This Asian Heritage Month, we’re celebrating Vancouver-based designer Ou Ma, founder of bridal and eveningwear label OUMA. Raised in Beijing, where her grandfather first introduced her to Chinese painting, and trained at New York’s FIT before working with Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, Ou Ma brings a rare East-meets-West sensibility to her craft. Now rooted in Vancouver, her label OUMA is built on the belief that a gown should turn heads while holding a deeper meaning to your ever evolving story.
Meet Ou Ma
Website: www.ouma.co/
Instagram: @oumaatelier and @ouma_designer
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m the founder and creative director of OUMA, a Vancouver-based bridal and eveningwear label. I was born and raised in Beijing, where I developed an early appreciation for art, craftsmanship, and design through studying Chinese painting with my grandfather.
I later moved to New York to study Fashion Design at FIT, specializing in knitwear, and went on to work for brands including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection. While I always loved fashion, it was through creating custom gowns for friends and women in my community that I discovered how meaningful bridal design could be.
After getting married and moving to Vancouver, I felt it was the right moment to build something of my own. OUMA was born from a desire to create modern, emotionally resonant bridalwear rooted in craftsmanship, intentionality, and sustainability.
Photo provided by MVC Communications
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by a mix of art, architecture, nature, and human emotion.
A lot of my visual inspiration comes from fluid movement—water, wind, draping, light passing through fabric, and the softness of natural forms. I’m also deeply inspired by traditional art forms, particularly Chinese painting, where composition, restraint, and negative space carry so much meaning.
Beyond visuals, I’m inspired by women themselves—how they want to feel, express themselves, and move through important moments in their lives.
Tell us the story behind your brand.
OUMA began very organically.
While I was working in fashion, friends and colleagues started asking me to design custom wedding dresses for them. Through those experiences, I realized bridalwear is uniquely emotional—it’s not simply about creating something beautiful, but about becoming part of someone’s personal story. That felt incredibly meaningful to me.
When I moved to Vancouver, I decided to take the leap and build OUMA. The brand combines my East-meets-West perspective, technical training in fashion, and love for thoughtful craftsmanship. At its heart, OUMA is about creating “new romance”—bridalwear that feels modern, refined, feminine, and emotionally connected, while also being designed with sustainability in mind.
Photo credit: Liz Rosa Photography
What’s one piece of advice you would give someone starting out in your field?
Focus on building a strong point of view before chasing growth.
It’s easy to get distracted by what other brands are doing, trends, or external validation. But in fashion, what makes a brand truly memorable is clarity—knowing what you stand for, what makes your work distinct, and staying consistent in that vision.
Also, be prepared to wear many hats. Building a brand is equal parts creativity, resilience, business strategy, and problem-solving.
What does 2026 hold for you?
2026 is a very exciting year for OUMA. We’re focused on expanding our retail presence globally, deepening relationships with our existing partners, and continuing to grow brand awareness through more immersive experiences like trunk shows and in-person activations.
Creatively, I’m excited to keep evolving our design language while staying true to our core values of craftsmanship, emotion, and sustainability. More than anything, I want 2026 to be a year of thoughtful growth—building OUMA into a stronger global presence while remaining intentional about every step.
