Maggie Marilyn founder Maggie Hewitt has been named in Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30 list covering the arts sector.
The New Zealand-born womenswear designer was named alongside a raft of artists and business founders in the Asia Pacific region, including other fashion designers such as Su Park from South Korea, Ashita Singhal from New Delhi in India, Indonesia’s Kimberly Tandra and China-born, New York-based fashion designer Ren Haixi.
Hewitt founded her brand in 2016 at 21 years of age, which has since grown to three stores across Australia and New Zealand.
Speaking with Ragtrader, the entrepreneur said she and her team have been heavily focused on using fashion to create a better world.
Hewitt said the peak of this focus was the inception of its circular, traceable essentials range Somewhere in 2019.
“Somewhere was created to prove what's possible,” Hewitt said. “That putting people and the planet at the centre of decision making didn't have to come at the detriment of your bottom line, nor did it have to be a trade-off to beautiful designs.”
The sustainability focus then led the brand to being B Corp certified in 2022, hitting a maiden score of 109.2 - well past the qualifying score of 80 and the median score of 50.9 for all ordinary businesses.
“As a brand, we feel like we’re just getting started,” Hewitt said. “For 2024, we’ll continue to focus on growth in Australia, and creating touch points for customers to experience the Maggie Marilyn world - whether at our Paddington Home in Sydney or in future Homes throughout Australia.
“Later this year, Somewhere will celebrate it’s fifth birthday, which is such a special milestone for Maggie Marilyn and one that we’re excited to celebrate with our community.”
Homes are the names of Maggie Marilyn’s boutiques, with each representing a specific room of the house. For instance, the Paddington store is intended to represent a dining room.