Boxing Kitten’s Designer Maya Lake: Re-Defining Afro-Chic

July 14th, 2010 - By TheEditor

by R. Asmerom

"Maya Lake, Boxing Kitten"

Maya Lake, Founder and designer of Boxing Kitten

When Erykah Badu rocks an outfit on stage or for a photo shoot, you can pretty much guess the flavor and style; eclectic, punchy and bold are adjectives that would come to mind. That’s just what the fashion label Boxing Kitten stands for and offers in its latest ‘Resort’ collection.

Since Badu modeled the vibrant pieces in Giant magazine’s February 2008 issue, the designer and founder of Boxing Kitten, Maya Lake, has not been short of word-of-mouth publicity and celebrity buzz from the likes of Solange, Alicia Keys and Rihanna.

Using African ankara fabrics and pleasingly bright prints, Lake is one of the few designers reinterpreting African patterns for an edgy and urbane, fashion-conscious audience.

The young designer’s sensibilities started to form early, informed by her own mother’s design savvy. “I started really designing stuff as a kid because my mom is a seamstress, and she has a clothing store so I was always interested in getting dressed up when I was younger,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was in high school that I really started actually making clothes for friends and family.”

Lake attended Wesleyan, the prestigious liberal arts college known to attract and churn out the creative types, and while there, continued to work on projects that supported her design instincts. “I worked in a costume shop, so I had the chance to fine-tune my sewing skills,” she said. “We made clothes for all the school plays, dance recitals, and that was a really good way for me to learn the craft a little better.”

"Erykah Badu"

Erykah Badu wore Boxing Kitten for a Giant Magazine photoshoot in 2008

Although Lake’s own mother went to school for fashion design and went on to open a boutique in New Jersey, Lake’s own path wasn’t so direct. “For a long time, I wanted to be a stylist, but I’ve always been interested in African-American studies, and the two fields to me have never been separate,” she said. “It’s never been one or the other. If I hadn’t been a designer, I think I’d be somewhere in the academic world, so this is the perfect blend.”

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  • zutie

    The fact that there is so much discussion regarding this speaks to that fact that yes there is fashion in Africa and yes there are African designers out there since the beginning of time but most do not get the credit or the shine they deserve! Luckily this talented young lady was able to finally break through the western monopoly on fashion (by getting celebs to model her stuff) and show off the colorful fashion that black people around the world have to offer. It even makes me mad, not at her, but with the fact that it could have been brought to the western world's attention sooner had they cared.

    • zutie

      Either way I hope Boxing Kitten puts out more stuff cuz I'm hooked. The shorts were sold out by the time I got to them :( . Its all so well put together, Afro-chic is the perfect word! And I'm always down for supporting our black businesses.

  • http://phillyitgirls.wordpress.com phillyitgirls

    her designs are hot check her out on our site http://phillyitgirls.com

  • raz

    this is lame and not original

  • danielle hunter

    Omg Maya lake congrads on ur great accomplishments, u have been a stylist since we were in high school. U were great then but even greater now love ya much !!! So proud of ya keep reaching for the sky….theres no limits!!!

  • Tracy Cousins

    Ok why are people on here talkin about this sista as if she is a fake or fruad, if she was white ur eyes would be popped, like most white designers they can get u to buy the plainest outfits for hundreds of dollars, like i seen a rapper pay LV $10,000 for some converse gator high tops, man why do blacks support the whites so much on everything they do but when a black company opens up u rather not go there or critizie it and call it fake…come on if u like something like it, if it's done by one of our own, support it if u was going to buy the stuff anyways, stop hating.

  • Yewande Ife Moradeun

    Boxing Kitten is African. Her ancestors were from the continent and therefore genetics are expressing themselves accordingly. All Africans on that continent aren't on the same page – they all don't speak the same language, nor have the same values, some are progressive and some traditional, all aren't clones of another and they are neighbors. Some are as light complexioned as Boxing and even lighter as well as those who are deeper brown. Some are running to assimilate into the White Western way of thinking and living and never looking back just like many from other cultures. So who judges whether an African American or diasporian is African or not? Certainly not an African who can see the resemblance and understand that people who look like us didn't originate in Poland and Japan! We are miles away but we are still African – so Boxing Kitten doesn't have to copy what is already and authentically hers. One day you will wake up. But even if you don't we still gon' keep it moving our way. We are the children of those Africans you all sold out and lost the respect of other nations. Thank you for not embracing family; but we got this :-)

  • http://thirdworldprofashional.blogspot.com Adaku Ufere

    Please…….African designers have been doing this for ages. Deola Sagoe, Jewel By Lisa, Tiffany Amber, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Ituen Basi…..not to name a few. Making it out to seem like its some fresh innovation is just annoying. I can bet this Boxing Kitten chick copied it off them.

  • npw

    delta zoe:

    why didn't YOU come up with the concept, if you believe you could have done this. don't hate on a sister because she has gotten her turn.

    the outfits are beautiful and I'm happy that a young sister has gotten exposure for her talent.

    dang! HATER!

    • Reply

      You are rude and dismissive- for no reason. Delta Zoe makes a valid point. There is nothing unique about bespoke clothing made from Arican prints. No one wants her to fail- no one is angry about her success. It's simply fact- she's not doing anything "new." Fashion is simply a new take or different perspective on recycled ideas. And DZ did not say that she wanted to do it. Try reading the comment for what it is, instead of putting your own negative, hateful spin on her words.

  • Delta Zoe

    However, I am VERY happy to see a Sister making moves – go ahead Boxing Kitten!

  • Delta Zoe

    As someone who grew up in Africa and wore these types of custom made clothes all her life, I have to chuckle when I see it heralded as something brand new. I grew up with tailors who would custom make outfits out of this cloth that fit women well and have many outfits that I wear for special occasions.

  • mayba

    AND WHAT ABOUT PRIMA ROUGE??

    Shes JUST AS good at Boxing Kkitty

    http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid…

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