Drape yourself in liveable luxury from New Zealand native Maggie Marilyn
Everyone loves a good old-fashioned underdog story, and by golly have we got a doozy for you. Our protagonist is a style-conscious and sartorially savvy teen living in a tiny town who dreams of breaking into the fashion business. After doing the hard yards of a fine arts degree and crafting a signature aesthetic, she heads to Sydney Fashion Week to show off her wares and captures the attention of a big-time fashion buyer from a major international company. Her label was snapped up on the spot. This isn’t a dream – this is the reality of Maggie Marilyn, and when you see her clothes the story becomes very easy to believe.
The brainchild of a 23-year-old New Zealand native, eponymous label Maggie Marilyn truly stands out from the pack. Each collection is loaded with thoughtful detail while maintaining signature design principles of strong tailoring and doses of pure whimsy. Pleats, ruffles and ruching embody a distinctly feminine vibe but make no mistake – these clothes weren’t made to just sit in a closet. The wearability of the pieces is a huge contributing factor to what sets the label apart from its peers, with Maggie herself adamant that you can run and dance in them (a very crucial detail).
The Maggie Marilyn design and production process is a direct reflection of the designer’s youth and conscience, with the label placing a huge emphasis on sustainable practice. Clothing is manufactured predominately in a factory in Auckland close to her studio, while knitwear is made in Italy. Organic cottons, ethically produced silks and recycled metals are sourced from around the world to ensure that the end product combines aesthetics with sustainability.
You can shop Maggie Marilyn at various online outlets found on the label’s website, as well as exclusively at David Jones.
All images by Ben Morris for Maggie Marilyn’s Season Three collection