A girl loves her fashion and one thing Maya knows, owner of Maya Star and Co-Star, is fashion. Maya slowed down to sit down with me about her fast-paced world and the to-die-for pieces in both her stores for the bargain hunters and the wealthy pocketbooks.
HC: Tell us a little about Maya Star.
MS: Well I started back in ’95. I was a UT student part-time working for the State of Texas. I cashed out my retirement and bought this antique store, but I knew I always wanted to sell clothes. I changed the name from Antigua to Maya Star. We initially put in a few jewelry pieces, then clothes and got rid of the antiques. And now I’ve been here 17 years.
HC: How did you get started in the fashion industry?
MS: My parents were designers in the 70s and bought clothes from Guatemala and Americanized them. I guess it was always in my blood. I never knew what I wanted to be, but I had a good eye for buying and kind of fell into it.
HC: How do you buy for Maya Star?
MS: I just know it when I see it. Customers come back and they tell me what they want. I buy what I like, but not for everything. What I won’t wear my customers will. I like to find something special in pieces; something that’s interesting.
HC: What did you study in college?
MS: I went to school for journalism, but growing up with designers, it was there all along. I had a strong, personal style. I loved vintage shopping and making my own jewelry.
HC: What is it like owning your own businesses?
MS: It takes a lot of time and it would help if I had a business degree. I hire people that know more than me and I learn from them. As you can tell, all my employees have personal style.
HC: What is the difference between Maya Star and Co-Star?
MS: Co-Star has been open for seven months and it’s just two blocks down from Maya Star. It has both men’s and women’s, inexpensive and expensive clothing. I wanted to expand in another city until I took a trip to California where a lot of owners have multiple stores close together and I thought, “Why not do that instead?” I like being on this street, it’s like lightning in a bottle! I changed the concept from Maya Star with dresses to Co-Star with beachwear, jeans, and stuff for a night out on the town or the lake all in one store.
HC: Were you scared to open another store?
MS: I was terrified but the new store felt comfortable and it was so much bigger, I knew there was a lot I could do with it. It was taking a risk, but I had to try it. I didn’t have a lot of time to plan because the store opened, I bought it, and I just did it.
HC: What is the future for Maya Star?
MS: I want to remodel Maya Star since it’s been here for a while and [I’m] thinking about growing globally to get more national attention…still creating Co-Star to develop its style.
HC: What is your favorite part of owning Maya Star and Co-Star?
MS: I love talking to customers and hearing what they want from me. It’s all about customer service. When it gets busy, I’m right down there with the rest of the employees assisting customers.
Maya Star is located at 1508 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704
Co-Star is located at 1708 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704