Sustainable Kiwi brand Maggie Marilyn showcased A Brave New World, a nod to the re-emergence of communities after the year that’s been, at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2021. The brand's key focus and purpose is to use fashion to create a better world. Their mission to help transition the fashion industry to one that is transparent, circular, regenerative and inclusive.
Maggie Marilyn has partnered with Afterpay in celebration of this years’ Afterpay Australian Fashion Week. "Afterpay and Maggie Marilyn both have their roots firmly grounded in fashion and we're absolutely thrilled to be supporting Maggie and her incredible brand at a local level through Afterpay NZ," explained Afterpay NZ National Sales Manager, Sam ter Haar. "It was important for us to bring the Afterpay Australian Fashion Week celebrations all the way to New Zealand and this is us doing exactly that."
For designer Maggie Hewitt, 2020 reaffirmed the importance of community to her brand, and Maggie Marilyn’s decision to showcase at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, for the first time ever, was an
extension of the brand’s commitment to being a conduit for connection. Hewitt began working on the latest Forever capsule in early January.
"I came across an image shared by Laura Jackson, founder of Hoste London and long-time supporter of Maggie Marilyn, which seemed to perfectly capture the optimism I was feeling – despite everything – of what a new year and fresh start could hold," said Hewitt. "The image depicted a group of friends gathered outside around a long dining table on a warm summer’s evening. Breaking bread, laughing, storytelling and enjoying each other’s company. There was a lightness I was immediately drawn to and it reminded me of the simple pleasure that comes from dressing up and sharing a meal with your favourite people."
This sense of community became the seed for Maggie Marilyn’s next capsule and the catalyst behind the breath-taking cinematic experience; A Brave New World, showcased at the brand’s Afterpay Australian Fashion Week presentation.
Directed by Duc Thinh Dong and shot across 120 acres of sprawling Australian countryside at The Range in Byron Bay, A Brave New World brings together some of the country’s most talented creatives, from producer Lauren Barge, photographer Dan Roberts and stylist Emma Kalfus, to top models Shimma Marie, Mahalia Handley, and Kiwi Manahou Mackay. The spirit of the models and muses that make up the film’s cast are a further extension of the undeniable joy threaded throughout Maggie Marilyn’s latest designs; whimsical garments in azure blues, warm chocolate browns, buttery creams and a golden gingham that catches the light and demands to be danced in.
Dong cleverly infused this idea of community and optimism into every frame of the spellbinding film. From the metaphorical significance of someone planting a tree into fresh soil; to running barefoot outside without worrying about your clothes getting dirty; to standing on the edge of a swimming pool, holding your breath and finally surrendering as you fall back, plunging into the cold water; to the joyous act of slicing fresh figs and pulling apart loaves of bread in preparation for an indulgent feast with loved ones.
Ultimately, Hewitt says, the film is Maggie Marilyn’s love letter to Australia.
We wanted to show our appreciation for the land and all it has given us, the people we’re lucky enough to work alongside and the consciously-produced garments we hope find forever homes in our customers' wardrobes. Both physically and metaphorically, we are asking our Australian neighbours to come and take a seat at our table, with the hope that we may learn from them, collaborate, and empower each other.
