British entrepreneur, Maria Chapman, has just launched a new line of empowering stylish lingerie and luxurious nightwear(Club M) specially designed to reflect the unique stories of the real women who will wear it. Her debut collection has been exclusively designed for providing a much needed solution for women who feel that the current luxury market serves only the young but who are not prepared to face into obscurity! Pamela Scott found out more about Maria’s story.
Maria in one of her designs
MC: “Being trained as a dancer from an early age was a huge part of my life. I enjoyed all the various forms of dance including ballet, tap, modern and character dancing. Unfortunately, I grew too tall for ballet and ended up travelling the world appearing in large productions as a glamorous showgirl in the big cities such as Madrid and Paris and also toured with smaller dance troupes across Europe and the Middle East.
So how did the brand start?
“I had a Birthday milestone this year (60!) and a life’s event brought me to seek out some new lingerie and to see what I had in my lingerie drawer from many years ago. I found that my body shape did not fit in with the designs and styles that I had and many of the styles that look gorgeous on the young beautiful women of today did not look as flattering on myself as no amount of dieting and exercise at my age will shift the hormonal fat around certain areas of my body. It all started with an enquiry to the lingerie manufacturers and when one interest was there to start the brand, I could not let the opportunity pass me by”.
And your inspiration?
“I look to people of my generation. It is intriguing to find out who they used to be and what they did throughout their lives. We become so busy with life’s commitments of family, work and circumstances that we lose sight of who we were, and it is interesting to find out what key identities people remember about their lives that are important to them”.
What are the highlights of your collection?
“The designs are unique to each piece celebrating individuality. The bodysuits remind me of my dance leotards and the glamorous eighties era of cocktail dresses and rich deep fabrics. They can be worn as outerwear with an elegant pair of trousers or skirt and a jacket over the top for the evening would look lovely”.
But how do you keep ahead of trends?
“I am a magazine addict! I love all the glossy and non-glossy women’s magazines as it has stemmed from my youth before this vast technology that is available these days. In my youth when television was new, magazines were my lifeline for a little escape. I am just learning about social media and hope to be on board soon to keep up with the changing times”.
Describe the person who wears your designs: what is their style?
“Anyone who has an interest and enjoy wearing attractive lingerie and loungewear is the reason why the collection has come about. Maybe they want a trip down memory lane or they have an interest in the subject matter of the collection or nostalgia for the younger generation. Their style would be classic and timeless and a little fun!”
And your own life day to day?
“Being a carer to my elderly Mother who lives with me and who has a mobility disability, I make sure that the care is in place to meet her needs for the week. I then go to work and do all the chores that need doing. I am on my own as my son lives away and I lost my older brother suddenly due to a heart attack 2 years ago. I do try and keep fit by going to the gym twice a week as the fitness helps with the busy lifestyle and I believe that this is important as we age to keep our mobility going for as long as possible”.
Your next big challenge?
“To continue to learn and experience this fabulous industry at my time of life”.
Your worst move so far?
“When organising a promotion that I thought was going to do well in a previous business, I put the wrong postage on the mail. What I thought was going to be a real success turned out to be a lot of disgruntled customers having to pay for the extra postage and refunding them, at the very least it taught me a lesson!”
What do you hope to achieve?
A connection between the generations and challenging myself at my age when retirement and slowing down seems to be the norm, to still work, give, learn, take a risk and hopefully leave something for the next generation.
Your Proudest moment to date?
There isn’t a proudest moment for myself except for when I gave birth to my son as I view life as a continuous learning experience for good or bad and meet life’s challenges along the way.
And how do you relax?
I have recently started to go to music concerts again. I had forgotten how much I used to enjoy music and had lost touch with all the younger talented bands that are about. I tend to go on my own, get my drink and place, sit back, enjoy the music and escape life’s challenges for a short while. Bliss!
The first Club M collection includes bodysuits, cami-shorts, cami trousers, cami dresses and cami tops with flowing lines and flattering shape with a subtle nod to the eighties (prices from £80 to £250).
