The great thing about fashion is that you don't have to be in the fashion industry to be actively involved. Case in point, Maya Gold Patterson; a “woman in tech” by trade, and a fashionista by...well, all the time.

“I've been in love with clothes since I was old enough to talk.”

“As a kid, I went through phases of designing clothes, thrifting, and trying out hella different styles. But, I never really rocked with the fashion industry. I never saw bodies like mine in magazines.”

“Although I'm in tech, I've always been about people and culture,” says the Facebook Product Designer.

“I used to live in Chicago where everyone was very polished and traditional in their attire. So I would wear cute heels and blouses. When I moved to the Bay Area, I fell in love with the casual-cool vibe of California. But I was in shock at how little effort my colleagues in tech would put into their style. I'm talking dirty sweat pants and flip flops at the office! So I went through a phase of re-discovering a casual style that still felt like me. I bulked up my sneaker collection but kept my bold lipstick and tailored slacks. I'm having a lot of fun mixing casual streetwear pieces with my more tailored items.”

While experimenting with her wardrobe, Patterson received dozens of inquires from women at work and on social media, wanting everything from styling advice to recommendations on where to shop. And so, The Gold List was born.

“I launched The Gold List as a way to scale the 1:1 style advice I was giving. Technical innovations alone, like Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence, don't excite me. I get excited about understanding people's needs and leveraging technology to help serve those needs. I always say that I'm most happy designing culturally relevant experiences. [For instance] right now, I'm working on Facebook Watch, which is the platform that hosts Jada Pinkett Smith's show, Red Table Talk.”

“My [ultimate] goal [with The Gold List] is to help women develop their unique personal style by providing curated product recommendations and style advice. As a short Black woman with thick legs, I have a long history of feeling like the fashion industry doesn't care about making clothes work for my body. The Gold List encourages women with experiences like mine to feel comfortable and confident in their clothing choices.”

“Since launching, I've received a ton of positive feedback from my subscribers. It's dope to feel supported leaning into a long-time passion of mine.”

When asked her opinion on iconic style, Patterson merely answered, “Black Women”.

“I purposely fill my Instagram feed with Black women in all professions and stages of life because I love the swag we bring to style. Many of the streetwear looks that are mainstream today, like big gold hoops, glossy lips, and Air Force 1s were made relevant by Black women in the hood. The influence is undeniable and inspiring.”

Although she loves fashion, Patterson describes her own style as more practical, and even offered practical fashion advice;

“Take your clothes to a tailor. That's my secret behind all my best fitting jeans, pants, blazers, everything.”

“I go to a mom and pop shop in Oakland's Chinatown, and they're amazing. I pay about $10 to take in the waist on my jeans or shorten the length. Also, Nordstrom offers free tailoring on jeans you purchase with them.”

For a curation of style tips and product recommendations, get The Gold List sent directly to your inbox every Wednesday morning. From an everyday woman, designed for the everyday woman.