Sheryl May
There’s a tenacious sense of individuality about Sheryl May designs, which strongly stems from the designer herself. Immersing yourself in the Sheryl May wardrobe is a kaleidoscope of intensity, with her spectacular evocative prints intertwining colour, a sense of freedom, and nostalgia.
Having studied fashion design in Wellington before founding her own label in London in 2000, Sheryl’s love for print design has always led to her passion for the industry.
As well as designing her signature fabrics for her Sheryl May label, she also consults for Burberry, GAP, and other global brands.
With the most recent Sheryl May releases available now at local stockists, this proudly New Zealand-made collection offers the gorgeous signature fabrics for which she has become renowned, with a focus on nostalgia and the beauty of nature.
The Just Add Water collection is rich in everything from blooming hydrangea to hot pink animal print, shirred dresses, and lustworthy botanical puffer jackets. It’s a feast for the senses with an open invitation to indulge.
FashioNZ finds out more.
Which comes first — the fabric or the design?
The design of the fabric print!
What continues to ignite your passion for fabric design?
Print design for fashion is my first love and focus. Signature print sets my brand apart in an oversaturated garment world. The fabric base for that print is equally important, and I’m very selective. I almost exclusively use natural fibres — organic where possible, deadstock when available. When I print in India, I use their cottons and linens, and from Indonesia, I focus on their beautiful viscose. I also try and utilise woollen cloth from local suppliers here in New Zealand.
Fashion in its nature is not environmentally friendly, so I am consciously striving to be as sustainable as I can be in my small way.
Collage is at the core of my art aesthetic. Expect the unexpected. Texture, pattern, and colour are my oxygen. I see pattern and colour combos in everything around me. The perfect imperfection of nature always attracts me. I am constantly on the lookout for inspiration. I walk the beach, I visit charity stores, I speak with fashion people, and I travel to foreign places. I am fortunate to live my passion.
How and why Sheryl May the label began?
Being surrounded by artisans and a love of handcraft from an early age (my dad is a potter, my mother a seamstress, and my grandmothers are painters and photographers). I think design was in my DNA. I personally love to draw and paint, decorate and embellish. By incorporating those elements into print, then onto garments and into fashion; life and movement can be breathed into my work. An insatiable urge to travel and experience other cultures, coupled with some life experience, coincided with the need to find purpose and my place in the world And so it was in 2000, after a five-year work experience stint with the fashion label Idol based in Soho, London that I started my own label — Goya. It all began with stocking London boutiques, but after being selected to show at London Fashion Week Designers Exhibition, expansion ensued and selling into the worldwide market meant I had to rebrand to my name and so Sheryl May the brand was born.
What inspired your AW/23 collection?
The desire to create a collection that could be equally useful, desirable, and beautiful in challenging times. In addition to the signature romantic printed dress offerings for the season, I saw a gap in the market for beautiful printed rainwear. Fuelled by the childhood memory of having to wear that iconic awful bright yellow rubber raincoat, I set out to create something that could be slipped on at the mere whisper of rain, and immediately elevate your outfit.
Tell us more about the fabrics from the new collection
Fabric and print go hand in hand. One does not exist without the other in my mind.
As usual, there was a bit of an imagery battle going on in my head, but there were a few clear winners. Much treasured 1950s ballet coasters finally had their outing this season. They were firstly layered into a beautiful hydrangea scene (one of my favorite flowers ever) and then collaged with all those botanical things that appear time and time again in my prints, and made into romantic ruffled dresses and blouses, and the exciting new offering — the sustainable raincoat. Made from 100% recycled polyester, this exclusive piece is waterproof, timeless, and the standout must-have of the season. Taking layers to the next level, wool plaids are matched up with prints in head-to-toe looks. The English toile was a print that really appealed and features foxes, rabbits, and deer and appears on pussy bow blouses, layered up with matching leggings and puffer.
Equally, the Golden leaves, Fushia collage, and Green leaves print fabrics are a jumble of birds, flowers, dancers, and butterflies that collide in an unconventional exploration of pattern.
I also always include a stripe. It is generally a random mixture of all the print colours in an unpredictable formation. Print on print allows me to really explore the limits of style and I was definitely channelling maximalism this season.
Tell us more about your silhouettes and designs
My purpose is to create effortless, powerfully feminine garments that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Freedom of movement and spirit are the biggest contributors to my silhouettes and designs. I want my customer to feel free, beautiful, confident and unconstricted; both in their lives and their clothing.
The garments in my ranges have a relaxed fit, are timeless, and are light and fluid to move in. There isn’t a lot of structured fitting or classic tailoring, although I do offer a printed tailored jacket. Trousers and skirts have elastic backs for comfort, and shirred panels give shape definition without being too clingy. I love romantic details, so you will always find ruffles or frills, pussy bows, and delicate details; hopefully easily balanced with some edgier details like baggy man pants for a tougher silhouette. There will always be a mash-up of print — either print on print, or a less traditionally plaid matched up with a very soft floral print or stripe. Whatever the combination, I like to push boundaries. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.
What are some of the challenges and rewards of designing signature fabrics?
The biggest challenge of designing signature fabric has to be the price. I offer exclusive prints in small numbers, and that comes at a cost that your average person has no idea about. It is a very expensive process to develop prints in small quantities, and on beautiful fabric bases — both in a time sense and a basic cost sense. I want my customers to feel they have purchased a very special piece of art that they can wear now and treasure in the future too. It is a continual challenge to balance up artistic integrity and commercial design, and sometimes it might just come down to cash flow at any given time! Print is so subjective, and getting that right balance of commerciality and uniqueness is a continual juggle.
Print freedom is everything and this is the reward of designing a signature print. It feeds my need for self-expression and allows me to get truly creative. Being able to create a garment from its conception through to the end sample is very satisfying. Knowing that no one else has anything like it makes it very unique, and in a mass market-dominated fashion landscape it makes me happy that I can offer something exclusive and timeless for those customers that don’t just want to follow the crowd, but instead create their own lane.
What might people be surprised to know about you?
My side hustle used to be as a Salsa dance teacher in the UK.
