Intimo più mare n° 216 | Luglio 2019

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
the summer-spring collection of 2020, specifically intended
to celebrate the company’s 145 years of business activity, little
collections that reflect all the values of our brand. Constantly
new concepts with appropriate highlights and key styles are
the basic elements in our collections. We also focus on innovative
and natural materials, including new ways of processing
the products, like the recycled materials that play an important
role in our collection and are right in step with the latest
fashion trends and the demands of our customers in the respective
segments.
In the women’s underwear segment we are intensifying the
degree of femininity in order to appeal to a wider segment of
the public.
These new fashion highlights, featuring sophisticated styling,
include the turtleneck bustiers and high-waisted briefs with
lace.
This also hold for the innovative products, like the Invisible
Soft line, whose quality includes all the experience of Schiesser
in the intimate apparel sector. The men’s collections close
the circle with the thematic representations. An illustrative
example of this would be the 1875 capsule: under- and loungewear
sporting a simple, clean look distinguished by sophisticated
contrast and the contemporary 1875 label.
What does the future hold for Schiesser?
«ur objective is to consolidate our leading position in the German
market and further expand our international activity. In
due time we will be announcing the details regarding the respective
projects and initiatives.”
STYLE NOTES (on page 192)
MAAJI
MODERN MERMAIDS
Winner of the Créateur de l’Année 2019 award, the founder of
the brand describes the magic animating their work
The MAAJI brand of swimwear, activewear, resortwear and
accessories came into being in Colombia, the fruit of wildly
exuberant imagination and creativity. From the South American
country it borrows the colors and moods associated with
magical realism, revamping and imbuing them with a contemporary
flair, giving rise to an unmistakable style that is literally
taking by storm 53 different countries. The motor driving this
imaginative project is the idiosyncratic creative vision of two
very original sisters: Amalia and Manuela Sierra, the founders
of the brand.
Why did you decide to create Maaji?
«In 2002, inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of our family
and the desire to contribute to the social development of
our country, we decided to harness our passion for design and
fashion and develop a truly unique brand, characterized by a
romantic, eclectic and retro style. From the beginning the inspiration
has remained the magic of our country, Colombia,
brimming with allure, beauty and diversity.”
How would you describe the DNA of the brand?
«MAAJI is a company with the goal of transcending its immediate
reality. Our brand exists for the purpose of inspiring
and surprising the #RealMermaids. Each collection evokes
a surreal-magical story and is the result of a very meticulous
creative process. The prints, developed in-house by our design
team, express the theme of each ew collection as it emerges.
But innovation is the true linchpin of this outrageous, multifarious
world, a realm bursting with character.
All of the Maaji lines, Swimwear, Active-wear, Cover-ups,
Kids, Trunks and Accessories, manage to strike a harmonious
balance between such diverse ingredients as color, form,
avant-garde silhouettes, textures and the omnipresent details
that blend to express the philosophy of the brand. Our commitment
to creating quality products, items that are innovative
technically and in terms of design, is obvious in every
detail of our garments. The Maaji swimsuits are reversible in
order to offer two looks for the price of one.”
What sort of creative process is a Maaji collelction subjected
to? «After long hours of research and preparatory work, the
members of the design and marketing team give free rein to
their imagination, transforming the unthinkable into concrete
concepts, in order to give rise to a surreal collection, brimming
with unique details and motifs. This magically charged energy
and material is then passed on to the production department.
It is here that dreams literally become reality! Samples are
made up for each item, which then go on to become a actual
prototypes which can be finely tuned and revised in terms of
detailing. Next, the prototypes are sent to selected retailers,
who carefully examine them and provide their professional
feedback. Not until all this has been done do these works of
art finally go into production.”
In 2017 Maaji became a member of the L Catterton fund.
What does this partnership represent for you?
«Being part of this family, so to speak, means having access to
their enormous resources, knowledge and best practices. This
all part of an overarching effort to achieve goals we have set
in terms of expansion, brand positioning and distribution on
a global level.”
How would you describe the Maaji s-s 2020 collection?
«Sadly, we are aware that mermaids have become an endangered
species. But, does this have to be? Not on our watch! We
don’t even want to imagine a world without Real Mermaids.
Maaji