Maiyet (Q3259)
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Maiyet is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Maiyet |
Maiyet is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
On the long list of things to wonder and/or worry about, apropos the presidential election, the question of what “fashion” will do ranks pretty low. That said, designers are going to respond to the current political environment—how could they not?—and so perhaps it’s fruitful, now, to suggest that they ought to consider a broader range of questions than whether or not to dress Melania. This line of thinking was provoked by today’s appointment to see the latest Maiyet collection. Has the brand’s founding principle, of working with artisans across the globe (including in New York City) and as sustainably as possible, ever felt more timely?The label is still without a creative director; Declan Kearney stepped down from post in June. But this collection didn’t feel unguided: As design director Kim Coiffier explained today, this latest outing was galvanized by the concept of “migration,” and that theme was elaborated thoughtfully and coherently. In plain aesthetic terms, the idea of border crossing was expressed via a range of dip-dyed indigo looks—tailored pieces in denim-esque cady, sustainable cashmere sweaters of dip-dyed yarn—as well as fuzzy pinstripe tailoring, tonal black-on-indigo appliqué patterns, and Bolivian hand-knit sweaters with textural variation woven into the stripes.More abstractly, “migration” was got at in the collection’s winks at nomad aesthetics. Josef Koudelka’s 1960s-era portraits of gypsies served as source material, encouraging a plethora of wrapping and draping, as well as patchworked pattern and variegated pleating. This was a collection created in sympathy with those fated to wander, and though it easily avoided the trap of glamorizing an unhappy condition, it helped to know that Maiyet’s put its money where its mouth is, as far as sympathy goes. Messages only matter if the messenger can be trusted.
5 December 2016
Declan Kearney stepped down from his role as creative director ofMaiyetin June, so while it’s likely that some of the collection that hung in the brand’s showroom was his doing, the clothes were introduced instead by the company cofounder, Paul van Zyl, and the brand’s design director, Kim Coiffier. Though Van Zyl and Coiffier shared the duties of walking a reviewer through, the party line did not differ greatly from what it has always been: Maiyet is a company on a noble, global mission; to celebrate and support and ultimately enlist artisans from around the globe. This season that meant embroidery from Mumbai, block prints from Jaipur, ethically sourced Egyptian cotton, and the work of weavers in Bolivia. The palette was mostly soft neutrals that were occasionally shot through with red and magenta (pink being, as Diana Vreeland so famously said, “the navy blue of India”), despite, perplexingly, the brand's look book images being in black and white.As for the clothes themselves, the silhouette was long and lean and layered, what Coiffier called “grounded,” with a linear design that seemed inspired by the whorl of a fingerprint, or even the bark of a tree, that carried through from the silk jacquards to the tulle-inset poplin shirting. The team took full advantage of the 20 tons of cashmere they’d purchased straight from Mongolian herders, using it in gently fine knits and big, brashly woven ponchos. Dressing is a sensual objective, Coiffier said—it has much to do with how we feel, what we reach out and touch in the morning. In times of transition, what we seek is typically something consistent to hold on to, and most appealing were the viscose knit dresses, which were balletic in their romantic simplicity, and felt alluringly cool to the touch; just the thing women will reach for in their wardrobes again and again.
10 September 2016
When it came to designingMaiyet’s 2017 Resort collection, Declan Kearney did the smart thing: He went to the store, and he talked to his customers. “I’ve been doing a lot of client fittings,” said Kearney, who has now been at the helm of the company for little more than a year, “ones that were meant to be an hour, and then ran on to two, because we were having so much fun.” Which isn’t to say that he wasn’t learning a fair amount at the same time, like that women found the curved hem of his arc skirt to be universally flattering (“more relaxed than a pencil skirt, with a slimming line, and great movement,” quoth Kearney) and that generous, slouchy leather bags should have flexibility enough to roll at the top to become subway-snatcher averse. Fil coupe slip dresses and one floor-sweeping gown are holdover hits from Spring, thanks to one boldface fan—“we call this theRihannadress,” said Kearney, holding up a figure-skimming slip in black, which the star had worn in bronze for a Super Bowl commercial, among other appearances.The inspiration for much of this collection—like split-sleeved white shirting with a pearl-studded collar; a series of tiered, gently ruffled frocks in shades of lilac and sea foam; and a pair of prints (a woodblock prickly pear and a polka dot)—all came from an unlikely blend of sources: Philip Johnson’s architecture; the portraiture and patterns of 1950s photographer Seydou Keïta; Princess Diana, “the early years”; and the enviable insouciance of one Wiz Khalifa. “He’s not afraid of prints, he’s really bold in his choices, and he just throws amazing things together,” said Kearney, “he just has a really modern way of dressing, and really doesn’t seem to give a shit.” Even those with lesser sartorial aspirations than the Wiz would find the fine-gauge Fair Mongolian Cashmere ponchos decidedly hard to resist. Of Maiyet’s famously ethical sourcing, Kearney said, “the artisan partners are all throughout this collection,” and held up an undeniably cute crocheted bikini made in Bolivia. He also noted that, with the typical American codes he’s delicately twisted (jeans and a white shirt, for example), or the multiple types of embroidery employed on a single piece, the intended effect was a seamless blend of methodology and influences, inspiration and technique—or what Kearney called, with a wink, “the full Wiz Khalifa.”
10 June 2016
What does it mean to be at home? What are you wearing while you’re there? This was the by turns equally sweet and voyeuristic sentiment at the heart ofMaiyet’s Fall 2016 collection. “I've been at Maiyet for a year and it now feels like home,” creative director Declan Kearney said, and the feeling led him to find inspiration in the photography of Carlo Mollino, the shape of fiddle-leaf fig leaves, the Palm Springs interiors of John Lautner, Indochine’s iconic banana-leaf wallpaper, and at least one 1960s snap of Jackie Onassis, knocked onto her knees by a riot of laughter. The rug under those famous knees was echoed in a nearby swing coat in quartz bouclé, its color a sort of lived-in, mussed-up neutral fabric that felt lighter than air, even if its texture was intended to ground you in the carpet.It was a quite racy collection, really, with the rounded heels of the lace-up leather Chelsea boots inspired by Mollino (who “really loved women,” said Kearney), open-weave mohair knits as light and transparent as lace, frothy lingerie-inspired frocks and gowns in embroidered crepe and fille de coupe that had what looked like the top cups of satin brassieres poking out. There were slick satin and leather separates and lots of little fetishistic touches, like the fishnet hosiery, the gathered garter hem of a slip skirt, the leather harness buckles tucked into the sides of a shearling, or the modesty-preserving leaf patterns blocked out like Mondrian paper cuts on otherwise entirely transparent tops. Some blouses and shift dresses laced up the back, as did the heels of those boots, mostly in various shades of nude skin. “I like to think about lots of different women wearing my clothes, coming alive in my clothes,” said Kearney, with genuine feeling. While certain pieces—a short furry teddy bear coat, or an understated mens-y black trouser—were easier to imagine going mainstream than others, it wasn’t hard to picture Emily Ratajkowski, who sat front row, in some of the line’s more brazen iterations, feeling right at home.
15 February 2016
Three seasons in, Declan Kearney’s modus operandi as the creative director ofMaiyetis becoming clear. His aim, as this latest outing reaffirmed, is to thread handcraftsmanship into a wardrobe of clothes that are, in all other ways, matter-of-fact and urbane. The artisanal elements cut against the grain of a “matter-of-fact,” “urbane” aesthetic, but at Maiyet, they’re non-negotiable: The brand is premised on the idea that traditional handwork, by embroiderers in India and knitters in Bolivia and so on, can comfortably inhabit a luxury context. That is true, but this collection seemed to define a creative limit to that approach, and did so by ever so slightly overstepping it. The more richly textured and embellished the clothes, the more the silhouettes need to hew to the pared-down and familiar. When Kearney respects that limit, as he did for the most part here, he’s got knockout looks on his hands. When he complicates the shapes, on the other hand, he gilds the lily.Kearney had a solid inspiration, this time out: The theme was “Endless Summer,” a daydream of California surf extending into fall. You could pick up the vibe in the collection’s ribbed mock turtlenecks, with their rashguard shape, and in quilted leather motorcycle jackets and cropped high-waist trousers that clung to the body like wetsuits. The theme extended, as well, to the cotton jacquards in a pattern suggestive of the Pacific coast’s rocky outcroppings, and metallic thread embroideries that expanded on the motif. And the surf reference was there in spades in the collection’s hands-down standout piece, a collarless Gobi cashmere coat in a Baja blanket stripe. There were other strong outerwear looks, as well—Kearney has a real knack for the category—and the knits here were nearly as good, from the much-used mock turtlenecks to the striped sweaters in a lacy handweave. Again, the key seemed to be: The simpler the shape, the better the showcase for Maiyet’s excellent fabrics and techniques. If Kearney can stick to that program, he’ll carve out the distinctive niche for Maiyet the brand needs in order to succeed.
4 December 2015
ResortwasDeclan Kearney’s first outing as the new creative director ofMaiyet. It was a breakthrough moment for the brand. A veteran of Alexander Wang and Jason Wu, Kearney injected Maiyet with a fresh vitality, turning out clothes with a high desirability factor. The pea coat in particular made the top of a few editors’ wish lists, but there were plenty of other great pieces to wear, too. Today marked Kearney’s debut runway show, as well as Maiyet’s first in New York after a few years in Paris, and retailer turnout was high.The brainchild of Kristy Caylor, Paul Van Zyl, and Daniel Lubetzky, Maiyet is an American-born company with a global perspective, one that enlists artisans from around the world to weave silk or do beadwork and reinvests in the artisans’ communities. It’s a noble mission. The thing is, women shop with their heart, not their conscience. Kearney’s Resort clothes appealed to both.He aimed high for Spring. Amelia Earhart and NASA’s unsung mathematician Katherine Johnson gave the collection a utilitarian backbone. Arizona’s Antelope Canyon inspired the striated swoosh motif that appeared on a few loose shifts. Knits were a highlight, especially a chunky ribbed T-shirt dress that was accessorized by a Bolivian macramé scarf and a tunic-length plaid knit sweater worn over a hammered silk slip dress, one of the show’s dominant silhouettes. The burnout velvet numbers at the end were luminous. But overall the collection suffered a bit for its washed-out palette and felt a bit flat. If Kearney failed to raise pulses quite as high as he did with his first effort, he has the time and, more importantly, the talent to raise the bar.
14 September 2015
For the women who have championed Maiyet on principle, today was a banner day. Declan Kearney, the label's new creative director, has made it possible to endorse this ethical brand in practice, i.e., bywearingit. Until his appointment earlier this year, Kearney was the design director at Alexander Wang, and he brought that streetwise sensibility to bear on his debut Maiyet collection. The brand's boho DNA remained firmly in place; Kearney just rewired it, applying artisanal touches like Indian thread embroidery and hand-knitting to crisp sportswear looks. Cases in point included a trim shibori-dyed tee with a reinterpreted Breton stripe, and the collection's terrific peacoat, classic in color and shape, which was elaborated by subtle metallic embroidery around the pockets. These clothes came off as pleasingly familiar, but there was a sense of handmade-ness that allowed them to feel novel. Another way of breaking down Kearney's modus operandi here would be to say that he revisited various nuts-and-bolts pieces from a stylish downtown girl's wardrobe and added a liberal application of warmth. Some of that was due to the craft elements—not just traditional ethnic techniques, but couture ones, too, like faggoting and fil coupe—and some of that was due to the tactility of the collection as a whole. Even a suit of cotton-wool twill had an inviting nub to it, while the numerous items in soft suede, bouclé, or hammered satin offered even richer textures. All of which, taken together, plus the pretty floral prints and the artisanal details and so on, would have made for sensory overload were it not for Kearney's talent for sharp, straightforward cuts and his penchant for a chillaxed attitude. The laid-back vibe was evident even in the lineup's gowns, which ranged from slender, elongated tanks in hammered satin or floral fil coupe to diaphanous, sundress-style maxi dresses with (huzzah!) an internal bra top incorporated into the pattern. Women with more ample breasts will rejoice. So will all the women who have been aching to support the Maiyet mission and now have some genuinely cool clothes to choose from, not to mention seriously natty ranges of shoes and handbags. Do good, look good. Here's to that.
8 June 2015
Maiyet is at a crucial juncture. With eight Paris shows behind it, including today's, it's no longer the new kid on the block. The curiosity factor has started to wear off—an issue made clear by the empty seats at the label's Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild venue. It didn't help that the show was wedged into a difficult time slot between two big Paris tickets, but the point is that Maiyet will only succeed now if creative director Kristy Caylor can give it a distinctive voice.Inspired by the Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work spanned the gap between Art Nouveau and modernism, the collection had a Dries-ian elegance, full of prints and embroideries, the difference being that Caylor operates in a significantly lower key. The clothes were mostly black and white, with touches of dusty pink. The embroideries were many, but subtly done: bronze roses picked out on a long black satin dress; a graphic grid of leather appliqués (picture a modernist stained-glass window) heat-fused to a tunic worn over a midi skirt. The collection sagged a bit when a series of structure-less floor-length silk shirtdresses came around: Most women want a little more support on a big evening. But the black and white knits handmade in Peru made a more substantial, bolder statement. Distinctive? Those sweaters were, definitely.
6 March 2015
Ten years ago, when Danger Mouse releasedThe Grey Album,the idea that you could make listenable music by mashing up the Beatles and Jay Z seemed patently absurd. Then you heard the record. The latest Maiyet collection proved a similarly synchronous mash-up of seemingly unreconcilable references. On the one hand, Emilie Flöge, muse to Gustav Klimt. On the other, Malik Sidibé, famous for his Bamako portraits of the 1960s. What the two references share is a density of pattern, a quality that Maiyet designer Kristy Caylor pursued via appealing floral prints and, more compellingly, through the collection's variety of texture. Diamond-patterned cotton lace and gorgeous fringed tweeds got at the theme, but what really drove it home was the label's expanded range of knits, which included everything from fine-gauge ribs to cozy, fisherman-weight sweaters with a pebbled effect. There were slicker textures, too, of leather and of velvet; the designer's boot-leg trousers in those materials had a glam-ness redolent of Tom Ford's breakthrough mid-'90s collections at Gucci. Indeed, Caylor was on a roll with her pants: Women are going snap up her buttoned, culotte-esque cropped trousers—one of her key silhouettes. The other key shape here was the sheath, elaborated in short form, as tunics, and attenuated, as long, lean sweaterdresses. As a general matter, the shapes were very direct, a welcome development. The vibe was bohemian, but a certain no-nonsense-ness pervaded and gave the collection as a whole an urbane edge.
5 December 2014
Maiyet thinks different. The brand is known for its efforts to switch up the fashion supply chain, working with traditional handcrafters and textile-makers from around the world. That's the back end of the business, you might say, except that at Maiyet, its means of production are front and center in both the clothes and the messaging. This season, Kristy Caylor decided to try an unconventional approach on the front end, too, eschewing a fashion show in favor of a salon presentation accompanied by an installation of five short films directed and choreographed by Benjamin Millepied. The films were sort of Isaac Julien-lite, which wasn't a bad thing, and the slo-mo cameras riveted on the featured dancers' lyrical yet forceful bodies. As Caylor explained, that lyricism, and that force, was the driving inspiration behind the new Maiyet collection.So this was a collection about movement. The theme was witnessed in the fluid tailoring, and in a lot of seemingly hasty, scarf-style draping. Caylor should have invested more in those ideas; frankly, the silhouettes were a bit of a muddle this season. Nothing popped. The materials and embellishments were another story, though, with rich, graphic Indonesian batiks, Peruvian hand-knits and lace, and lovely thread and bead embroidery from villages in India. One suspects that the Maiyet customer, if she's loyal, is coming to the brand for its artisanal qualities, either because she likes the look or because she appreciates the "It's a Small World After All" values. Caylor's best work finds her giving the traditional artisanship a graphic spin, as in the coat here done in black and white batik. To the extent that Maiyet has an aesthetic identity, as opposed to an ethical one, it's to be found there.
26 September 2014
Over the holidays, Maiyet creative director Kristy Caylor took her first vacation in four years. In preparation, Caylor was tasked with packing one suitcase that would carry her through Italy, Miami, St. Barts, and Costa Rica. So when it came to designing Resort 2015, she felt particularly equipped to address the needs of the seasonal customer."It's really and truly Resort," Caylor said Monday morning at Milk Studios, where everything from fine jewelry to hand-painted scarves was on display next to shoes, clothes, and leather goods. From the beginning, Maiyet has tapped skilled artisans the world over to help produce a wide variety of goods. Part of the goal is to assist those craftspeople in establishing and building viable businesses. That means Caylor and her team are still working with the same groups that she and cofounder Paul van Zyl met four years ago when they started the company.But while altruism runs deep in the Maiyet DNA, beauty is equally valued. Given the season's backstory, it's no surprise that Caylor looked to traditional Resort themes—Morocco, maritime, Hans Feurer's 1974 Pirelli calendar—for flavor. A blouse with reverse appliqué and embroidery was tucked into wide-leg pleated trousers, both done in over-washed mint cotton. Ultrawide chino culottes were worn with a collarless striped shirt that had oversize white cuffs. Navy-and-white stripes were block-printed onto trousers, as well as a handkerchief top with ultrathin spaghetti straps. Caylor sought the expertise of her weaving partners in Varanasi, India, to make a gold-and-terra-cotta-striped silk that was transformed into an easy T-shirt dress, and also into sporty pleated shorts. Several of the gowns were hand-painted, but the most memorable was made out of cream-on-cream-striped Varanasi silk with pleated appliqués decorating the top.Maiyet does a lot of categories and represents a lot of things, so sometimes the end result can feel a bit crowded and undefined. But not this time. Seems like vacation served Caylor well.
8 June 2014
Maiyet's Kristy Caylor has been contemplating Frida Kahlo portraits. Not so much the surface of the canvases, she reported backstage, but the act of Kahlo painting them—of taking "a look inside." That idea formed the basis of a successful collection that explored and exposed the creation process. Silk dresses, for example, were printed with dots or embroidered with small round studs in punch-card patterns, the kind used to guide weavers using handlooms. One coat was constructed with a black shawl overlay; underneath it, the lining was an exquisite jacquard—no mere lining at all. Later, that jacquard's diamond pattern was redone as beading on a delicate dress, the sheer tulle of which provided a look inside at the model's patent bra and seamed leggings.That's a lot of backstory. The good thing is, you didn't need to know a lick of it to find things to admire here. Patent leather chosen for its mirrorlike qualities (you need to see yourself to make a self-portrait) didn't quite jibe with the craftiness of the rest of the show, and the sheer pieces were a bit weak, but those looks were in the minority. Re-created as a print on silk, knitted into a handmade sweater, or quilted on coats, that diamond motif gave the clothes a rich, graphic sensibility. Maiyet is barely three years old. As the ethical fashion brand continues to put down roots, that sensibility will be its selling point.
28 February 2014
A Pre-Fall appointment with Maiyet's Kristy Caylor is a bit like a geography lesson. Browsing the racks at the label's presentation today, she pointed out handwoven cottons that hailed from Varanasi, India, and handwoven knits made in Peru. On her mood board: early self-portraits by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and photographs taken by Viviane Sassen in Africa. That's a lot of far-flung locations and inspirations to keep straight. It's a testament to Caylor's vision for the ethical fashion label that all of it holds together as well as it does.Picking up where Spring left off, the designer showed a few new slipdresses, this time in season-appropriate lightweight suede. Bias-cut dresses followed the same fluid, elegant lines. She paired a white version with a boxy black pony-hair parka in an effort to re-create the feminine-masculine mix essential to Kahlo's personal style. Another parka looked good in a nubby, wheat-colored raw silk. What was new was a group of denim pieces, also handwoven in India. A V-neck shift and a sleeveless jumpsuit were casual in a way that Caylor hasn't explored here before.
5 January 2014
This was Maiyet founder Kristy Caylor's big debut after the departure of former designer Gabriella Zanzani. It's been two years since the label began showing in Paris, and tonight's outing—held in a rarely seen inner courtyard of the École des Beaux-Arts—qualified as a moment. The questions on everyone's mind: Can Caylor take Maiyet beyond its artisanal, ethical fashion origins? Can she make it a relevant part of the fashion conversation?Judging by the white shirtdresses that opened the show, Caylor has a canny sense for what's news. Her shirtdresses, naturally, come with silk embroidery done by hand. Proving do-gooders have a sense of humor, as well as a nose for trends, she stamped a couple of pieces with block print messages. A No future without forgiveness miniskirt walked by (that's the name of a Nelson Mandela book, by the way), and a few looks later, out came a dress with the slogan No goats on the loom. (That, in case you were curious, is a reference to a problem pet that belongs to one of Maiyet's Varanasi weavers.) The strongest argument for the label's relevance, though, just may be the slipdresses. They're one of the key pieces for Spring '14, and Maiyet had some of the best, chief among them a peach silk version whose embroidery turned out not to be embroidery at all, but a shibori dyeing technique done on a scale that was almost minuscule. It was beautiful. Another slip came in navy blue with an understated stripe of silver embroidery below the bust—just enough to elevate it above the everyday. So, back to that key question, can Caylor make Maiyet interesting to women for whom ethics don't enter the shopping equation? After tonight's performance, our answer is yes.
27 September 2013
Resort is the first season that Maiyet founder Kristy Caylor is back in the designer driver's seat after the ethical fashion company parted ways with Gabriella Zanzani, who had been taking runway bows for a few seasons. That kind of shake-up can destabilize a young brand, but it's a positive in this case. With aesthetics and intentions aligned, Caylor was free to interpret a handful of eclectic influences. Her lineup riffed on the idea of uniforms, the work of the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui, and twenties lingerie. She has good timing; Africa and the twenties are getting play in other collections this month. Here, a schoolboy's Mackintosh was cut from a bonded geometric Varanasi silk pattern; chemise dresses were decorated with wavy, block-print designs; and a crop top and its matching bloomers were hand-knit by artisans in Bolivia.With its emphasis on the artisanal, Maiyet hasn't lured many minimalists. But that may change; Caylor proved she could do understated in an interesting way. Cases in point: an unconstructed jacket worn with an asymmetric tunic and pleated trousers, and a clever take on the jumpsuit that looked like a drop-waist dress with a cutaway hem.
9 June 2013
It's one of fashion's most enduring mysteries how designers land upon something en masse. Backstage, Maiyet founder Kristy Caylor and designer Gabriella Zanzani were thinking far-flung, talking about a spiritual trip to the Himalayas. But like so many others this season, Zanzani produced jackets and parkas with bold, rounded shoulders and voluminous sleeves. That synergy will work in this still-young label's favor as it develops its retail network. Another felicitous coincidence: Rich, dense textures have been key on many Fall runways, and Zanzani had a few of her own, most notably the hand-felted wool on the back of a vest, designed to evoke a photo she and Caylor found of snow-dusted mountains.Certain pieces in this collection could look too much like native costumes. That's partly a function of the show's styling, and partly the result of its business plan—employing local artisans around the world and giving back to their communities in the process. The descriptions of the clothes on the show's line sheet listed where each piece was made: India, Indonesia, Italy, Mongolia, NYC. The clothes here that had the crowd really clicking its camera phones were the ones that looked the most urban—those parkas, for starters, especially the one in olive drab with a fuchsia stripe across its hem, and the dégradé knit sweaters and baggy pants stuffed into knee-high boots.
3 March 2013
"Brancusi's Mongolia," announced the Maiyet mood board. Company president Kristy Caylor has built this young brand by merging worlds—her European creative director's designs are handcrafted by artisans across the globe, from Colombia to India to her own back door. (More and more, the team is producing things in New York.) As unlikely as this particular pairing sounds, it worked. The famous sculptor's curvilinear, minimalist shapes and the warm, rich colors of Mongolia's landscape and its traditional costumes are well suited to each other. A cropped jacket with volume at the waist-high hem, worn with suede jodhpurs in a matching shade of deep sage green, looked smart, as did a long-sleeve, loose-fitting dress with a geometric navy and black design on the bodice. Reproduced both small and large, the graphic motif was most intriguing on a shift dress in partially sheer hand-cut black jacquard.At times, the artisanal threatened to overpower the sweeping minimalism of Brancusi. That's why the understated, variegated rib-knit sweaters (home grown in Manhattan) were a welcome new addition.
14 January 2013
Maiyet's mission has always been clear: to produce luxury ready-to-wear and accessories by employing indigenous artisans, stabilizing local communities in the process. Its design message has sometimes come second. Not so this Spring: Today's collection boasted some of the easiest, best-looking dresses of the entire season.Backstage, company president Kristy Caylor said, "Techniques really play an important role." Inspired by a journey through Peru, from the Sacred Valley to Lake Titicaca to the Amazon, creative director Gabriella Zanzani employed gesso techniques and rich embroideries in contrast colors.The show opened with white-on-white looks, as so many have this season. A breezy slipdress with a subtle chevron design was lovely. That, and several other silk numbers with full yet fluid A-line skirts reminded some in the crowd of Phoebe Philo's Chloé glory days. Zanzani should make the most of that affinity and figure out how to re-create the look for Fall. Also strong: a pair of wide-leg pants and a cargo vest.The label's fine-jewelry collection is earning attention in its own right. On the runway, long chain necklaces with tassels and diamond pendants were the standout pieces.
30 September 2012
To create the hand-block print and hand-painted details on a cotton poplin frock meant to channel the pampas of southern Argentina and Brazil, the Maiyet team enlisted artisans in both Jaipur and Delhi. Nobody said ethical fashion was easy, but that's a lot of groundwork for a simple shift dress. Last season, Maiyet's mission to stabilize regions of the world by employing local craftspeople got in the way of its design message. Resort's emphasis on simple, unconstructed silhouettes helped give focus to the label's new offerings.The A-line shape of the aforementioned dress was key; it was echoed in the away-from-the-body cut of another little sleeveless number with a hand-painted and hand-embroidered hem, as well as in an unadorned amber-hued tank and its accompanying ocher inverted-pleat shorts. Pants came in two cuts: a full trouser with those same inverted pleats and a slimmer, probably more saleable style with tracksuit piping down the sides. The strappy flat sandals shown with the latter pair look like they'll have legs at retail, too.
17 June 2012
For Fall, Maiyet turned away from the faintly bohemian vibe of last Spring for something darker and sharper. Backstage, creative director Gabriella Zanzani explained the inspiration was Santiago Calatrava, both in details like embroidery and appliqués as well as architectural silhouettes. That's partly the natural progression of things for a cold-weather season, but possibly also an attempt to skirt the crunchy, ethical-fashion pigeonhole. After all, Maiyet is both luxury label and geopolitical experiment, attempting to stabilize regions of the world by employing their local artisans.Those production locales were called out by country on the run of show. But Maiyet's ethos is both the point and not the point. Meaning: It is if you care. For those who don't, this collection still had things that might make them take notice at Barneys New York, where Spring just made its exclusive debut. Outerwear was easily the strongest category, like a lean little military car coat with felted appliqués, made in New York and India, or a chic burgundy cocoon with a narrow shawl collar and single button. Simple blouses were also chic, as was most of the jewelry, but some of the dresses with contrasting shoulders and experiments in piecing together tailoring with free-flying Indian block-printed chiffon felt less than sophisticated.At the show, company president Kristy Caylor reported that the first season was a success, making it onto store racks in spite of tough production logistics, and making it off of them. Reorders may even be in the offing. Caylor also explained that Maiyet is ensuring smooth expansion by partnering with Indian NGO NEST to upgrade and grow their artisans' skills. All good news, but as Maiyet matures and continues to show on a Paris runway, it would be nice to see a clearer point of view also come into focus.
3 March 2012
Having a positive impact on the world usually only merges with high-end fashion in the ball gowns worn to charity galas. But the forces behind the new label Maiyet are bent on changing that. Their big idea is to hire artisans in developing countries to have a role in creating luxury clothing, the kind a woman might buy even if she didn't know that the floral embroidery on her linen dress is the work of an Ahmedabadi studio that stabilizes its community by employing both Hindus and Muslims. It's akin to what Ali Hewson and Bono are attempting with Edun, but at a higher price point and without the celebrity gloss. Still, it's heavy stuff for a world that prefers to be light as a Champagne bubble.The label's South African founder, Paul Van Zyl, a human rights lawyer with global connections, and company president Kristy Caylor spent six months sourcing craftsmen in Colombia, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, and India in advance of the label's first collection. Clearly Van Zyl and Caylor mean business, as evidenced by the bold statement of Maiyet's Paris fashion week debut. The clothes they showed, along with a pretty extensive line of shoes, jewelry, and chic utilitarian bags, are quite sophisticated in the way they embrace simplicity. "The overall approach is to keep it clean so that the embroidery and the craftsmanship play a key role," explained Caylor. She and her design team like the subtlety of a sharp tailored blazer in a white tonal jacquard woven in Varanasi, or something like the tiny block-printed floral from Jaipur peeking out from the lining on a silk cotton tunic dress. It's a subtle point of view in the vein of Dosa or old Dries Van Noten. At any rate, it already has its fans. Top on the list is Barneys New York, which secured an exclusive for spring.
1 October 2011