Blint n° 74 - Julio 2015

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
excess kilos disappear. Watercult, an innovative, trendy
collection of swimwear, revealing a great deal of love and
flair in the detailing and focusing on bikinis offering all the
freedom and fun of mix & match combinations.
This very extensive selection was well received by women
shoppers, earning awards in the industry, like those in
1999, with three of the coveted Meryl Awards (one award
accorded to Charmline for the development of the fabric
with the fabric featuring a flattering slenderizing effect, another
to Maryan Mehlhorn for the message to the fashion
industry and yet another for Watercult for the combination
of sporty flair and fashion), not to mention various other
awards from fairs and trade publications.
Over the course of the years the production of these lines
was expanded to include various complementary products
and special features: in 2002 the Maryan
Mehlhorn Jewels, gold and silver jewery boasting
real pearls from the Pacific and diamonds, suitable for
applying to the swimsuits; in 2013 the collaboration with
the cosmetic brand, Babor, for an exclusive line of Maryan
Mehlhorn cosmetics; in 2014 the presentation of Luxus- ‐
Beachwear, the glamorous bikini glamour boasting a
value of a whopping 65,000 euros, make from 27 precious
gem, certified 120 carats and tastefully set in white gold, a
sartorial masterpiece by the designers Maryan and Maya
Mehlhorn.
In addition, the company managed to invest strategically
in effective communication to support its outstanding
products, beginning with the overhaul of the Maryan Mehlhorn
featuring an attractive double M which stands for
the name of the enterprising designer as well as that of her
talented daughter, as well as the presence on the Internet
with a website featuring snazzy styling, perfect for representing
the group of the firm’s brands. In 2013 the Charmline
was represented by an exceptional spokeswoman,
the lovely actress, Christine Neubauer; the advertising
campaign was presented at a press lunch in Munich which
was attended by numerous representatives of the local
TV channels and press. The company was also featured
on television with an ad broadcast during the German 6th
program and catering to women; it was featured in a show
completely devoted to the company on the Landesschau
of Stuttgart.
The present sees the Maryan Beachwear Group as one of
the leading manufacturing firms in the luxury beachwear
market. Around 71% of the sales are generated
by exports to 57 countries. The participation at all the important
fairs in Germany and abroad, at the expositions
organized by the industrial associations in Germany
(CDH), not to mention the local representatives for the
various different collections is an index of the degree to
which this dynamic firm is present in the marketplace on
both the domestic German and international level.
Each year up to a thousand different models are produced
for the four collections. The manufacturing takes
place in Europe and Asia both in company- ‐owned
facilities as well as those of licensed third parties and
always under the demanding technical and qualitative
supervision of the Maryan Beachwear Group. Today
the company employs some 375 people, 135 of whom in
Germany itself. This number is augmented by some 500
employees in the licensed manufacturing plants.
Important number which demonstrate a dynamic manufacturing
firm, scrupulously alert to the latest trends and
up to date regarding the latest market developments,
a firm that has no intention of resting on its laurels. Up
to the present day throughout the world over
160 partnership agreements have been signed in the sector
of specialized commerce. Moreover, Maryan Beachwear
Retail GmbH already has twelve Body & Beach stores
of its own and is continuing to grow. Also the number of
stores abroad is on the rise. More important steps, building
on those that were taken from the time the copany was
first formed, steps that contribute to constructing the basis
of the success of the upcoming sixty years.
DISEÑADORES/DESIGNERS
STELLA JEAN - ETHICAL FASHION
Her Haitian roots, the wax prints ethical projects constitute
the bases of the creations by this talented designer
Stella Jean is a talented Italo-Haitian designer who began
her career in fashion by working as a model for Egon Von
Fürstenberg, but soon discovered her real creative calling.
Her clothes must tell something about her, but at the same
time their function is to make their wearer beautiful. Since
July 2011, when she was one of the winners of the prestigious
Who Is On Next? contest, her collections keep being
cherished by the international press and the buyer world.
In June 2013 she presented her first collection for men
with a show in Florence, part of the project Pitti Italics, at
Pitti Uomo. In September 2013 Stella Jean was chosen by
Giorgio Armani to show her collection in the spaces of the
Armani Theater during Milan Fashion Week, thus consolidating
her role as representative of the new wave of Italian
creativity. In addition, 12 June 2014, Stella took part in
the Fiftieth Anniversary of the International Trade Centre
(ITC) in Geneva, where she was invited to participate in
the Panel Discussion The Power Of Empowered Women at
the Palais Des Nations. The same day, Stella Jean presented
a collection made by garments created in collaboration
with the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative at the World Trade
Organisation. In January 2015, on the occasion of Milano
Moda Uomo, Stella Jean presented her menswear line, for
the first time on the Milan’s catwalks. As the Spring-Summer
15 collection, even the Beachwear collection, realized
by Italo-Haitian designer Stella Jean is characterized by
something new, the emotional return of the designer to
her home: Haiti. The artistic tradition of Naïf comes to life
even in the accessories, made in Haiti, and in the whole SS
15 Beachwear collection in which the bright colours, chasing
each other on cotton and Lycra, redefine the silhouette
with swimsuits that give an irresistible rétrochic allure to
the woman wearing them. Beachwear and clothing share
a dialogue in a language made of sophisticated social contaminations,
and explore eras and latitudes in their search
for a new balance.
This artistic perspective is an expression of life, nature and
spirit, animated by the market women and their daily multi-coloured
vanity, full of dignity.
The tap-tap, the traditional means of public transport, are
also described as pop art on wheels. Adorned with subjects
belonging to religious, popular and historical tradition;
ironic phrases, proverbs or messages; the tap-tap
are painted by artists who attend art schools specialized
in tap-tap painting. Donkeys, another important means of
transportation and labor, and sugar cane, are also recurring
Haitian elements that reappear on
prints and hand-painted fabrics, completing the visual
landscape of this collection. Some creations are born in
the cadre of the collaboration between Stella Jean and
the project Ethical Fashion Initiative of the UN organization
International Trade Center (ITC), which promotes the
introduction of hand-woven striped canvas made by the
women in the villages of Burkina Faso. The Ethical Fashion
Initiative is a flagship programme of the International
Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the
World Trade Organization. The Ethical Fashion Initiative
enables artisans living in urban and rural poverty to connect
with the global fashion chain. The Ethical Fashion
Initiative produces high-end luxury pieces in partnership
with major fashion houses including Stella McCartney,
Vivienne Westwood, Chan Luu, Sass & Bide, Osklen, United
Arrows and Karen Walker to name a few. Stella Jean
decided to be part in the initiative and has visited Burkina
Faso and Haiti to meet directly with artisans and source
fabric and jewellery items for her collections. The Haitian
tradition of Art Naïf and artisanal handcrafts come to life
in collection of jewelry developed during Stella Jean’s trip
to Haiti with the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative team.