The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

bitenightout The designer graduated with a Higher National Diplo- ma (HND) in Fashion and Textiles and a BA in Art from the London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA). She also has a BA Honours in Fashion and Textiles from the University of East London. Her accolades included the Mercedes-Benz Best African Designer and Special Fashion Inspirational Award in 2015, Special Inspirational Award Birmingham and IAA (International Awards Associate) Fashion Icon Award in 2018, and Best Fashion Designer (Scotland) in 2019. After meeting Heather Small at a charity event, Mary start- ed creating outfits for the former M People singer and worked as a stylist on a photo shoot for The Guardian. She collaborated with Jamaican dancehall artist Sikka Rhymes on ‘Jesus Wept’, referencing her Christian faith. Her ‘Il- mood’ collection, tailored for the super trendy modern woman, fits like a glove and makes women feel sensational. “I called this the ‘Ilmood’ collection because it’s inspired by my motto, ‘I love making one-off designs.’” Other past designs include the ‘Fairy Tale’ collection in 2015, brought to life by top South African photographer Vernon Boshoff and ‘The Hidden Queen’ and ‘Queen of Africa’ collections presented at African Fashion Week in 2017 and 2018. The latter was inspired by a research trip to Ghana, producing a green, yellow and brown dress repre- senting the grass, sun and earth. In 2020, Mary did a King Charles Street photo shoot for ‘Soft Power of Diversity in Fashion - My Ethos’. Mary sees fashion as an expression: “It’s part of your soul. You cannot fake or fix it; you can only improve your art by sharing each other’s cultures and living experiences.” She demonstrated this feat during her Mary Martin London Fashion Experience event at the Middle Eastern restau- rant Soukra inside the O2 in North Greenwich. It showed a collection of her favourite designs created throughout her career in wearable fashion art from different eras to sounds curated by DJ Kaspa, who spun unique tracks on her deck. We were seated at the best table with Gerard Hargreaves, former mayor of Kensington and Chelsea; Mark Elie, founder of the Mark Elie Foundation and Portobello Dance School, which runs Classically British, an annual event showcasing diversity in dance; David Penn, tech magician and former Britain’s Got Talent contestant who showed us some impressive tricks; and singer and songwriter Tania Evans, who participated in the German Eurodance group Culture Beat in the ‘90s. The evening was hosted by barrister and broadcaster An- drew Eborn, dressed in a stylish red satin patterned jacket with a white shirt, black bow tie and trousers. He spoke to Mary about the unique stories behind her designs and helped introduce the collections separated into four acts. Multi-entrepreneur and speaker Dr Lady Waynett Peters, adorned in a fabulous gold frilly gown with a side split de- signed by Mary, delivered empowering poetry. Mary’s 2017 ’Fur Ever Hollywood’ collection opened Act One with bespoke designs showcasing a quintessential journey of the Hollywood era. Her elaborate dress and coats are classical yet merged with a modern twist. A lady in a blonde curly wig, blue and gold layered lace dress and a faux shawl, mimicking Marilyn Monroe, emerged from the Photography: Tony Wellington