MAGGIE MARILYN HEWITT
Growing up in a rural, coastal region of New Zealand, Maggie Hewitt’s appreciation for and desire to protect our natural world was intrinsically ingrained. Her love for fashion led her to study Fashion & Sustainability, through which she pulled back the glamorous curtain of fashion and saw an industry that needed fixing, and fast. Maggie saw it as her mission to build a brand that championed transparency, empowered people and ensured the health of our planet was at the forefront of every decision.
In this interview, Maggie talks about the ways that growing up in rural New Zealand inspired her to create a sustainable fashion brand, her Fall 2020 Ready to Wear collection, and how she maintains accountability for maintaining sustainability and inclusivity with her brand.
Interview by Isabelle Sakelaris
Could you please tell us a bit about how growing up in New Zealand inspired you to create a sustainable fashion brand?
Growing up in rural New Zealand absolutely influenced my deep respect for the natural world. I spent most of my childhood in the garden with mum and summers by the ocean. I wasn’t always sure I wanted to be in fashion but I always knew I wanted to make a positive impact. So as my love for the creative world developed I knew I wanted to combine this passion to build a brand that could lead with purpose and make a real difference.
Your Fall 2020 Ready to Wear collection featured unique cuts (here I am thinking of the My Own Perspective Pant and Loves Illusions Blazer, for example). How long does it take to make one of these garments, from design to production? What is the process?
The development process of fabric can take up to twelve months, then the design and fit development is usually around three months with another three months for production. So once the garment is in the customer’s hand it has been at least an eighteen month process. It’s a labor of love!
My Own Perspective Pant - Fall 2020 Ready to Wear collection - photo by Peter Van Alphen
Love Illusions Blazer - Fall 2020 Ready to Wear collection - photo by Peter Van Alphen
The color story for your Fall 2020 collection was beautiful — from Mediterranean blue to warm neutrals, what inspired these colors?
Thank you! The color palette for each collection is usually my initial starting point. I am really inspired by color and the way it can make you feel. I looked into the healing powers of color therapy for this collection. I loved the concept of color balance, having warming colors like red and yellow that energize and then colors such a blue and green that are cooling and calming.
What story were you trying to tell with this collection? Who did you imagine wearing your garments?
I imagine the Maggie Marilyn woman being a dreamer. Quietly confident. She is firm in her beliefs; kind, yet never afraid to speak the truth. Elegant and timeless, yet never boring. A feminist, while openly vulnerable, she is an environmentalist, pays attention to the little things and fights for the underdog. She is an extremely loyal friend, lover, sister, and mother. She believes anything is possible.
Photos by Peter Van Alphen
You stress that fashion should be circular, regenerative, and inclusive. Could you speak to how inclusivity and sustainability inform each other?
Absolutely. As a brand that champions sustainability, we acknowledge the intersection between environmentalism and social justice. For too long, fashion has created an exclusive culture that has empowered white elitism whilst directly disempowering minority communities. Fashion has been an industry that has taken advantage of low wage economies and treated land as a disposable commodity. I believe enough is enough! At Maggie Marilyn we want to ensure everyone who our business touches feels accepted, valued, respected, represented and understood. We believe in building a team of individuals that reflects our community and equal opportunities for all.
You’ve mentioned that education is important to you. How are you continuing to educate yourself about sustainability and inclusivity?
One of the things I love most about what I do is that I am constantly learning. We are on a never ending journey to creating a better world. I make sure I take the time to read at least two hours a day. I am currently reading Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas. I also love podcasts — I just listened to the episode with Mo Gawdat on the How to Fail series with Elizabeth Day.
What has the process of “learning and unlearning” been like for you? What has been the most important feedback you’ve received from your partners and community?
Important feedback that we have received lately is on size inclusivity. As I said above, we want to make sure everyone our brand touches feels accepted and valued. Therefore we knew we needed to increase our size offering. From November 2020 we have offered sizes UK 6-20.
In blog posts about your Sustainability Strategy Report, you’ve written about the importance of accountability. What does accountability look like for you? What processes do you have in place to ensure your brand is held accountable to both your goals and promises?
It is extremely important to us that we are walking the talk. We want to ensure that our mission to transform the fashion industry into one that is transparent, circular, regenerative and inclusive are actually measurable targets. We do this by aligning with external organizations who hold us accountable. For example, we work with Toitu Envirocare to measure our Co2 emissions. Last year we measured what our emissions were as a business and this year we have been working on reducing those by 30%, then in 2021 we will offset the remainder of what we are not able to reduce so that we will be a carbon neutral business with the goal to be carbon negative/climate positive by 2022.
In keeping with one of our core brand pillars of being a transparent business, by sharing our goals and targets with our community, we are holding ourselves accountable to reaching and exceeding those goals.
You’ve aggregated a number of educational and actionable resources related to the Black Lives Matter movement on your blog. You also write that you will “create inclusivity beyond [your] imagery and content.” Could you elaborate on how you will go about doing that?
We have written our first Inclusion Policy, within this we have created five pillars to ensure we are truly building and reflecting an inclusive business. Our five policies are:
Te Ahurea waahi mahi
(WORKPLACE CULTURE)
We aim to foster an internal culture that is inclusive, welcoming, honest, kind and individual. Where Change Makers feel valued, listened to, respected, understood and can uncompromisingly be their authentic selves.
Rapu i te tangata
(RECRUITMENT)
We will strive to identify and select the best talent from the most diverse pool of applicants and ensure a fair and transparent recruitment process for all.
Whakaanga
(ENGAGING WITH OTHERS)
We aim to ensure that Guests and external stakeholders are treated with dignity, that we respond to their needs with flexibility, and accept feedback with openness.
Te irirangi me te tirohanga
(BRAND CONTENT AND VISUAL IDENTITY)
Our visual content is the first experience most people will have with Maggie Marilyn. We want to ensure that within this content, everyone feels represented, respected and understood.
Whakawai etahi atu
(INFLUENCING OTHERS)
We aim to lead by example, influencing change in order to implement true equality for all within our industry.
What have you learned about being in business now that you wish you had known when you began?
There are moments where I wish I knew more to avoid missteps or failures, as failing hurts, but the failures are just as important as the wins, they truly are. Building resilience is an important part of the journey. I think one thing I wish I would go back and tell my twenty-one-year-old self, is to enjoy the ride a little more. It’s okay to be ambitious and have wild dreams of wanting to change the world, but life actually is the journey not the destination, so we might as well enjoy it!
Shop for the latest offerings and check for updates on the Maggie Marilyn site and Instagram
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Isabelle Sakelaris is an art writer and aspiring poet who lives and works in New York City.
