Mya Myitzu

Mya Myitzu is a Burmese interior designer in Myanmar that is leading the design renaissance currently surging through the country^[1]. She has worked alongside the famous interior designer Kelly Wearstler in Beverley Hills and has won the Best Renovated Property Award In Myanmar in 2015^[2] from the Asia Property Awards for her work on the Rangoon Tea House, one of the world’s 11 best tea houses^[3] according to CNN. Myitzu had previously been the director for acclaimed Vietnam-headquartered architecture and design practice Noor Design ^[4] and is currently the Creative Director and Founder of a Yangon based firm, M. Interior Design (M.ID).^[5]

Education and Early Life

In her early life, Myitzu's attended the International School of Yangon, which is a non-profit Pre-K to 12th grade international school^[6] in Myanmar. Growing up in a westernized environment of the international school, she had described herself as "a typical 1990s Yangon girl"^[1], since that was the period when most students stopped wearing traditional longyi (htamein) skirts and went out in modern jeans and t-shirts instead.^[1] Myitzu could be referred to as a tet khit thami, referring to a girl or daughter of the era of advancement - in fashion and western modernization^[7]. Myitzu also grown up among brothers,^[8] inciting a sense of homogeneity.

After excelling at the International School of Yangon, Myitzu had left for California to study at the University of San Francisco, majoring in political science^[8]. In addition to her studies at the University of San Francisco, she would also attend design courses at night ^[8]at the Otis College of Art and Design where her passion in the field of design would be developed. She explains in the 2018 Myanmar Times article how "art-based knowledge is important for design and only then will designs be perfect"^[8], thus encouraging her to balance her primary political science degree with design courses and many design internships at the same time.

Internships

It was not until she graduated that she worked alongside the world-famous interior designer Kelly Wearstler in Beverley Hills as an intern. Wearstler is known for working on projects such as the Rothbart Estate in Bel Air, and on the homes of A-List celebrities, namely, Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Elton John, and Gwen Stefani^[9]. Throughout the book "Hue", written by Wearstler, Myitzu's contributions were accredited in correspondence to the works she was involved in.^[10] Myitzu sustained the internship for three years, stating that "It’s where I honed my skills [and] learned to appreciate the mixing of patterns, styles and eras in design"^[5]

Career

Following her education and prestigious internship abroad in the United States, Myitzu decides to go back to Myanmar in 2011^[5]. She was not only inspired to design alongside the pre-existing conditions of traditional Myanmar architecture^[4] but was keen on sharing her passion for design; encouraging the design industry abroad to share knowledge and establish training centers around Myanmar^[5] to increase visibility of the impending profession. Shortly after, Myitzu founded her practice, M.Interior Design (M.ID) in 2011, which led her family to become skeptical on the on the necessity of interior design work in Myanmar^[8]. While studying abroad, Myitzu expresses that she "didn't feel discrimination"^[8] until she returned and started her business. She states that "some conservative clients have appeared not to believe what I advise them because I am a women"^[8]. This suggests the prevalent discrepancy between the quantity of females in the field in contrast to men, not only in Myanmar but also in Asia. Myitzu then explains that "they realize later than my views and advice are very useful", thus flourishing her practice. She was featured in many articles from the Myanmar Times including headlines stating that "Mya Myitzu brings a fusion of beauty and functionality to Myanmar"^[8][11] and is an acclaimed "local design guru"^[11]. Architecture in Myanmar is an "architectural treasure trove"^[4] and Myitzu recognizes that she has the responsibility to ensure that her designs are "simpatico with the surrounding environment"^[4] as an interior designer. Her work is described as traditional with modern accents^[1]. Myitzu suggests that her visual use of depth in her design, and her consistent inspiration is being drawn from local ideas through vernacular details within certain cities of varying ethnic tribes, such as the Shan and Chin.

Notable Works

Myitzu's work experience alongside Weastler inspired her to "appreciate the mixing of patterns, styles and eras in design."^[8] This influenced her 2014 design for the interior of the Rangoon Tea House in Yangon, where she merged traditional teashop culture with a sense of Myanmar’s rush toward modernity. ^[8]The Rangoon Tea House has won the Best Renovated Property Award In Myanmar in 2015^[2] from the Asia Property Awards for her work on the Rangoon Tea House, one of the world’s 11 best tea houses^[3] according to CNN.

Through her professional practice, she demonstrates her passion for preserving the heritage^[4] of Myanmar. Restorations such as the Yoma Central Sales Gallery^[11], a 1920's villa, which received the an International Property Award (IPAX) in 2019^[12] is one of many notable built projects.

M.ID also consults with designer brands such as Coach, Aigner, Furla, Versus, Pandora, Bering, Love Moschino, Shiseido and Benetton in-high end shopping malls like Junction City^[8], particularly for signage design. Myitzu was known to be have an independent attitude, forthright views and contemporary way of dressing throughout her career. ^[4]

References