mayamiko / aganovich

In 2008, Paola Masperi established Mayamiko trust, a charitable trust dedicated to creating sustainable solutions to eradicate poverty and other social issues affecting low socio-economic society. ‘Mayamiko is a collection of clothing accessories and homewares, ethically made, fusing together contemporary design with traditional African techniques.’ (Mayamiko, n.d). “All the collections are produced just outside Malawi's capital city, Lilongwe.’’ (Anon, 2016)

Masperi, P. (n, d). Founder of Mayamiko Trust. Interview by Kassia Binkowski.

‘‘Our workshop (the Fashion Lab as we like to call it) and training center are a couple of kilometers down a dirt road in the middle of the local community. We run a charitable training center, where we provide tailoring and sewing training… embroidery and other artisanal skills to disadvantaged women from the local community.’’

‘The trust has embarked on several life-changing projects and continues to support the people of Malawi towards sustainable living. The objective behind Paola's charity has always been to nurture skills that can be transferable to trade practices in the hope that these skills will one day lift people out of poverty towards a better future.’ (Mayamiko, n.d)

Uebergang, E. (2017). Reiterates that the Lab was established as an offshoot from The Mayamiko Trust back in 2013. Masperi, P. (2017). Founder of Mayamiko Trust. Interview by Emily Uebergang, “The opportunities many of us take for granted simply don’t exist in Malawi. Most people don’t have jobs as we know them with sick pay and pension schemes, and many survive off their own entrepreneurial activity such as selling produce… this is not a reliable source of income, and so many people have to miss meals and skip school.’’

Examining different modes of production Mayamiko (n,d) ascertains that

The lab was designed to provide training skills, education, nutrition, sanitation, entrepreneurship skills, self-belief and promote fairer trade practices. In Malawi, tailoring and sewing have been a widespread skill but often at a basic level. Currently, the project trains local disadvantaged women who are affected by the HIV pandemic or who are carers of HIV orphans.

Masperi, P. (n, d). Founder of Mayamiko Trust. Interview by Kassia Binkowski. “We also provide financial education and entrepreneurship training, so our ‘graduates’ are equipped with the right tools to succeed.”

The brand donates directly to the trust for each garment sold.

Their ethical standards include:

“No forced labour

Safe and hygienic working conditions

No child labour

Living wages

No discrimination

No excessive working hours

Regular employment to be provided

No harsh or inhumane treatment

Training and professional development for all employees

A nutritious meal every day

Life skill sensitization and individual support

Support to set up independent businesses and cooperatives when desired

Financial education and access to microfinance, loans and grants

Pension scheme and gratuity”

(Mayamiko, n.d)

New Spins on existing products

Wood (2016) says that the “Time For Tee” is a limited edition tee-shaped range, individually sourced, cut and sewn in our zero waste workshop in Malawi.

The lab operates a zero waste workshop policy, where each piece of fabric and cutting room waste is recycled into something new. Plans include design collaborations and the development of textile designs. When cutting fabric, focus is put on efficient garment design and pattern cutting techniques, aiming to use 90-100% of the total fabric…The organisation also donates their excess fabric to the community and holds regular workshops to teach each other ways of up cycling even the smallest piece of fabric. They have created doormats, mops, accessories and even sanitary pads. The African print details and trims embody their zero waste policy. (Mayamiko. n,d)

Under explored area of fashion

Textiles are handpicked from the local fabrics market as well as from the neighbouring African countries. Additionally they work with a local co-operative of women traders to source prints and produce a limited number of pieces.

Life is restored to pre-loved reclaimed fabrics through their fully recycled capsule collection, called “Rebirth”. Mayamiko (n,d) believes that ethical production should not compromise the quality and design of the product and should add to its exquisiteness and value. The productions are of high-quality luxury ethical goods that are unique to the market. ‘Batik and tie-dye fabrics are hand-dyed by artisans at the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MaCoHa), which employs and trains the differently abled.’

“Blending cool contemporary silhouettes and traditional African techniques, the collection features a traditional printed African cotton called ‘Chitenje’, as well as batik and dip-dye cotton, hand produced by local craftsmen.” (Wood, 2016)

How movements were created

Masperi, P. (2017). Founder of Mayamiko Trust. Interview by Emily Uebergang, “We knew that the project needed to start with a charitable mind set if we wanted to provide real sustainable income in Malawi. At the very heart of it, there is a sole desire to help change people’s lives by giving them choices. Choices come in the form of education, skills training, access to finance, and many other options that we often take for granted.”…Paola explains, The industry’s supply chains are often complex and it’s rarely possible to follow a product from seed to end life, making the backwards engineering of big brands difficult.”

‘Mayamiko purchases filter back into Malawian communities where it is most needed. It's thanks to the work of social entrepreneurs empowering women in these afflicted communities who are giving rise to a movement of change.’ (The Green Hub, 2017). According to UNICEF (2015) the literacy rate in Malawi for women is only 50%. This education gap is one of the key reasons many women are inhibited in pursuing their own livelihood. To remedy this, the Mayamiko team started hosting workshops to empower these women with more in-depth technical training, entrepreneurship skills, financial planning and most importantly, to gain confidence. (Mayamiko. n,d)

The Green Hub (2017) correctly states that their hard work has not gone unnoticed. As a member of the Ethical Fashion Forums ‘Fellowship 500,' and ‘I Prefer 30’movement, Mayamiko is at the forefront of the sustainable fashion movement. Various industry bodies have recognised them as a "Brand to Watch" that's "Changing Lives". They have previously been shortlisted for Vogue Italia's Eco Talents Scouting 2013 showing their work at Dubai Mall. They adhere to the ethical trade initiative's principles.

New product categories

Mayamiko (n,d) introduced a mini yoga inspired range "The Namaste Collection" comprising clothing made from 100% GOTS® certified organic combed cotton. They also source natural soaps from Chiyambi, where they are handmade using local ingredients. ‘The soaps are produced near Dzaleka Refugee Camp. Refugees and Malawians make up the African textile packaging along with their disabilities or disabled family members. All profits are re-invested in community development. Mayamiko pays Chiyambi a fair price for each piece.’ (Mayamiko. n,d)

‘Only 10-15 pieces are ever made in their exclusive fabrics which are often artisanal and handmade. Fabric and colour imperfection are possible and they add to the pieces, rather than representing a defect or fault.’ (Mayamiko. n,d)

Mayamiko (n,d) embarked on a project to promote the use of solar power solutions. Households tend to use kerosene as a source of energy for light, which is hazardous to one's health and environment. They tackled this problem through the sale and loan of affordable solar energy products to women in Chinsapo for their domestic use. They also set up a revolving fund to support the initial investment of those willing to enter the reseller scheme, as well as individual buyers. ​Coupled with solar education training modules, the reseller scheme enables women to create their own business by selling solar lights to other members of their community, while educating on the financial, health and environmental benefits of using solar power and the dangers of excessive deforestation.

Mayamiko is a Peta approved, vegan brand that commits to improving the lives of the people of Malawi. Their work is truly commendable as they have not only lived up to their brand identity but they have also created more jobs and improved the living standards of the locals.

Comparison

For this unit I decided to change my focus from Mayamiko to ‘Aganovich’. The report started as a ‘Niche brand report’ and hence Mayamiko seemed appropriate, but since the brief stated that it was an all-black tailoring project, ‘Aganovich’ fit the criteria better. Mayamiko is primarily a print based, commercial brand whereas Aganovich is more of a tailored ready-to- wear brand. “The label is helmed by the duo of Nana Aganovich, who is the designer and a Saint Martin’s grad, and Brooke Taylor, the half who minds the business end of things.” (Austin, 2009). They present garments like one would enunciate phrases, ready to be pieced together in order to narrate mysterious, poetic, somehow dramatic stories. (Leclaireur. n,d)

The brand has been featured in Vogue quite a lot, “Tailoring has always been central at Aganovich, and the designers expended much effort in working through new ways to reconfigure their coats (pretty portrait collars and back flounces), offset angles, and rebalance proportions.”

“Aganovich can be categorised as an intelligent fashion label which is why you will find their clothes hanging alongside conceptual brands like Comme des Garcons and Maison Martin Margiela at boutiques like Dover Street Market in London and Joyce in Hong Kong… Their inspiration runs the gamut from artist Rodchenko to early 20th century movements such as futurism, constructivism and Bauhaus”. (The D’Vine, 2013). ‘They reference anarchism quite a lot, which is a little rich when heading to couture and yet their sincerity is evident as is their skill.’ (Leitch, 2017)

Both brands are unique in their own way. ‘Mayamiko’ is noteworthy in the sense that they uphold their ideals and identity in terms of production and are hence truly and fully and ethical brand, whereas ‘Aganovich’ is extraordinary in terms of their design aesthetic and media presence in comparison to the big guns such as Comme Des Garcons.

---

R e f e r e n c e s

Aduna. (2016). Mayamiko: Empowering African Communities Through Ethical Fashion. [online] Available at: https://aduna.com/blogs/aduna-world/112791044-mayamiko-empowering-african-communities-through-ethical-fashion [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].

Austin, R. (2009). Introducing Aganovich. [online] ELLE. Available at: http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/a2944/introducing-aganovich-1795/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].

Binkowski, K. and Binkowski, K. (2017). Creating An Ethical Fashion Brand: Paola Masperi, Founder of Mayamiko. [online] The Good Trade. Available at: http://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/paola-masperi-interview-mayamiko [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].

Ethicalfashionforum.com. (2017). Ethical Fashion Forum. [online] Available at: http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/source-directory/member/64 [Accessed 15 Jul. 2017].

Leclaireur.com. (2014). Aganovich - LECLAIREUR Paris & Los Angeles. [online] Available at: https://www.leclaireur.com/en-fr/designers/aganovich/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].

Leitch, L. (2017) Aganovich Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show.[online] Vogue. Available at:

https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2017-ready-to-wear/aganovich [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018]

Mayamiko. (2017). About Us. [online] Available at: https://www.mayamiko.com/pages/new-about-us [Accessed 15 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). bringing the light. [online] Available at: http://www.mayamiko.org/bringing-the-light.html [Accessed 17 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). Mayamiko. [online] Available at: http://www.mayamiko.org/ [Accessed 10 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). Micro-Finance Scheme. [online] Available at: http://www.mayamiko.org/micro-finance-scheme.html [Accessed 19 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). Our Impact. [online] Available at: http://www.mayamiko.org/our-impact.html [Accessed 14 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). Our Mission. [online] Available at: http://www.mayamiko.org/our-mission.html [Accessed 16 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). Our Products. [online] Available at: https://www.mayamiko.com/pages/our-products [Accessed 17 Jul. 2017].

Mayamiko. (2017). Our Story. [online] Available at: http://www.mayamiko.org/our-story.html [Accessed 15 Jul. 2017].

Solomon, L. (2013). Mayamiko Designed - Made in Malawi - SS13. [online] issuu. Available at: https://issuu.com/mayamiko/docs/mayamiko_designed_lookbook_ss13 [Accessed 17 Jul. 2017].

The D'Vine. (2013). Reinventing Fashion: Aganovich - The D'Vine. [online] Available at: http://www.the-dvine.com/2013/01/reinventing-fashion-aganovich/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].

Uebergang, E. (2017). Creating Sisterhood In Malawi With Mayamiko - The Green Hub. [online] The Green Hub. Available at: http://thegreenhubonline.com/2017/04/17/creating-sisterhood-in-malawi-with-mayamiko/ [Accessed 19 Jul. 2017].

Verner, A. (2014). Aganovich Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Show. [online] Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2014-ready-to-wear/aganovich [Accessed 14 Feb. 2018].

Wood, J. (2016). The New Ethical Fashion Brand to Know. [online] Marie Claire. Available at: http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion-news/the-new-ethical-fashion-brand-to-know-65746 [Accessed 18 Jul. 2017].

#brandreport #aganovich #mayamiko #comparison #niche #report #level5 #academic