CREATIVE COLLAB: MAURA ALLEN

Her first love is photography. Her forte is enhancing those images with her interpretation of the American West. And now, her foray into fashion immortalizes her inimitable style in wearable works of art.

The Northern California native is one of eight children, right in the middle of the birth order, who grew up in a home that fostered creativity from day one. Every bedroom door was painted a different color, and where most homes held a formal living room, hers held multiple ping-pong tables, consistently covered in various crafts that could be abandoned and resumed at will. That planted seed took root in Maura, who schemed her way into sewing class before she was technically old enough, and used her babysitting money to buy her first camera.

The artist was a scholar of Latin studies at Stanford University, where her time spent examining the elements of Roman civilization awakened an awareness that the same societal strands also wove through the evolution of the American West. These were the stories she wanted to tell, to visually link past and present, to create images that explore how what we were then shaped who we are now.

When we approached Maura for a collaboration, it felt like a fortuitous fit. There was a mutual appreciation of artistry. We had long been admirers of her work, her unique methods and mediums, and how her composition always focused strongly on the silhouette of her subjects, prioritizing their presence over their appearance. In turn, Maura expressed an admiration not just for DDR designs, but also for the women who wear them and the bold choices they make in the art of dressing.

The experience was an honor, and the outcome was extraordinary; this collection could not exist without her remarkable talent and creative contributions.