First-Ever Maya Grisham Workshop held on World Art Day at Jameson Bow Distillery
Hailing from Kells, County Meath, Kimberly Tinotenda Mushayabasa’s fashion brand Maya Grisham has been on the rise, and will only grow further. Her handcrafted and crystal-embellished accessories merge luxury and Irish identity, and have now become so popular to be seen on the arms of influencers, creatives and celebrities like CMAT.
On World Art Day, April 15th, Maya Grisham held her first-ever in-person workshop: the guests of the event had the occasion of creating a mini-Swarovski crystal-embellished Jameson keychain, to celebrate the collaboration of Maya Grisham with one of Ireland’s most legendary heritage brands, Jameson Whiskey. Through this collaboration, Maya Grisham reimagines the classic Jameson Whiskey bottle into one of her signature crystal bags: ultimately, the 10-thousand Swarovski-crystals pieces will be on display at the home of Jameson, Bow Street Distillery in Dublin.
StarFish had the honour of interviewing Maya Grisham’s founder herself, Kimberly. So, let’s hear it directly from her!
How did you come up with the idea of crystal bags?
It started quite organically. I had a pair of beautiful bedazzled red heels, reminiscent of Dorothy’s slippers from The Wizard of Oz, and I couldn’t find a bag that matched them. So I decided to make one myself. That moment sparked everything.
Do you have your own studios or collaborators?
I operate through a hybrid model. I have a core in-house studio where all creative direction, prototyping and finishing are overseen, alongside a small network of highly specialised collaborators from metalwork to 3D modelling depending on the scale and technical requirements of each piece.
How can one acquire your pieces?
Pieces are available through my website: mayagrisham.com, as well as through bespoke commissions and brand collaborations.
Why the name Maya Grisham?
Maya is my daughter’s name, and Grisham came quite spontaneously. I was studying at the time, looked up, saw a John Grisham book, and it just clicked. It felt strong, memorable and slightly unexpected.
Were you inspired by other fashion artists to create these pieces?
Definitely. I’ve always admired designers like Katherine Baumann. Her ability to transform everyday objects into collectible, high-glamour pieces really resonates with me.
What inspires me most is the idea of taking something familiar and elevating it into something unexpected through craftsmanship.
How did you come up with the idea to collaborate with Jameson and Bow St. Distillery?
The idea came quite naturally from my interest in reinterpreting iconic Irish symbols through a luxury lens. Jameson is such a globally recognised Irish brand, and the bottle itself has a strong, sculptural silhouette.
Working with Bow St. Distillery allowed the project to evolve beyond being a piece of wearable art into an experience. I’m always interested in creating pieces that exist both as objects and as moments, and the workshop element made it feel immersive and interactive.
Are you planning on offering any other workshops?
Yes, definitely. Workshops are something I’m really excited to continue developing. They allow people to engage with the craft in a very personal and hands-on way.
Would you plan on doing an exhibition of your pieces?
That would be a dream. I’d love to present the pieces in a more curated, gallery-style setting where they can be experienced as art objects.
Are you planning on doing any other collaborations with brands or artists?
Yes! We have some really exciting collaborations coming up over the next few weeks, which I’m looking forward to sharing.
Written by: Jules Nati @giuls.nati
Edited by: Jules Nati @giuls.nati
