Instructor Spotlight: Maya Grigoruk
As a small business owner, Maya Grigoruk multi-tasks as the head pattern drafter at Designer Apparel Services for the past 3-years while being an instructor at The Cut Fashion Design Academy and does marker making, grading and oversees production. What a dynamo!
In every class, she shares her valuable experience in patterning for swimwear, women's, men's and children’s clothing with students. Maya is one of The Cut’s youngest instructors, having only graduated in 2017 with her Bachelor’s in Fashion Design & Technology from The Wilson School of Design at KPU.
You may be thinking that her name sounds familiar, it may be from seeing her past work shown at Vancouver Fashion Week and in Vogue UK magazine! Keen on the environmental aspects in the fashion industry, Maya has also started her own clothing line Second Life Apparel which reworks thrift clothing into new pieces for today's conscious audience.
What classes will you be teaching at The Cut?
I am currently teaching Gerber AccuMark as a digital pattern-making instructor.
Why did you choose The Cut?
The Cut gives instructors an opportunity to add a personal experience to each course. What I mean by that is relating the curriculum back to industry experience. Always being able to answer the question 'why' when you are teaching gives students context to the importance of the content.
Share one thing about each of these passions that are a part of your creative life:
- Small Business Owner: Second Life Apparel
Loving the freedom to be able to express creativity through clothing. With reworking thrift clothing, possibilities are endless what garments and notions you can use to make new styles.
- Fashion Designer: VFW & Vogue UK
Presenting my grad collection at Vancouver Fashion Week was a great experience to build on a collection and to learn more about marketing. It involved the importance of advertising for big events and learning how to create promotional materials to bring to the event. It definitely helped me to learn these skills for event planning and in general, learning how to promote.
What advice do you give to your students, from your life experience, that will help them grow?
To keep practicing your skills learned and to know your industry experience will help you grow.
What is your dream for the future for yourself and your career?
Continuing to work on Second Life Apparel on the side while helping other companies to establish sustainable efforts in fashion. I would love to one day attend a conference to speak about fashion and sustainability.
Why is travel important to understanding who you are as a person, designer, and creative mind?
Because it gives you an opportunity to explore new territories and things you may not have seen before. These elements always have an influence on your creative potential.