“The world is finding other ways to produce and consume”
The calm, simplicity, and elegance that characterize María Zolezzi’s work also describe her speech as she shares her story, her projects, and her identification with natural fibers, sustainability, and environmental conservation. Immediately after her return from presenting her winter collection in Paris and Tokyo, we spoke to the creator of Maydi about fibers, conservation, and the future of the textile industry…
Let’s start with the most recent news, the presentation of your latest collection. How did it go for you in Europe and Japan?
It was a great experience. It’s a much larger collection than what I usually present at Paris and Tokyo, and the reaction was very positive; all the clients loved it, and we’re already receiving orders and beginning production. We have many pieces made with Wildlife Friendly™ certified Merino and mohair.
Something I noticed this season, especially in Japan—which represents 80% of the market for Maydi—is that people are paying more attention to costs. In previous years, that wasn’t the case, but with the depreciation of the yen, prices have come to play a more important role in clients’ decisionmaking. Even so, they made it clear they care about the concept of handcrafting, about the story of the fibers, and about the idea of sustainable and environment-friendly production. That is why they continue to value Maydi and my relationship with Japan, which has been built over seven years and is still growing stronger.
A similar situation happens in Europe, with an increasingly competitive market that consequently places prices as an important variable when choosing to purchase a collection. After the 2020 pandemic, there was a social awakening about what we consume and how it is produced and processed, and that was very good. But that awakening later ran into the reality of a global economy that often forces companies to balance between profit margins, which may sideline ecological and social values.
You’ve made a name for yourself in the industry, with a very recognizable style and a public following… What are the next plans and challenges Maydi faces in this stage of your career?
Opening my own outlet is a goal and also a great challenge. A store of my own would allow me to showcase the entire concept of the brand to a greater audience, to share the Maydi universe.
Another great challenge is broadening the audience Maydi reaches. Many people are interested in our approach, but when it comes to buying a piece, they encounter a price above their means. So the biggest challenge is allowing more people to join in without costs creating a barrier while conserving the essence of the brand.
And another plan for this year is to begin to explore and open up the North American market. I have many clients who come from the United States, who pass through my studio and buy garments, and the comments I receive from there make me think this is a good time to take Maydi to North America. There is already a level of awareness because of reporting done by North American media, and I believe the reception could be very good.
Merino wool and mohair have a very important presence within your collections. What attracts you most about these fibers, and what are the characteristics that make them stand out so much?
For me, Merino is synonymous with quality, softness, body temperature regulation, warmth and lightness, of being cozy while not being weighed down.
It’s like touching a cloud. Its marvelous properties make the weave unique; amazing designs can be achieved by using its textures, colors, and shine.
What attracts me about mohair is its shine, the exoticism of all the particularities it has as a fiber, as a wool. Its warmth and comfortability. The fineness and softness inherent to the fiber. Its lightness, which lets us create unique designer pieces that highlight the softness, shine, and weightlessness of each piece. The animal itself (the Angora goat) is attractive to me because of its exoticism.
The audience of Maydi appreciates both Merino and mohair fibers, especially mohair, which is considered a luxury fabric around the world.
Your collections have an added value, a story of respect for the natural materials, for wildlife and the environment. Do you feel that the public values this especially?
Yes, definitely. Especially the public, the clients who will wear that unique and special garment. But I feel that there’s still a long way to go before the message reaches a mass audience and becomes valued in all stages of the chain of production. It’s a long process that started many years ago…and there’s still a long road ahead.
Speaking of natural fiber, especially from wild animals. How do you view the future of vicuña and guanaco fibers?
I have the feeling that guanaco might become the fiber of the future. Unfortunately, this fiber hasn’t had the publicity it deserves, and this makes it much more laborious to create a stable market. And speaking particularly of Argentina, guanaco fibers could become a country brand. We have by far the biggest guanaco populations in the world…and that’s why we need a national strategy for the sustainable use of this fiber. I have created pieces with guanaco fiber within my collections and they stand out, not only for their quality but also because of the story behind the fiber. The world is finding other ways to produce, to consume, developing another approach to noble, natural materials, and guanaco fiber perfectly fits this mold.
When it comes to vicuña, it’s already an established fiber, and its sustainable use has practically saved the species. This cultural paradigm shift regarding what we consume and how we produce it places emphasis on materials as well as on processes, and in that sense Argentina also has a huge added value: the quality of artisanal work, of our people’s know-how.
To learn more about the work of María Zolezzi (MAYDI), visit https://maydi.co/en/