Winston: I instantly got butterflies and just went crazy. These are people that I grew up looking at, especially Angela, and I don't design for a celebrity presence. So for me, that's just the icing on the cake. But seeing Remy Ma wear the green tote on Christmas morning at the New York Knicks game was even more special because I'm a big Knicks fan. I'd love for Teyana Taylor to wear my designs. When I had my first brand [Terry Winston], I wore a single piece sweater to a nightclub and actually saw her there, and she instantly loved it. I took it off and gave it to her, and the next day, she posted a mirror selfie while wearing it. So that would be a big full circle moment for me.

Maya Winston on the Inspiration Behind His Designs

PS: One of your most popular designs is the small leather tote. Give us a glimpse into the design process.

MW: I've always liked convenience. Even as a kid, I'd like to take a shopping bag and walk around with it. One day, I was looking at one of the bags and wondered what one would look like that a woman wanted to wear. So I wanted my first design to emulate a shopping bag because of its convenience, size, and style. It all just made sense.

Maya Winston on Collaborating with Samsung

PS: How did it feel to collaborate with Samsung for New York Fashion Week and have a billboard in Times Square?

MW: That is the craziest thing that's ever happened to me in life, period. I came to America when I was 11 and the first time I went to Times Square, it was just magical. My friends and I would always hang out at 42nd street, and I always told myself I would have a billboard. And it finally happened with Samsung. It was just surreal. With the direction the industry is going in with tech, I felt like Samsung was the best partner. It's a brand known worldwide, and the experience I had with their team was so great, so everything just felt right. And since everyone thinks of Maya as a girl, the fireside chat was the perfect opportunity for my supporters and customers to finally see the face behind the brand.

Maya Winston on Racial Inclusivity in Fashion

PS: How would you assess the state of racial inclusivity in fashion?

"Often, these companies don't understand our culture or our style, yet they're the ones making the final decision on what's being sold to us."

MW: The pandemic definitely played a big role, and it's terrible that it took situations like George Floyd and protests for our community to get to a level where retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's are doing the Fifteen Percent Pledge to include Black designers. But 10 years ago when I started, that did not exist at all. So even though the progression is slow, I'll take slow and steady over stagnant any day. At some point, the efforts need to be more than buying our product just because there's a quota to fill. We need to get to a space where it's more people that look like us in the positions to make important decisions and know what's necessary for our culture. Often, these companies don't understand our culture or our style, yet they're the ones making the final decision on what's being sold to us. So we need more people that look like us to properly tell the stories of designers like myself, who are actually doing this for the culture and understand what we want.

Courtesy of Maya Winston

Maya Winston on the Future of His Brand

PS: What's the future of Maya Winston?

MW: It's still so brand new for me. I just want to make sure I'm doing everything with integrity, staying true to who I am, and continuing to grow. I think it's time for me to build out a solid team that could really get the message out of what I'm doing and what Maya Winston is about. There's no rush. I just want to stay consistent and put good product out.

Maya Winston Small Leather Tote

Maya Winston Small Leather Tote ($120, originally $200)

Maya Winston Patent Leather Bucket Bag

Maya Winston Patent Leather Bucket Bag in Electric Blue ($180, originally $300)

Maya Winston "Lil Miss" Everyday Crossbody Bag

Maya Winston "Lil Miss" Everyday Crossbody Bag in Lilac Purple ($100, originally $250)

Maya Winston Signature Card Wallet

Maya Winston Signature Card Wallet ($25, originally $50)

Maya Winston Signature Card Wallet

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Maya Winston V1 Sunnies

Maya Winston V1 Sunnies in Wild Berry Pink ($35, originally $60)