Designer spotlight // Sheryl May

For three months twice a year, kiwi designer Sheryl May lives in the pandemonium of fashion Mecca, London where she contracts herself out to a variety of internationally recognised labels, including the very prestigious, Burberry Prorsum.

“The work I do over there is pretty high pressured, be it last minute refits prior to the Burberry London Fashion Week show, on set alterations for a Marks and Spencer’s shoot, Project Runway type one-off last minute jobs for a Virgin ad or sorting out my own buyers and production for the UK market,” says Sheryl.

Her unique journey began as many other famous Kiwi designers did – by studying Fashion Design and Technology at Wellington Polytechnic, (now Massey University), where alumnus include the likes of Kate Sylvester and Helen Cherry. But then May took a different path, studying Spanish and Psychology at university and moving to live in Spain.

Over there Sheryl May was lucky to work for a trend forecasting agency in Barcelona before going on to London to pursue her design career. For 16 years, Sheryl May successfully ran her own label overseas garnering an impressive list of patrons including the likes of Annie Lennox, Nicole Richie and Penny Lancaster.

Currently in London, Sheryl has just finished working for Burberry on their London Fashion Week show, an exhilarating and inspiring experience she says.

A rare opportunity for many New Zealand designers, Sheryl May is exposed to some of the most influential trends before they are embraced worldwide and luckily for us, brings the best of this home in her New Zealand ranges.

Currently working on her exclusive prints in the UK for her winter 2013 collection, which she hopes to show at NZ Fashion Week this year, all of Sheryl’s collections feature a signature print that she personally designs, so not to limit her label to the small offerings available from NZ fabric wholesalers.

This season, fluid silhouettes and asymmetrical hemlines elaborate the emotional depths of the harmonious theme Sheryl May explores for winter 2012. Signature design aesthetics of drapery, vintage sensibilities and textured fabrics are a predominate feature which converge with sixties overtones to form the backbone of an intricate yet cohesive collection.

Effortlessly feminine with an element of quirkiness, Sheryl May has mastered the equilibrium between edgy and lady like fashion. “I believe New Zealand women want to be more in touch with their feminine side,” says Sheryl “I aim to create designs that can multitask across different personal styles and that offer a variety of styling options.”

Highlights from Sheryl May winter 2012:

All photos courtesy of Garth Badger - www.garthbadger.co.nz

View the full collection at www.facebook.com/sherylmayfashion