Young designer makes debut with solo show

Fashion designer Maggie Marilyn with model Manahou Mackay in her office. Photo / Babiche Martens.

Maggie Hewitt, one of fashion's brightest stars is debuting her first solo runway show on the official New Zealand Fashion Week schedule today with her label Maggie Marilyn.

The 24-year-old wunderkind, whose designs have been worn by the likes of Kate Hudson, Kendall Jenner, and the Duchess of Sussex during her Royal Tour of New Zealand last year, is looking forward to showcasing her latest work on home ground after finding considerable success overseas, particularly in the US.

Known for her whimsical aesthetic and relaxed tailoring - all sustainably made in New Zealand - she is one of a new wave of designers championing locally made for a global market.

"We've invited all of our makers, suppliers and customers" she says. "This show is for them.

"They are so involved in making our clothes and they never really get to see what happens after they make and ship them, so it's extremely special for them to see what the clothes look like in a runway setting, at its most heightened form with the scenery, the music, the hair and make-up."

Launched in 2016, the Maggie Marilyn label was quickly picked up by luxury e-tailer Net-aPorter with its debut resort collection, and since then she's managed to amass an impressive portfolio of stockists, including top department stores Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, the brand sharing rack space with the likes of top luxury names Alexander McQueen and Chloe.

In 2017 she impressed judges as a shortlisted finalist for the prestigious LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) prize. While she's shown intimate presentations in Paris and New York, this is the first time Maggie will be presenting a traditional runway show in New Zealand.

"Whenever we show our collections overseas, there's a bit of detachment from being based in a humble studio in Morningside and a roof top venue in New York, so the show is about bringing our worlds together."

The collection, showcasing at an offsite venue in Morningside, won't deviate too far from her signature aesthetic.

"I'm not highly conceptual as a designer. I know what works and what doesn't. But the sustainability message is and always will be a key message for the brand," she says. "There's a beautiful print, and the show pieces takes me back to my uni days where I could just design to my heart's content."

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