The more we got to know Maryam at Gather.ly, the more I wanted to share her story and inspirations, so I was pleased when she was happy to chat to me in more detail about the things she's learnt and her journey so far.
Maryam was brought up in a predominately academic family environment, where most members of her family had Degrees or Masters in Accounting, Science and/or Engineering. She studied Business Studies herself at University of Kent, which has given her the business background she's used so far to complement her creativity.
Maryam's Dad used to recite poems from famous Persian poets to her as child, one in particular called Rumi sticks in her mind. She became fascinated by the art on the poetry book covers and recalls how the words used in the poetry would trigger such vast imagination in her.
I can't actually remember being a creative individual at a very young age, until I turned 14 and then this sudden urge to draw appeared. So I would lock myself in my room drawing all night, keeping my new born talent a secret from those around me.
At first it was a love for Japanese art, especially Yoshitaka Amano's series of surreal works and anime, but it was a year or so after this creative realisation that Maryam was given a 30 year old Canon T50 film camera by her Father.
Getting to grips with photography on a film camera allowed Maryam to develop a way of seeing things in a much more focused fashion, and photography ended up becoming an expansion to her business by photographing bands and gigs as part of a freelance service.
As is a common companion to photography, it was then that Maryam discovered a passion for graphic design....
I have always been a disgustingly organised and neat person, so I was so excited to learn graphic design for its precision and detail.
Spending hours on Photoshop and Illustrator became quite an obsession for Maryam. She used these to create logos and general branding materials for clients, creating album covers for artists such as Azedia and Dnae & The IndigoSound Project.
It still is my favourite medium of creation, as I get to listen to the band's music and enable the sound to develop visuals that reflect it.
Maryam told me that she recently took up painting and has become hugely influenced by Jackson Pollock's drip painting technique of not touching the brush on to the surface of the canvas. Her biggest showcase was a piece called Higher Self which went on to be exhibited at Rich Mix as part of a solo show with a spoken word artist for a project called [CEN-SOR].
I really enjoy capturing something surreal in everyday life, whether this involves people, or objects, or nature. I love people-watching, so on my photography trips I could be sitting or walking around for hours, looking around to capture that perfect shot.
Maryam's passion for Surrealism was brought to life when she took part in a photography exhibition called Unseen World with a group of young photographers. The exhibition was shown at the world renowned fashion photographer's Bow Bunker, Perou which she recalls as a massive privilege and a milestone in her creative career.
An art critic once called my work mysterious and provoking. These two words pretty much sum up my portfolio of work. Of course, a lot of my personal work comes from past experience or from events that I see around me. I have never been one to speak openly about myself or events that have occurred in my life, so I allow visuals to be my voice instead.
Maryam says she generally produces work for people or creates projects that she thinks have a different story to tell or questions the status quo. One of her earlier projects involved taking her film camera out to as many protests as she could that occurred between 2012 and 2013, regarding the London Occupy Movement and attack on Syria etc.
I think it's important to view more art from other countries. Having been born and bred in London with Iranian origins, I have been privileged enough to view creativity from both Western and Eastern societies.
Having seen so many amazing artists, photographers and graphic designers working in Iran ver the past few years, Maryam's long term plan is to create a project that enables an exchange between Iranian and British artists, so that they can come to the UK and showcase their work. Her aim is to remove the gap between these two societies and the poor perception created by the media on the people in eastern countries, particularly Iran.
Actually, to this day I think some of my favourite images were taken on my travels in Iran three years ago, a project called 'Iran Through The Lens'.
As well as creating her own art, Maryam's main project, and the first place I came across her work originally, is her menswear brand, Rella. Maryam not only runs this brand but she also shoots all the fashion photography for it.
I started working on Rella in 2012 whilst I was on my work placement year for my university course. I was in a very corporate role and it was at that point where I saw the true treatment of employees in some big, multinational organisations. I wasn't particularly comfortable in that environment so I knew I had to start something myself.
Maryam continued developing the Rella brand throughout her studies and it was finally ready to launch in November 2013. So far so good, as it has done amazingly well and continues to go from strength to strength.
While considering the brand, the question of why people have to suffer in the process of producing clothes became a strong focus for Rella. The aim then was to create an ethical brand, that also had attractive designs, in order to change consumers perception of eco or ethical clothing brands but remain relevant.
I have always said in regards to this point that through the act of "coolness" we can influence consumers to think twice about the clothing they buy and question its origin more. I would love to see Rella doing more collaborations with other conscious brands in the industry and progressively moving into Europe, then the US.
The Rella audience is very art and music driven due to Maryam's love for these two mediums. Prior to the launch of the brand in November 2013, she designed a very simple Rella badge t-shirt which became a freebie given to DJs, musicians and graffiti artists, alongside any other creatives that were willing to support the brand. She is now looking to expand in this scene through various campaigns with artists and musicians.
The sheer determination and passion that runs through Maryam is both inspiring and exciting, so finally, I asked her if she had any advice to give to those just starting out...
Make sure you understand or get some background in business studies, particularly in marketing and how to run a business. I know others say "just go for it", which you will hear all the time, and it is good to just do it, but be cautious because it is not as easy as it seems.
"You need to be prepared to deal with situations that you haven't experienced before", she goes on to say. Having never studied fashion Maryam was not fully aware of all the technical aspects about creating clothing. That's why hiring a freelance fashion designer to help and bring new elements to the brand was a massive help.
My other piece of advice is that you need to be receptive to learning. You must be open to learning from people and taking on board what they say, while at the same time be able to make your own decisions. Just being a creative isn't enough, you need to be savvy and constantly aware of what's happening within your business and external elements that can affect your business.
Sound advice from a girl who really does know what she's talking about. Be sure to check out Rella's 2014 Summer Range, which will be launched in August along with a brand new website with heaps of fresh content.
We are also looking to have a Rella event, in partnership with Gather.ly, that showcases designs and clothing alongside up and coming artists who will be presenting their work at the event.
You can follow the progress and catch updates from Maryam on her Facebook page and website.
