FROM ROME TO RAMSGATE: Matthew May's new fashion brand MAI
Created by celebrated designer Matthew May, MAI Clothing is aiming to stitch community, creativity and couture together
From fashion houses on the Continent to founding a couture label that aims to represent the skills, culture and ties of Thanet, designer Matthew May (@maimargate) could hardly have had a more varied experience in the world of fashion.
His journey has taken him to the fashion capitals of Rome, Munich, Paris, London… and Ramsgate, where his new label, MAI Clothing, is more than just a brand - it’s something of a homecoming and a statement of intent.
Featuring handmade womenswear and accessories, marked by bold prints, meticulous construction and a strong sense of place, MAI Clothing is the culmination of history, ideas and perfect circumstance.
“Launching the brand from my hometown is an incredibly proud moment for me,” he says. “MAI Clothing is a chance to do what I love in a very special place.”
May’s inspiration began with his mother, a seamstress at the now-defunct Martony garment factory in Margate. It sewed into a young Matthew that clothing is something to be crafted, not just consumed.
Matthew trained under the legendary Louise Wilson OBE at Central Saint Martins before catching the eye of fashion house Valentino, where he refined his understanding of silhouette and pattern in the chaos and glamour of Rome.
“It was a slightly mad office,” May laughs. “It was like a parody. Thick with smoke, people shouting hysterically - but fascinating.” From there, he moved on to Munich to work for luxury fashion brand ESCADA, then to Paris with Cerutti, before returning to the UK to design for Jaeger in London.
After years of high fashion, he began experimenting with textiles and print - largely self-taught, born out of a painter’s love for colour and storytelling. “Printing was something I came to later. I always loved the tactile part of design - texture, colour, composition.”
After a period working for a homeless charity during the pandemic, returning to his roots to be with his father in Thanet felt like the right move in 2023.
“Thanet had changed massively - and so suddenly. It felt alive again. You can feel the energy here. People are making things. There’s authenticity.”
Community at the core
The label is a collaborative effort between May and three longtime friends - all with deep ties to the area. “We met at art college in Rochester back in the day,” he says. “We all went off into the world and then somehow ended up back here. There’s something poetic about that.”
Together, they’re building not just a brand but a community. May has plans for local collaborations with artists, creatives and businesses. Pop-up shops are already being lined up in Margate and London, serving as testing grounds for MAI.
He’s also keeping a close eye on sustainability. “We’re not cutting corners. If it’s made in the UK and it’s ethical, there’s a cost to that. But I don’t want to just make clothes. I want to make something that functions beyond the aesthetic. There’s enough ‘stuff’ in the world. This has to have a point.”
Every piece is made in England, often with deadstock fabrics sourced from Italy, giving luxurious materials a second life, while doing smaller runs and working with skilled people close to home will help feed into the sustainable nature of the process, at the same time also aiming to reignite a rich local history of garment production.
One such collaboration involved a housebound woman with COPD who used to work in the same factory as May’s mother. “We found her and now she’s part of the process. That’s what it’s about - going out, finding people who’ve been overlooked and inviting them in.”
At the heart of MAI is May’s love for print. The debut collections draw inspiration from local landmarks, while the imagery features the likes of Dreamland, Lido and the coastline.
“The energy of this place, the colours, the people - that all ends up in the designs,” May says. “People can sniff out authenticity. You can’t fake it.”
In an industry so often driven by hype and mass production, MAI offers something rare: garments that tell stories, honour place and invite the community into every stitch.
INFO: MAIclothing.co.uk
