maria cuji co
London
Maria, a designer from Ecuador, moved to the UK in 1997 and established her
millinery company in 2008. She created her own hat blocks in different shapes
and sizes, as well as designing and fabricating hats and fascinators. While
doing some consultancy work in Ecuador, Maria delved further into the fashion
world researching for other brands and institutions. This led her to enroll in a
short course in the London College of Fashion where she pursued her interest in
fashion further Having worked closely with the Ecuadorian artisans in their
workshops, and understanding the way they work has only helped her develop
further skills that she took with her to study Textiles BA at Central Saint
Martins. Those who know and have worked with Maria have described her as ‘One of
a Kind’ and ‘A true grafter’ as she is the sort of designer who is not afraid to
experiment and explore boundaries.