Carmen María Mayz

Hair ornament maker

©Chus Recio

A freestyle haute couture embroiderer

Carmen María was introduced to her craft through working at Balenciaga
Embroidery gives her active mind serenity
She specialises in making bridal head pieces

For Carmen María Mayz, embroidery is a way of marking her creative signature as an artist would an artwork. She perceives a garment as a canvas on which she envisions a design and embroiders as if she were painting in 3D. Her technique was born from her apprenticeship to María Sarsaneda de Brunet, Cristobal Balenciaga’s chief embroiderer. Carmen María learned to master the technique to produce three-dimensional, textured garments with various types of crystals, sequins and beads, and now handcrafts her own freestyle designs without the help of a frame. She has won the recognition of local haute couture designers, bringing her craft to celebrity and royal house venues. As an independent artisan, she has developed a bridal grooming line of embroidered appliqués and head dresses, restoring the antique technique of flower and pistil modelling.

Interview

©Chus Recio

©Chus Recio

How did you come into contact with your craft?: My mother used to make smocking for girls' dresses and my aunt created flower decorations for cakes. They were great role models for me, each in their own craft. Taking art classes during my childhood, I also discovered my impatient need to dive into my creations.
What is your source of inspiration?: I am inspired by my brides' stories and dreams. Once I have the image of a creation in my mind, I have it in my hands. Nature is another great source of inspiration, its textures, volumes, and colour palettes.
What is it you like the most about your craft?: I am impatient and restless, and embroidery helps me get into a peaceful meditative trance. I enter a dimension of creative reverie. It is the same sensation I get when I listen to live classical music.
What is your take on apprenticeship and the future of your craft?: Mastery in beaded haute couture embroidery is endangered. This is why I launched my own online teaching platform after the Covid-19 pandemic. I teach students from Spain, Latin America and the USA who get a hands-on opportunity to learn techniques with me online. These courses are a way to share myself constructively towards the preservation of my craft.

Carmen María Mayz is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2010