The Full Story
About Me
Canada
I grew up in a small town in Ontario with half of the year piled with snow and otherwise not a lot of things to do (I was a shy introvert who loved to stay home!)
With my mom being the creative one in the family I picked up with crafting felts and sewing right away - and I miss that feeling of being at home and having the time of the world to be creative.
Japan - finding myself
As I grew older I wanted to know more and find out who I was at 18. With the love and support from my mom I decided to go study all the way across to Kyoto, Japan to learn to design and sew where I end up staying for 7 years just absolutely absorbing the culture that I wished I grew up more with.
COVID in Japan
Then 2020, COVID hit.
I was working in a dress shop but made redundant soon after due to covid. I was so lost and devastated.
I quickly found myself reconnected to one of my professor who was a full time designer who hired me to sew some fabric masks and that's what I did. I sewed and sewed a hundreds of masks each week - and that is where my small business idea bloomed.
I embroidered personalized masks to breathable cotton masks using the fabric used for the lining for a summer kimono's which had a massive cooling effect compared to normal weaved cotton. I felt proud to be helping out the world in a small way, in my own pace.
Living with Grief
After COVID had finally begun to settle, my mother suffered a terrible brain hemorrhage that changed my life forever.
I couldn't face myself to be creative for 3 years
but I knew I had to come out of it somehow.
Maple & Buttons was born from that loss and love.
“Maple” represents me, and “Buttons” represents her.
Her favorite flower was the tree peony - called Botan in Japanese - which is pronounced the same as “button.”
It felt like the most perfect, quiet way to carry her with me.
This brand is more than just handmade pieces. It’s my way of reliving the beautiful memories we shared, honoring the creativity she passed down to me, and continuing to live forward while keeping her close in everything I create.
Maple & Buttons is my love letter to her - stitched into every detail.
Life in the UK
Now I am here, in UK with my lovely fiancé that supports me through everything. I am excited to see what my future holds and be able to share and connect with more people.
Thank you for reading about my life, and I hope there is a piece that I make that you can relate and resonate within you too.
And remember to;
take it easy, one breath at a time :)