Shape The Range

Jess Hart in Nina Maya's
Power SHoulder Swarovski Mini

Nina Maya is a brave woman. In uncertain times, she has withdrawn her label from Myer stores and more than 50 boutiques to focus on building her online store, Nina Maya Emporium. 


Maya has become the first Australian designer to take advantage of "crowd-sourcing" or democratic design. Creating a sample range of 14 designs for her new Spring/Summer collection, Maya asked consumers to 'Shape The Range' by voting on their favourite piece. The top 10 went into production and will be available to purchase exclusively online in July. By selling the garments from her online store, reducing overheads, Maya is able to offer her pieces for around $260 each, 30% less than the regular retail price. 


The Derek Lam for eBay collection was an example of a similar campaign which was very successful. By putting power in the hands of the buyer, designers can make stronger collections and allow consumers to feel part of the design process, helping to build brand loyalty. Maya indicated that what consumers wanted was actually different to what shop owners had ordered. 

Maya has indicated that she wouldn't be stopping at letting her fans pick her range. Her next step is co-creation, i.e. allowing consumers to help shape her designs. Although she would maintain her design aesthetic, she has suggested there is room for consumers to have an input, particularly in relation to areas such as hem lengths and fabrics.


The Australian fashion industry needs more designers like Nina Maya who are willing to take risks and push the boundaries of marketing to help their brands stand out not only in a local market, but in an international one.

Check out the designs consumers were able to vote on:

Information sourced from http://stuff.co.nz and http://www.ragtrader.com.au/news/nina-maya-puts-collection-to-a-vote
Images courtesy of http://ninmaya.com/main.htm