Māia means bold, vivacious in te reo Māori,” says Tracey Gardner (Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau). “It’s my alter ego — I’m an introvert and shy. Miss Maia is the colourful and creative side of me.” 

To use this alter ego for the bold and colourful earrings and accessories she creates was a no-brainer, but Tracey’s Miss Maia designs are, above all, a reflection of her passion for kaupapa Māori design. “It’s never just about shapes and forms,” the former campaign and marketing consultant explains. “Story telling is in everything I create. Everything comes from somewhere and has a whakapapa.” 

When Tracey’s dad suddenly passed away in 2018, she struggled to deal with the grief. “We had lived in Melbourne for seven years and I had a very stressful, very corporate job,” she says. It was his passing that was the impetus to start her own business. “I had a huge shift in perspective and realised that I needed the creative outlet.” 

When a friend told her about a laser cutting business in Brisbane, Tracey, who had studied design at the University of Otago, knew what do to… She found her old designs, sent them to the laser cutter, and received the cut and etched parts a few days later. “It was love at first sight — I realised how much potential there was.” 

Inspired, it only took her six weeks to set up a website and social media. “It was scary putting myself out there, but the reception was really positive. The first customer I had online was based in Whakatāne. I did not know her, even though I grew up there.” 

In 2020, Tracey and her whānau returned to her home town of Whakatāne. The move was a huge opportunity for Miss Maia and the beloved side hustle became Tracey’s full-time business. The bold step has already paid off. Recently, her Baby Whai studs were named as one of Aotearoa Top 50 Māori products. “They were the tiniest thing in the competition,” Tracey says proudly. “It’s an acknowledgement of what I put into the business; that something I’m doing is right.”

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