Max Razy’s Fearless Design
This month we visited Max Razy owner Sharon Pike at her design studio in Orange. Sharon began her business a few years ago designing and manufacturing clothing she retails in Vermont, Alaska, Florida, and in other nationwide boutiques as well as on her own eCommerce website.
Sharon had a history of creating clothing, but she had the idea to launch her own business when her grandchildren asked for “a tag” on the clothes she sewed them, and Max Razy was born. “Max,” and “Razy,” are actually the names of her family’s two muscle cars, who rival the dresses in bright color and exciting looks, and occupy an adjacent spot to Sharon’s home design studio.
Each of the Max Razy garments are modern and stylish, made of patterned jersey fabric. Hidden inside each garment is a structured lining that makes it sit very elegantly on the body. Sharon imports her bold patterned fabrics from Turkey and Italy, carefully selecting a few each season to create her line with.
Sharon designs with the needs of her customers in mind. She has developed a skort with embedded shorts that do not ride up—if you are a person who has ever worn a skort, you realize the small miracle of this. Sharon also custom designed a wrap dress for a friend who had a mastectomy, cut specifically to create ease in her friend’s routine post-surgery. The design was functional as well as stylish and she’s now incorporated more pieces that offer fashion and ease to someone recovering from or experiencing reduced mobility.
I can’t describe enough what a ray of light Sharon is to talk with—my hour in her studio was epic and I felt bright and happy as I stared across the beautiful view she stares out at while she works. Max Razy seems to be one of Sharon’s many lifetimes: she has raised three sons in Central Vermont and is a devoted grandmother, and she’s worked in dress manufacturing for many years. But her own business has allowed her to shine a light on her particular inspiration and artistry.
It hasn’t been without challenge: Sharon launched Max Razy just prior to the pandemic, and plans to grow and expand have been thwarted by the challenges that came with it.
Her Spring 2023 line is currently produced as samples, which will be sold by sales reps at trade shows for wholesale fashion finally return to in-person normalcy. And she has her Fall 2023 line planned with fabrics purchased. We at CVEDC will be working with Sharon in the coming months to help Max Razy grow, and realize its full potential.