About The Founder & Designer
How It All Began
May Tan launched Maarimaia in December 2016. After completing her studies at Istituto Marangoni in London, the designer travelled to culturally rich countries worldwide for a period of time before eventually coming back to Malaysia, where she worked in retail marketing prior to starting her own label.
Inspired by her travels and the people she meets, as well as art and colour influences, Maarimaia’s collection reflects the designer’s love for prints and and craftsmanship, and the simplicity of fluid modern lines.
Synonymous with intelligent well crafted designs, the label’s devotion to independent beauty is reflected in each Maarimaia’s creation – pairing functionality with artisanal handcrafted elements from inception to construction.
Maarimaia focuses on craftsmanship, from tailoring to finishing, with special emphasis placed on one of a kind print and woven fabrics which has become the brand’s core DNA and signature USP. To meet the highest quality control and exacting finish, all our items are made locally in Malaysia. This ensures every single piece of Maarimaia clothing is made ethically and passes through various stringent quality control checks throughout the production process.
Maarimaia sources its materials from artisans all over the world, incorporating culturally established traditional textiles with the brand’s modern aestheticism. Certain fabrics are hand loomed by traditional craftsmen in the remote villages of Indonesia, while others are high quality stretch woven crepe for everyday comfort and functionality, and yet more are delicate silk tafetta for a touch of drama and flair.
