Interview by Tegan Jaimie
Art Direction by Teddy Reynaud
Photography by Bethany Grace

New York based, Maŕa Peralta Studio is the eponymous jewellery brand by the experimental artist and DJ. Born from the techno rave culture of NYC where Peralta regularly gigs, MPS pieces are bold, utilitarian and challenge the status quo. From the early conception of her namesake label where Peralta started creating vinyl bags to carry her music to and from gigs, functionality and utility has always been the epitome of Peralta as an artist. Her designs are timeless yet strike a sense of dominance; from the brand ethos to the material itself, stainless steel. Self described as ‘for the resistance’ MPS pieces are built to last. It’s evident that the brand is prevailing in its sustainable intentions and that makes it worth its weight in stainless steel. At LUNCH we focus on promoting season-less designers so we sat down with Peralta to find out more about the brand, her love of NYC and its underground music scene and of course her ideal LUNCH.

What inspired you to start a jewellery collection? / How did you develop an interest in jewellery?

My fashion journey began in 2013 when I moved to Brooklyn from Upstate New York. I started producing experimental and ambient music and for my DJ gigs, I was really into designing my own skirts that were very ‘Comme Des Garcon’ and these mini vinyl bags to fit my CDs and USBs I would attach chains as the handles. I always felt music had an incredible influence on my designs, and the approach in composition is all connected. I started evolving that idea of metal, then steel became a new medium for me as an artist.

Maŕa Peralta Studio is an alternative project to to my music project, applying musical/conceptual intelligence to fertilize design, the jewelry label is the research into the human identity. I believe in the idea of breaking boundaries between different artistic domains, designing hybrid identities that evolve with time. The inspiration behind the pieces are colliding these interests of fashion, art and sound together to create timeless pieces.

As an experimental artist, DJ and producer, how does the music industry influence your jewellery?

Music has always been my drive, it’s culture and community has been my true inspiration and injecting ideas into a new medium was something that we talked about often. Our goal is to create a jewellery label that blends underground music and fashion communities together. The ideas of uniformity, utility, and functionality are some things that we learned from being actively engaged with techno rave culture in New York and Berlin.

You describe your brand as ‘for the resistance’ with a focus on functionality, uniformity + attachment. What does this mean to you?

We focus on communities that are underground and resisting the status quo in music, fashion and art but we do wish to create a larger community that understands our mission and can relate through our pieces. We challenge the wearer of our label to be as resistant as our accessories, to break societal normalities, we want to reach as many people as possible with the concept of the pieces to always evolve with you. Designing pieces that will sustain a lifetime and are durable and have many ways to function but also are a uniform accessory for all your looks.

You’ve chosen to use stainless steel for your designs. Why did you decide to use steel instead of say gold/silver?

The main reason we experiment with stainless steel is because we want these pieces to evolve and grow with you through time. All stainless steel metals do not rust or tarnish and are hypoallergenic, so they are good to your skin and body. And most importantly stainless steel is the most recycled material on the planet, steel will be and can be reused and recycled.

Has living in New York played an influence on your creativity?

Living in New York has always been a beautiful influence on my creativity and designs, I moved here in 2013 and once I did that and explored the city I felt a rush of connectivity here to the people, artists, and the underground scene. The deep root of my creativity with sound and also designs just released and I felt comfortable to take that path, it was a very special moment and still is evolving each collection.

Have you got a personal favourite piece of your collection?

I mean I love all the pieces, they are all special to me, but I am in love with some classics and our custom pieces. We shall be releasing those with two permanent collections which will include my favorites.

What does being a sustainable brand mean to you?

Our criteria is to not affect the future generation and development, we want to maintain a clear intention and concept. Maŕa Peralta Studio is founded on the idea of ready-made, using material or product already created, and using material that is reusable and can be recycled safely. It is important for us to consider what materials we are putting into the environment and that is why MPS is so connected to steel. Not only can we recycle it but it will not fade or rust, the pieces will last with you.

How do you hope to evolve as a brand?

I hope to collaborate with an influential brand to design accessories and jewellery pieces for their upcoming ready-to-wear collection but most importantly to keep giving people the courage and confidence when wearing MPS pieces.

A day of working in your studio, what’s your ideal LUNCH?

Listening to Andy Stott, making a hot matcha tea, wearing my Issey Miyake and my vegan eyeliner and my N1 necklace while sketching new designs.