Maggie Hewitt, Founder and Designer of Maggie Marilyn
New Zealand brand Maggie Marilyn confidently showcased thoughtful creativity on day one (15 May) of the prestigious Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) in Sydney.
Delivering a nod to summer nostalgia and a penchant for vibrant, playful, feminine silhouettes, the collection inspired liveable luxury – the Maggie Marilyn way.
Throughout the capsule are hand-painted floral prints inspired by her mother’s garden roses, an abundance of stripes synonymous with previous capsules and in Maggie Marilyn’s DNA since the beginning.
The stripes that feature in this capsule pay homage to the stripes hidden in the details of a perfect summer: from the life jackets, the faded racing stripes on the side of a boat, the shirt you throw over swimwear to the beach, and towels lined up for bodies to lie shoulder to shoulder.
Sparkles are also a feature, with Maggie taking inspiration from the way the sun hits the ocean on a bluebird day, as well as riches of juxtaposing textures: boucle wool shackets over striped swimwear and denim jeans next to bubbled satin silk blouses.
Designer Maggie Hewitt started designing her capsule collection, ‘The Best Of It’, during an unexpectedly wet summer in Auckland.
“New Zealand was at the beginning of one of its wettest summers on record. But despite the blueprint for disappointment, driving along coastal roads and past local beaches, you were hard-pressed to find an empty plot of land not occupied by people choosing to make the best of it”, she says.
“That summer reminded me of a childhood largely spent on, in, and near the ocean – even on its worst days – dipping in and out of the Bay of Islands’ local sailing clubs with my three sisters. Places so steeped in nostalgia that within them, time stands still, and frequented by those who understand what it means to do what they love, even when it doesn’t feel easy. Sailors possess an optimism borne not from naivety but instead the quiet knowing that if they just stay the course, good days are coming.”
This belief became the launchpad for the brand’s AAFW runway show and new capsule. Held at Rushcutters local sailing club, a crew of talented creatives along with Maggie Marilyn’s community, showcased the striking collection that included pieces from Maggie Marilyn’s offering of elevated wardrobe essentials, including the 01 Blazer – a product crafted in ZQRX Merino and Good Earth Cotton®. It’s the brand’s first garment made entirely from regenerative fibres. Good Earth Cotton is a climate-positive regenerative farm and has played a key role in Maggie Marilyn’s quest to transition its natural fibres to regenerative fibres.
Left: Fresh-faced beauty with New Zealand skincare brand Emma Lewisham
Right: Hand-painted floral prints inspired by Maggie Hewitt’s mother’s garden
To bring glowing summer skin to life, Maggie Marilyn partnered with another proudly New Zealand-based business: world-leading, certified climate-positive, and scientifically backed skincare brand Emma Lewisham.
Beauty Director, Molly Warkentin, created a barefaced beauty look focusing on fresh and glowing skin.
“I focused on ‘lit from within’ skin that was inspired by Emma Lewisham’s bespoke Facial Protocol – the Illuminating Skin Reset Facial. Using the brand’s range of luxurious, backed-by-science products, the skin was massaged to stimulate blood flow, restore hydration, and impart a luminous sun-kissed, ‘fresh from an ocean swim’ glow,” says Molly.
Similarly, Dyson Hair Ambassador Renya Xydis deployed the brand’s innovative haircare technology to create an array of effortless hair looks, reminiscent of carefree days spent by the ocean.
Maggie Marilyn also collaborated with Australian designers Essēn, Fella, Rylan Studio, and Released From Love to help bring ‘The Best Of It’ to life with head-to-toe looks for the runway. Each brand worked with Maggie Marilyn to create signature/limited-edition pieces, which emulate the vibrant aesthetic of the capsule.
The collaborations will be released via Maggie Marilyn throughout the year and Maggie Marilyn’s first release of the new capsule will launch on 14 June at maggiemarilyn.com and in Maggie Marilyn New Zealand and Australia stores.
“Bringing this collection to life made me reflect on how grateful I am for Maggie Marilyn and the constant it has been throughout my 20s as I now approach my 30s,” says Maggie.
“I’ve grown up alongside this brand and, despite the challenges, it still feels like such a privilege to participate in an industry where we are tasked with making beautiful things that make people feel good about themselves and the future. And if I can affect positive change while I’m here, then that makes it all the more fulfilling,” she says.
Maggie Marilyn mood board inspiration
Images supplied