MAGGIE MARILYN
At a juncture where our planet’s
health is rapidly approaching the
point of no return, fashion’s
relationship with sustainability is
being discussed with a sense of
utmost urgency – and, in 2019, it
is the youngest designers who are
leading the revolution. Maggie
Marilyn offers a prime example:
the 25-year-old New Zealand
native’s eponymous brand
is taking a radically transparent
approach to production by
ensuring every stage in its
supply chain is entirely traceable.
“There’s no other choice: we can’t
continue like this,” she reflects.
“I want to ensure that we’re not
just empowering our customers
through our clothing, but everyone
involved in making it: that their
lives are actually improved by
working with us, as well as
hopefully having a regenerative
effect on the earth.” Using genius
discoveries such as silk created
from rose petals, fabrics woven
from recycled plastics, and fully
biodegradable cassava-root
packaging (Marilyn tested its
credentials in her own flowerbeds),
the brand is offering a compelling
framework for the future of fashion- as well as a fresh take on
femininity through its proudly
pretty designs. “I always thought,
there’s got to be a way that you
can make beautiful clothing,
at a reasonably accessible price
point, while not exploiting people
or the planet,” she says. She
appears to have found it.
WOOL TOP, £325. WRAP SKIRT,
£440. BOTH MAGGIE MARILYN,
AT HARVEY NICHOLS27409-19-WellWales.indd 274 01/07/2019 08:57