Fashion

Maiyet’s New Store Concept Spotlights Sustainability, Community

GREEN SHOOTS: Sustainable luxury brand Maiyet has been rethinking the rules of retail and plans to offer a new perspective with a concept known as the Maiyet Collective, in London’s Mayfair.

The space, opening later this week, will bring together sustainable labels across fashion, homeware and beauty, though no Maiyet-branded products will be among the offering. It will be housed within the Conduit, a private members’ club in Mayfair whose aim is to unite entrepreneurs, investors and creatives spearheading social change, and will only open for three days a month, so customers can sign up online and book an appointment to visit the space.

The aim is to put the focus on curation and intimacy: “The Maiyet Collective is as much about immersive experience and storytelling as it is about collaboration and community. By opening for just three days, we can focus on providing an intensive retail experience and a sense of theater condensed into a limited few days that customers will not want to miss,” said Paul van Zyl, the collective’s founder.

While it remains open, the space aims to become a hub for educational events such as workshops, exhibitions, talks and screenings.

It will feature 50 brands — primarily from the U.K. — on a rotational basis.

“By working with our brands on a rotational monthly basis, we can ensure that each month our returning customers will find a new merchandise selection, ever-changing events and enjoy a different experience from the month before,” added van Zyl, pointing to a shared commitment to sustainability and positive change, between Maiyet and all the selected brands.

“We aim to create a platform and community where small to medium luxury businesses with core philosophies rooted in provenance, ethics, transparency, environment, social impact, or innovation — can thrive and grow.”

Some of the highlights in the offer include jewelry labels Atelier Swarovski, Stephen Webster and Pippa Small, M.i.h jeans, perfumer A.S. Apothecary, up-and-coming designers Bethany Williams and Martina Spetlova, and the New Craftsmen, specializing in handmade interiors objects.

Spetlova, who has just introduced a new line of woven leather accessories produced by female Syrian refugees, said she was drawn to Maiyet’s “mission to support communities of artisans and their investment in projects with social impact, such as building secure factories in Varanasi India.”

“The company is generating the kind of social change and employment I also [aim to achieve] in my work with the community of Syrian female artisans,” added Spetlova.

The New Craftsmen have also worked with Maiyet on the design of the space which, like many experiential concepts, comes complete with Champagne bar and locally sourced café.