Maiyet: Where Luxury & Social Responsibility Converge

Bright and early Wednesday morning, I made my way to Barneys, only to be greeted by a handsome waiter asking me how I like my iced coffee – the proper way to start my day. As I got settled in, Amanda Brooks began leading a conversation with the founder Paul van Zyl and president Kristy Caylor of Maiyet, an impressive company that has embedded social responsibility into the DNA of their luxury brand. With offerings of finely crafted ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags and jewelry in their first collection, Maiyet has made a successful and assertive entrance into the luxury market.

But don’t mistake Maiyet’s emergence as just another luxury brand with the desire for rapid growth. The brand ethos is rooted in empowering women, ridding the world of poverty and glorifying the finest artisans around the globe. Paul van Zyl came equipped with a background in human rights law and enlisted Kristy Caylor who previously managed Gap’s Product (RED) project. They built Maiyet on the foundation of social responsibility without sacrificing a strong, fashion-forward aesthetic. Maiyet has created an extraordinary design team that partners with artisans in Colombia, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya and South Africa. And it doesn’t stop there either, they have dedicated a percentage of profits to go back into the training and development of artisan technique in partnership with non-profit organization, Nest.

That attention and thought put into skill and detail has lended the opportunity to create incredible luxury products. The collection is full of strong silhouettes and powerful colors that are well suited for the worldy woman that is certain of who she is. With the collection’s production touching each corner of the world, Maiyet’s product has a globalized sense of sophistication in each piece.

For the Spring Summer 2012 collection, Maiyet enlisted a superstar team of fashion creatives to produce their brand book. In their behind the scenes video, Daria Werbowy poses for photographer Cass Bird, with Maiyet collection pieces styled by Lori Goldstein and music by Feist, a friend of the brand. It is without doubt that the thoughtful efforts of Maiyet will lead the way for more socially conscious fashion brands to emerge. 

Resources: 
Maiyet
Shop Maiyet at Barneys
Nest in Partnership with Maiyet
Barneys and Christina Ricci Fete Maiyet, WWD