MEET THE MAKER: HAZY MAE

Our collections are filled with beautiful products from niche brands, each with their own unique story. This week, we're getting personal with Hazy Mae, the woman behind our favorite whimsical cookie jars and vases. Hazy hand sculpts charming objects for interesting homes, curious shops and interior design boutiques all over the country.

Below, Hazy shares the story behind her creations, where she gets her inspiration, and her favorite items to give (and receive!) as a gift.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU LAUNCHED HAZY MAE?
I was collecting vintage cookie jars and making large scale paintings and short animated films about them. I also had several business ideas involving cookie jars that I worked on but none of them really clicked until I started making my own cookie jar designs.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?
Mostly people who are characters; unusual, amusing and eccentric people. It’s inspiring to learn more about the iconic people I’ve made designs of, and I often have people message me to commission or suggest characters to make. That's really fun and inspiring, too, because I learn so much about an iconic person I wouldn’t have necessarily chosen myself, yet often they fit in with all of my other characters so well. I do a lot of research because the designs aren’t portraits and they aren’t caricatures so I have to find what makes the people who they are to me. And I also love early animated films, especially early Eastern European stop motion animated films.

WHAT WAS THE VERY FIRST COOKIE JAR YOU DESIGNED? WHY DID YOU PICK THAT DESIGN?
The first cookie jar I made was a character I call Mamo. Mamo was a character I drew a lot and I thought would be a great cookie jar design, and coincidentally it’s the first cookie jar I ever sold, too, even though I had over 30 designs at the show. 

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU?
I wake up at 7 a.m. to get my younger daughter ready for school and walk with her to the subway station. Then I go back home and make myself some tea and meditate for an hour or so, then write or draw for a while. Then I check on orders and emails and usually go back to sleep because I stay up working so late. I like falling back asleep for a few hours because I always remember my dreams when I wake up.

In the afternoons I bring the clay work in large bins to the other studio, or pack and bring boxes to FedEx. Then I come back and I start sculpting cookie jars and Vasies around 6 or 7 p.m. and work through the night until 3 or 4 a.m. I don’t know why, and I’ve tried to change it, but I’ve always loved to work late at night. 

I KNOW THIS IS A HARD ONE! WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR VERY FAVORITE COOKIE JAR TO DESIGN?
That is hard! I really enjoyed designing the Dolly and Tina cookie jars. I like who they are as people so much: they both have this fun, playful and kind power, and visually I love the way both of them look. But I’ve loved designing all of them, including my own characters like Dazy, Mamo and the Daydreamer.

OK, EASIER NOW! IF YOU HAD TO PICK YOUR TOP THREE PRODUCTS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
I think this one’s the hardest question! If I had to pick, I'd say RBG because I love the idea of honoring her and all the important work she’s done for everyone during her lifetime, the magnitude of which is mind blowing. She also grew up in the neighborhood where I live in Brooklyn. Iris is a favorite, too, because I love her and loved meeting her and giving her an Iris cookie jar on her birthday when I first started. She’s a genius at putting so many rare things together and she’s able to do it with glamour and sophistication. After that I couldn’t choose, it probably changes day to day.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE?
I love seeing Earl Grey macarons when they’re that beautiful blue/grey color, or any luxury French macaron in light blue, pink or lavender.

WHAT ITEM FROM TRULY GIFTED WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE? WHAT ITEM WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE?
I’d like to give a Maison La Bougie zodiac candle and I’d like to receive a custom embroidered powder blue herringbone Alicia Adams alpaca throw.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I like to shop, go to art museums and have dinner out with my daughters or a friend, and also to wander aimlessly around the city for hours stopping at cafes to have tea and draw or write.

WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE WOULD NEVER GUESS ABOUT YOU?
Maybe it would be surprising that, when I’m not at an event, I always wear all black every day. It’s like I’m in super production mode where I have to become very introverted and focus on making a tremendous amount of work in a short period of time, which I love, but I like getting dressed up and meeting everyone at markets and other events best!