Designer DETAIL - Maise
Delicious denim mixed with quirky Aussie style, only by Maise.
Ksubi, Sass & Bide, 18th Amendment… Australia has no shortage of cutting edge denim brands, but there’s always room for one more. Maise is the handiwork of former Topshop designer Claire Greaves, who says, “Bad denim is very easy to do; when a good denim brand comes along it stands apart from the rest.” With a pinch of London subculture style and a peppering of Australian quirkiness, Maise does just that. There are high-waisted skinny jeans and wide-legged pants in inky blue hues, a button-up denim onesie and a jumper with an empire waist, and faded skirts and shorts that cinch with denim wraps.
With one foot in tailoring and the other in street, Maise evokes an effortless and unpretentious style. Taking extremes and pushing them together – masculine and feminine, tailored and street, dark and sweet - sets Maise apart from the usual selection of denim.
Ex-pat
Claire Greaves began her design career at the internationally renowned high street store Top Shop, where she honed her skills working within the prints division. This influential period enabled her to strike out on her own when she returned to Australia – and so began Maise in 2006, the name ‘Maise’ stemming from a childhood nickname.
“I have always been obssessed with denim and having my own denim label has always been a dream. When I returned from London, after two years of designing for Topshop, I decided to give it a go,” says Claire.
All the Rage
Maise made its debut onto the fashion scene with its Summer 07-08 collection, titled 'It’s all the Rage.' Built around a core of denim pieces, 'It’s all the Rage' was inspired by the 1969 clip of Jane Birkin, with her breathy rendition of ‘Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus’ and echoes the cool beauty of the young muse with clean and sophisticated tailoring.
The Winter 2008 collection, 'Pitch Black Butterflies' saw a progression for the young designer, expanding on her fashion line atop her signature denim pieces. Pitch Black Butterflies was showcased at hip Sydney gallery Black and Blue. With glowing reviews from popular print and online publications, including Frankie, MySpace, plus fashion and trend reporter Scout.com, Maise was hailed as a label to watch and quickly elevated to cult-like status.
The Essentials
Claire recommends a denim look for every day and every season. “For comfy everyday jeans I would say the Maise Jane Jean. For day/night jean the Maise History Jean are perfect and a pair of the Maise Serge Shorts never go astray in the Aussie summer,” says Claire. “Maise jeans are vintage inspired Australian made, have interesting details and are a great fit, suiting a confident, modern and young individual."
Pitch Black Butterflies
Tailored, smart denim is set to have fashionistas scrambling to snap up their prime picks from the Maise winter collection. Think high-waisted, dark wash denim teamed with fresh white shirts and tops for a simple, structured look. Thrown into the mix is a trench coat, a swimsuit, bold splashes of yellow and a subtle touch of blue tartan.
For more information on Maise and Claire Greaves, check out www.maiselabel.com, or visit The Corner Shop, Blood Orange, Violent Green, Hoss, Ultra Suite, Atlas Devine and Alice Euphemia. Click here to see more of the Winter 08 collection.
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