Sustainably Maggie Marilyn
“The Maggie Marilyn girl is a dreamer. Quietly confident, strong yet sensitive. She is firm in her beliefs, kind yet never afraid to speak the truth. A feminist while openly vulnerable and excessively passionate. An environmentalist, someone who pays attention to the little things and fights for the underdog. She is a loyal friend, lover, sister, and mother. A woman who believes anything is possible.”
The scene is set along the beautifully undeveloped beaches in the Bay of Islands. A young lady with an undeniable vision for change walks her miniature dachshund Honey to her childhood home nestled in the countryside of northern New Zealand. Now twenty-five, visionary, and designer Maggie Marilyn Hewitt is championing change in a broken industry through her namesake label, Maggie Marilyn.
As a little girl, Hewitt loved fashion. Getting lost in the pages of old magazines, she knew that one day she would be a part of it. Her first step was attending Whitecliffe University of Arts and Design in Auckland. It was there that Hewitt fell further in love with the mission of sustainability within our broken fashion industry. A revolution that would ultimately become the driving force behind the creation of Maggie Marilyn — a label focused on transforming the fashion industry into one that is kind to both the people making our clothing and to the planet, while striving to inspire other industries to do the same.
“The biggest struggle,” says Hewitt, “is trying to make a change in an industry that is so inherently broken. The industry has always operated behind closed doors with secrecy being the status quo and with a make-take-dispose, linear economic model. I want to create and operate within a fully transparent supply chain that is part of a closed-loop, circular economy system — No waste, no incineration, and no landfills. I hope that we can begin to have a regenerative impact on our planet."
A feat in itself to find fashion that is locally manufactured, sustainably made, and well, fashionable for every occasion, the brand Maggie Marilyn does just that, transcending the standards created by other designers and creating luxurious, one-of-a-kind pieces made to make women of all shapes and sizes feel beautiful, elegant, and timeless. As if that was not enough, the label practices a coveted exclusivity crafting every collection in New Zealand, with local manufacturers. “It’s a very special relationship for us,” says Hewitt, “our success will always be measured by the positive impact we can have in our community."
Launching first as a wholesale business in 2016, it was not long before the label gained international attention through note-worthy stockists like Net-A-Porter. At the end of 2019, Maggie Marilyn opened their first showroom in Auckland keeping the MM offices in the same space. “Working this way has been a really beautiful resource because people get to see a side of the business that not many get to see anymore,” says Hewitt. “That was our first step into retail, but the plan is definitely to open more stores in the future.” Much more than a line of beautiful apparel inspiring the women wearing it, Hewitt is positive of the industry’s desire for change. “I am starting with fashion, but that is not the end goal. Hopefully, in ten years, I always say, ‘we won’t be known as just a fashion business.’”
Feel The Breeze Dress, $429
Together We Are One Blazer, $519; Hold Me Close Knit, $250; Still Dreaming Trousers in Sand, $204
Designing womenswear was a natural fit for this young designer. “It stems from my desire to have these clothing that I felt was not accessible to me and my wardrobe,” shares Hewitt. “My inspiration for my designs always comes from nature. When I design, I go back up North to the Bay of Islands, to my home, to get away from the city and to be surrounded by nature.” Every collection is designed to be trans-seasonal, whether it be winter or summer, Maggie Marilyn can be worn year-round. At the end of last year, Hewitt released her new line of affordable essentials — somewhere. “Somewhere was named after my childhood home. It is comprised of everyday essentials that I lived in as a child, it was about coming back to my roots. It utilizes organic cotton, regenerated nylon, and New Zealand-grown merino wool and is fully traceable through the whole supply chain from farm to finished garment." Hewitt’s Season 10 collection, released in February, airs traces of Somewhere's simplicity. It is more subdued in color and texture, which we have not necessarily seen in the past.
Still in the first few months of a new year, the Maggie Marilyn label shows no signs of slowing down. “We will be releasing a new addition to our Somewhere collection at the end of this year and will be expanding our mainline to cater up to a UK size 20.” Turning four this year, it is clear that Maggie Marilyn is an inspiring and beautifully-crafted force to be reckoned with in an industry ready for change. Starting first with your wardrobe, it is with an eager eye that we will remain captivated on Maggie Marilyn’s journey for change, one beautiful garment at a time.
