Maya Brenner

In 1998, Maya Brenner was working a hectic job as a social worker in New York City. She began making jewelry in the evenings as a way to calm her nerves. Initially, she made pieces just for herself but people began to stop her on the street to ask where my necklace was from. That is when she decided to make her passion her full time job, and Maya Brenner Designs was born.

Brenner loves working in LA, stating “there is something so magical about working and creating in LA right now. When I first moved here from New York in 2001 I was so struck by all of the positive energy (must be all of the sunshine) but the fashion scene was so different, it wasn’t taken as seriously. At first I worried that my business would not easily transfer here but I was quickly saw that wasn’t the case. Today, everyone is looking to LA for the latest in fashion, design, food etc. I’m so excited to bring even more attention to all the amazing things that are happening here.”

In the early years of the company, Brenner used to make everything myself out of my home. When her business could no longer sustain that, she still wanted to be able to keep a watchful eye on production and maintain the handmade personalized quality. Today all of her production is in Los Angeles, a majority of it Downtown. “Being in the Pershing Square building feels like we are in a bustling city and reminds me a little of life when I first started my business almost 20 years ago,” states Brenner.