Maiyet

Maiyet is a brand that shares not only its name but also an ethos with the Egyptian Goddess of truth and harmony through celebrating the rare and unexpected from across the globe.

Maiyet promotes harmonic and lifestyle enriching relationships with struggling artisans to create exquisite and unique pieces from around the globe that aim to alleviate poverty, empower women and promote peace. Debuted at the ornate Hotel France-Ameriques during Paris Fashion Week in October 2011, it has since received high praise for it’s exquisite blend of craft and design showcased in a collection of desirable womenswear as well as stunning shoes, bags and accessories.

With Daria Werbowy as the ‘face of the brand’ and the involvement of Lordi Goldstein, Cass Bird and designers from Celine and Ralph Lauren, this brand has earned high credentials in the fashion industry. Therefore, with the promise of a menswear launch coming soon and a continuing effort to develop the skills of these artisans, this brand is set to be a pioneer in the growing trend of ethical high end fashion.

The beauty of this brand is the influences and expertise of those whom created it. Founded firstly on a concept of using business as a platform to promote peace and human rights by Paul Van Zyl but then injected with style and aesthetic desirability by fashion and retail expert Kirsty Caylor. It’s philosophy is centred around marrying old-world traditions with new-world designs to provide forgotten artisans with a foot hold in the current fashion industry. The creators scoured the globe to source the most rare and exquisite craftsmanship to provide the root of these elegant creations, which through extensive design work can be elevated into products of great beauty. These extremely rare techniques, embroidery and fabrics are celebrated by Maiyer and importantly given the respect they deserve by ensuring that prosperity is not only returned to the communities but that work is undergone to promote self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship.

Therefore, Maiyet opens up the opportunity to purchase hand-loom silk jacquard, weaved in West Java, Indonesia, lost-wax cast jewellery from Medellin, Columbia and poured brass and carved horn or bone jewellery from Nairobi, Kenya to just mention a few.  This unique concept and the latest contributions by Nest,  an independent nonprofit organization, dedicated to training and developing artisan businesses, has been paramount in the success of the brand’s ongoing work. Together Maiyet and Nest continue to search globally for partner companies that exhibit strong leadership, are scalable, and can positively transform their communities. Nest continues this responsibility in completing rigorous needs assessments of existing and potential partners to create customized short (and long)-term training and development programs. Ultimately, the goal is to enrich the lives of those living in struggling communities by showcasing not only what we can do for them as consumers but what they can do for the fashion industry.

<ask Tom to upload: Vimeo video: http://vimeo.com/37253387)

More reasons to love this brand:

Maiyet also supports the (struggling) Manhattan garment district…..shoes and bags are stitched in Italy, in small family-run production units that don’t stand a chance against the big corporate factories.