Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ruby Matheu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ruby, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
The day my little sister Rose was born and I became a big sister, was probably the best day of my life. My sisters have always been my best friends. I would do anything for them. As a big sister, I think there is an expectation that we put on ourselves to be a role model, but also to be independent and self-sufficient. We are exposed to the reality of the real world much before they are, and your initial reaction is to protect them from the horrors. Through losing my Father, and experiencing grief and loss and depression, what kept me going was them. They are what give me strength and resilience. I never wanted to let them down, and all I have ever wanted is an amazing life for them. I kept going and found strength and resilience, because they inspire me to be a better version of myself everyday.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
MFIC Fashion is a clothing brand started by my mom, sisters, and me, in honor of our late father Robert Matheu. Music has always been a big part of our lives and a driving force for us in times of struggle. After losing our Dad we wanted to find a way to keep his legacy and the rock and roll legacy alive. All of our items feature images that he took, and our logo is in his handwriting. We aim to make people of all ages look and feel their best. In terms of what I do for the brand, I manage the social media accounts, I am the photographer and sometimes model, I designed the website and do all the product descriptions, and I have designed some of our pieces along with my sisters Rose and Veronica.
I have recently got into screen printing, and I have been making some limited edition pieces by hand. This has been a very fun and cool learning experience, and I hope to one day be able to make all of our items in-house and make sure everything is sustainably sourced.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think being able to learn from your mistakes and experiences and reflect on where you went wrong is something that can be difficult but it is very important. Over the last year, I feel like I have learned a lot about myself and have had time to reflect on difficulties I had in the past, and now I have grown because of that. My dad used to always tell me that mistakes are what make us learn, especially when you’re stubborn like me and want to find out for yourself even when someone says no. I also think having good people skills is very important. Don’t get me wrong, I am not afraid to speak up for myself in situations when needed, but being kind to strangers or random people you encounter comes a long way. You never know who you will meet again down the road, and it is important to leave a good impression on people.
Always be yourself. I know this sounds corny and basic but it is very true. In a world where so many people are creative and smart, being true to yourself is always what will make you stand out. Find what makes you truly happy and passionate, and if you can turn that into a living then do it, because life is too short to have any regrets about what we could have done.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I can’t limit this to just one thing. My parents both did so many impactful things for me in so many different ways. I am forever grateful for the role that music played in my life as a child. Some of the first words I spoke were song lyrics I would sing. There are videos of me when I was about 3 years old, jamming to music through my iPod and singing along. Music and art have always been a part of my life, and I think having parents who were so artistic, allowed me to explore my creativity in so many ways. I took piano lessons and guitar, I sang in a choir that sang with Nick Cave at Coachella, and with Katy Perry at an Obama fundraiser. I never would have been able to have these amazing experiences if it weren’t for my parent’s encouragement and support in any and everything I ever wanted to do.
I am also forever grateful for the amount of traveling that I did with my family growing up. They took my sisters and me to probably 40 of the 50 states, London, Spain, Paris, Greece, Italy, and having this experience taught me so much about the world. Trying new foods and experiencing different cultures and scenery, changed my perspective on the world. I also think it prepared me for taking big steps in life. I moved to New York for college alone when I was 18 and we were in the middle of a global pandemic. I studied abroad in London alone and had one of the best experiences of my life. My parents prepared me for these moments. They raised me to be independent and smart, and appreciative of the world around me, and I love them more than anything in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mficshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubymatheu/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-matheu-7b1638239
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@Rubes32
Image Credits
Photo credits to Ruby Matheu for all except The photo of me with the “material girl” shirt was taken by Rose Matheu
