Kerikeri born fashion designer Maggie Hewitt has been shortlisted for the prestigious LVMH prize.
Hewitt, 23, the name behind the brand Maggie Marilyn, was one of 21 shortlisted from a pool of 1200 designers from 90 countries.
She will head to Paris on March 3 to showcase her work in front of a panel of 45 experts including Vogue Paris Editor-in-Chief Emmanuelle Alt, models Karlie Kloss, Natalia Vodianova and Kendall Jenner, and former Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld.
If she is one of eight who make it through to the next round, Hewitt’s work will be viewed by a jury of eight of the world’s best known names in fashion, including Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel, Fendi), Phoebe Philo (Celine) and Riccardo Tisci (Givenchy).
The LVMH Prize will be awarded by the Jury on June 16 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, with a grand prize of €300,000 ($439,662) and 12 months of mentorship from the group "in order to help the designer grow his or her brand."
LMVH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) owns numerous fashion, alcohol, retail, jewellery and cosmetic brands including Céline, Dior, Fendi, Givenchi, Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Belvedere, Hennessy, Bulgari, DFS, Sephora, and Bulgari.
According to Stuff, Hewitt grew up in Kerikeri before heading to boarding school in Auckland, aged 13.
She launched Maggie Marilyn in September, and it is sold exclusively online at Net-A-Porter.com and in-store at Auckland’s The Shelter.
Her clothes are described as drawing together the “opulence of silk with utilitarian denims, drills and poplins creating textural combinations denoting new rules of modernity.
“Details of ties, pleats and ruching are held with fluidity. Hand selected fabrics from around the world and inspired silhouettes ensure that such luxury comes with a lightness of spirit.”
