REAL GIRLS WEAR MATA

  • Katie Gavenda
  • 13 May, 2015

You’re real. We’re real. Ok, everyone’s real.

But our point is – everybody can wear Mata! People you walk by on the sidewalk, people with babies or dogs or purses or carrying groceries. People that like to get dressed up and people that are more comfortable in casual clothes. Singers, runners, relaxers, go-getters –really, anyone.

So when it came time to shoot our Spring ’15 catalog last year, we wanted some people just like you. So we chatted with a few ladies we know, and lo and behold they were on board to be the faces of the Spring Collection. So we’d love to introduce you to our four spring models (some of the best ladies in Chicago), Alex, Di, Ami, and Jo!

Alex

“I work one-on-one with most of our wholesale customers and when I’m warming up my lunch I get a glimpse of our new Holiday collection ’cause the design area is just around the corner. It’s also exciting and new things are always just around the corner. “

This photo is a misleading indication of her everyday demeanor, because Alex is the most cheerful person in the office (oh we didn’t tell you? She works here at Mata)! Originally from a combination of Colorado and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Alex loves nature, traveling, COOKING (she emphasizes this), and says Belize is one of the most beautiful places she’s ever been.

Di

“My job in a nutshell is to put reproductive self determination first for everyone. I teach comprehensive sexual health education, mobilize and train people to advocate for their reproductive rights and partner with organizations around the city to further encourage healthy sexual lives. I absolutely love my job.”

Asked to describe Di, her sister Jo (who also modeled for us–they’re twins!) calls her a go-getter. “She has clarity about her vision for the world and helps others do the same,” Jo says. Besides the fact that her job sounds fascinating, Di’s style honors jewelry as an art, and she sees fashion as an opportunity to promote fair trade, upcycling, and recycling. Family is a huge part of Di’s life (and why wouldn’t it be, with such a stinkin’ cute nephews and a niece), and it was inspiring to see her and Jo work together during the shoot.

 

Ami

“I’ve got a 6-piece band called Ami Saraiya and the Outcome.  We play pretty quirky eclectic cabaret pop music that sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard before.  It’s somewhat of a mashup between Tom Waits, Billie Holiday, St Vincent, and Bjork.”

After hearing her talk about her band, you’d never guess that Ami is a registered nurse! She’s been playing the accordion for eight years, and has a lottttt of favorite  places: Costa Rica, Florence, Arches, Zion, and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Southwestern United States, and of course her home sweet home – her current neighborhood in Chicago- Logan Square.

See her play in Chicago at the Hideout on 6/7 as headline for the Get Off the Couch Series!

 

Jo

“My style says that I embrace and uphold intercultural exchange – a fusion between recycling, Fair Trade, and highlighting my Mexican culture any chance I get.”

By day, Jo coordinates two social justice programs in the Archdiocese of Chicago – from managing two grant portfolios under those programs that fund community organizing and direct service projects to helping educate and engage Catholics in justice issues (local and global). With a passion for all things creative– knitting, sketching, doing arts and crafts (usually involving coffee)– she also loves biking and exploring new coffee shops in Chicago. Jo and her sister have such a serene, peaceful, presence, that it was a bit of a surprise to know that she loves to samba. Plus, she speaks Portuguese!

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