A Q&A with Taylor Mae, Founder of Creatively, Detroit
When Taylor Mae launched Creatively, Detroit, it wasn’t just about apparel. It was about reflection, amplification, and energy. We sat down with her to talk about what sparked the brand and what it was actually like building it alongside Concetti.
What sparked Creatively, Detroit in the first place?
For the past three years, I’ve had the honor of hosting and leading the community of CreativeMornings/Detroit, and that experience hasn’t changed the way I see this city, rather it has doubled down on it.
These gatherings have put me up close and personal with the level of talent here. Founders, designers, architects, writers, photographers, strategists. People who are operating at such a high level creatively. And the thing is, this isn’t new. Detroit has always been a city rooted in creativity.
But I kept feeling this desire to reflect that back to the world in another way.
I wanted to see something tangible and wearable, and that quietly but confidently said, “Look again.” Because the creativity here deserves national and international attention. It deserves opportunity and to be part of larger conversations, rooms, and partnerships.
I am someone who thinks a lot about energy. The more you pour into something, the more it expands. And so between CreativeMornings/Detroit and now Creatively, Detroit, I see both as energy investments. They are ways of pouring into the creative community here so that more opportunity can circulate within the city and far beyond it.
When did you realize you needed intentional branding support?
Right away.
I’m such a visual person, and I’m also very language-driven. I had the mood boards. I had the references. I had the feeling words. I knew I wanted the pieces to feel chic, minimal, elevated and like you could dress them up or down.
I didn’t want it to feel trendy. I wanted it to feel timeless and intentional. So, there were a lot of targets to hit!
But there’s a difference between having the vision and executing it at the level it deserves. And because I care so much about details and cohesion, I knew I didn’t want to shortcut that part.
Working with Concetti felt like trusting the execution to people who understood restraint, nuance, and taste and that mattered a lot to me.
What was different about building with Concetti?
What stood out to me most was that they really took the time to understand me as a human first.
The conversations weren’t surface-level. It wasn’t just about what colors we liked or what was trending. They asked about why this mattered to me, what I wanted this brand to feel like five years from now, what I cared about culturally.
That depth made me feel seen.
And when you feel seen as a founder, the creative gets better. It becomes less about aesthetics and more about alignment. We weren’t just designing pieces, we were shaping the Creatively, Detroit world.
That distinction changes the entire process
How did the branding process shape the business itself?
It made me more thoughtful.
It forced me to slow down and really consider how every piece in the first collection related to one another. What was the through-line? What was the visual language? What didn’t belong?
Instead of just creating things because I liked them, I had to ask whether they contributed to a cohesive identity.
That level of cohesion builds trust with your audience. It signals that you’re intentional. And that intention spills over into partnerships, events, collaborations, and everything else.
The branding helped shape how the business looks and how it thinks.
What did you learn about yourself as a founder through this process?
This one surprised me! I think I found some pride.
Having high-level designers reflect back to me that my taste is strong and my instinct for design is actually (somehwhat!) good was something I didn’t realize I needed to hear. It gave me confidence in my own eye.
I also learned how challenging it is to be both the operational, sales-minded business builder and the creative visionary at the same time. I genuinely love wearing all the hats. But trying to protect the creative while building the infrastructure can be exhausting.
Bringing Concetti in allowed me to lean more fully into the business leadership side, knowing the creative integrity was being protected and elevated at the same time. That balance made the entire brand stronger.
For other founders considering investing in branding — what would you say?
It’s everything. Branding isn’t about being pretty.
It tells the marketplace how seriously to take you. It tells partners what level you operate at. It clarifies your own identity internally.
The process itself forces you to articulate who you are and who you are not. And that clarity affects pricing, positioning, partnerships, and more.
If you want longevity, branding is not optional.
What’s next for Creatively, Detroit?
We’ve barely scratched the surface.
There are collaborations coming that I’m genuinely excited about. More collections. Events that feel immersive and intentional. Expanding the ecosystem around the brand so it becomes more than product but it becomes a cultural platform.
This is just the beginning.
And I truly feel so grateful to work with an incredible team helping bring it to life.
Any Final Thoughts?
Keep creating whatever you feel called to create.
There is room for it. And there is someone who needs it.
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