Bautista

hen you’re creating art, inspiration can come from anywhere, but there’s a pattern seen in true expression that either comes in the form of loud or minimalist art. Loud art is Basquiat, taking all the ideas and building a world around it with every possible tool you have. Minimalist expression is Coco Chanel. A simple bag by Chanel in its most minimal form can say more than the most expressive Gucci or Versace piece. Loud is punk rock or hip-hop, an abrasive display of soul and creativity. Minimalist is R&B, a simple and quieter display of affection and love.

Meraki by Yaya is a display of that internal debate every great artist has. Quiet vs. chaos. Loud and bright vs. minimalist and simple. Yaya Bautista is a San Jose fashion designer who started her brand as a boutique but didn’t want to settle for being another streetwear company “making tees and hoodies.” Her appreciation for designer and couture fashion is what sparked her to take risks with Meraki. Meraki is a display of her love for self-expression through clothing. She knew from the beginning that this would be her jumping off point, starting as a stylist at Nordstrom and observing what stayat-home moms were buying with their money; she draws her “tomboyish” inspiration from growing up with her brother. She knew she wanted to express herself in a multitude of ways, and it can be seen in the attention to detail she presents in her designs.

Yaya’s attention to detail is specific to her process; for example, every time she travels, she makes sure to buy fabrics she’ll be able to use for future projects. Her conscious effort to always buy fabric in places she travels to, whether it be for business or leisure, challenges her to take risks and sparks her creative process. Her process can start in many ways. Yaya’s latest design, most recently a pair of basketball shorts, started with a silhouette that wasn’t specific to men or women—Yaya has never liked to classify her designs as gender-specific. As she holds up her latest jacket design, Yaya makes it very apparent that man or woman would feel and look great in the jacket and speaks on how it’s limiting to only make things for one “group” when, in reality, it’s for any person who appreciates it.

For Yaya, the battle of quiet vs. chaos is the hardest part about being an artist, but she battles it by channeling a lot of her ideas into the right place. “Trial and error and my time are the most important things to choosing what works for me,” Yaya says as she looks at the designs she is working on for her new collection. “Loud” colors and patterns come from her Latina heritage, whereas her “minimalist” approach stems from her appreciation for designer fashion. Even through the inner battles of deciding her approach, she creates pieces and learns while doing so, studying a new style of cut and sew while also preparing a new collection. As she grows with her designs, she takes more risks and sails further away from the island of streetwear she never wanted to be stranded on when she designed her first bandana hoodie (and Meraki’s first released garment).

Meraki means doing something with soul, creativity, or love. This name is not only perfect for what Yaya expresses in her designs, but also for her vision for her career: “My vision for my dream fashion show is a local, public show with other designers a part of it and I’m radiating happiness wearing one of my designs, surrounded by my friends and family.” Yaya wants to be remembered as a person who is not afraid to be herself and represents where she came from—someone who is determined and known globally, just like her inspirations and fellow designers she dreams of collaborating with, Kid Super and Rhude.

Like most artists, Yaya combats doubts and insecurities, along with the internal debates of mainstream vs. underground, solo vs. collaboration. She approaches her artistic challenges with the same motto: if she infuses her art with soul, creativity, and love, then it doesn’t matter if it communicates as quietly as a library or as San Jose during the holidays. If it’s ativity, and love, it’s done the Mer-