Monday October 1, 2012 – Palais de Tokyo
One can’t deny the nobleness of eco-friendly luxury brands that seek to deliver on their promise of exquisite design as well as giving back to disenfranchised communities by employing local artisans to produce their wares. But oftentimes the two ideas are imbalanced and can lead to clothes that, while are made of renewable resources or built by developing societies, fall flat on the aesthetics.
It seems that Maiyet’s broken the mold for next Spring and achieved what some would consider the “triple crown” of a brilliant collection – luxuriousness, desirability and wearability. But it also inscribed a fourth criteria that is very much a category it owns; the positive sentiment buyers get knowing that the pieces they’re wearing were forged by the hands of craftsmen whose works are little known outside of their isolated communities. That uniqueness is already the basis of what makes luxury items so desirable; its uniqueness that sets it apart from the rest. Thus, the first criteria has already been achieved.
Zanzani drew inspiration from the Mario Testino’s native Peru, taking elements from the artisana of ancient Incan stone carvings, the floating wood ‘cities’ along the banks of Lake Titicaca, and the cornucopia of colors dotting the fauna and flora of the Amazonian jungles. The first series of handwoven cotton white numbers came in shirt, shirt dresses, “skorts”, shift dress, and long-sleeved billowy-belted dress varieties, appearing to be right on trend for next season’s ‘see-through’ movement. Soft python appliqués and handmade floral embroideries on pleated skirts, chakin tops, jumpsuits, strappy dresses and tunics added a punch of sublimity and detail. Frog prints on skirts, trousers, and crew neck tees worked especially well when paired against contrasting tones, as seen with a turquoise back-pleated shirt with a broken lapis lazuli placket. At no point though did the looks stray from these successfully simple but sophisticated silhouettes, which already affirms that Zanzani achieved a second criteria – wearability.
Lush green and blue handmade silk tops, pleated skirts, and blazers, mosaic yellow flowy skirts, and amphibiously red and black strapless dresses showed the designer’s knack at working with powerfully graphic prints. The wide array of accessories, with jewelry crafted in such exquisite varieties as to stand out on their own, perfectly complimented every single look. Poison dart lariats, carved Amazonian horns, diamond cuffs, studded chunky rings, and Machu Pichu print bracelets could give jewelers in Paris a run for their money. Other covetable pairings included Aztec cage wedges, leafy heels, structured clutches, and softened leather bags. The beauty of these pieces lies also in the fact that they are mostly separables, making them instantly appealing for their ability to adapt to any wardrobe; a fact that instantly satisfies the final criteria of desirability.
After a sullen start only a year ago, Maiyet finally breaks from convention for next Spring and introduces a collection that is equal parts fashion and philanthropy; a trend that we hope more designers begin to imitate.
Shop Maiyet via Barneys.com
See all the photos below:
