Ballerinas dance down the catwalk at Love Mayka’s pop-up launch

8^th May 2013

Hollie Bracciale

Hollie Bracciale

8 May 2013

Last night saw the opening of Love Mayka, the latest Camden Collective pop-up shop, and of course The Upcoming was there to help celebrate! The evening began on Camden High Street in the store, which is a combination of an art exhibition and a fashion boutique. Love Mayka pieces hung from a rail suspended from the ceiling, giving them the appearance of floating in mid-air, surrounded by abstract art including a chaise-longue boasting Love Mayka prints. The mission of the brand is to “fuse art and fashion”, using colour and edgy abstract prints, which last night were painted onto a ballet dancer by the designer.

Designed by UK-based print artist Maya Finkelstein Amrami, Love Mayka is a collection of beautifully cut dresses, structured Japanese-style jackets, sheer trousers and kimono-inspired tops, all in vivid print. The design of the Love Mayka print combines art deco shapes, Picasso-style strokes and bright clashing colours. Amrami took inspiration for her collection from her previous work in the costume department of the Royal Opera House and found her muse in ballet dancers from the Royal Ballet. This was felt last night by the presence of dancers, replacing models in Love Mayka’s catwalk, who walked en pointe for the duration of the show.

The catwalk for Love Mayka, was held in a second venue and was where the brand really began. The Collective Hub is a fantastic space with bare rafters in high ceilings and although filled with people and a slick black catwalk, still had an industrial feel to it.

The Hubs are converted spaces in the heart of Camden Town dedicated to supporting and encouraging creative talent and providing space for young entrepreneurs to expand their ideas. Collective is a pioneering project putting Camden Town at the heart of the UK’s creative community. The Collective pop-ups give individuals the chance to showcase their ideas in vacant shops, which are transformed into vibrant spaces by the work.

Hollie Bracciale

Love Mayka designs are priced from £70 to £600. To shop the collection click here.

To find out more about Camden Collective click here.