Maya Reik made a huge splash onto the fashion scene when her brand, Marei 1998, debuted, not only because of the collection’s opulence and old-world glamour (specifically thanks to her penchant for faux-fur coats, which is giving ethical fashion a chic new voice) but because of Reik’s age. The “1998” refers to the year she was born, making her 19 years old. But don’t be fooled by her youth—the designer has been all about fashion for years, with her passions first forming when she was just four.
Perhaps more interesting in regards to Reik’s age are her points of reference, which are well beyond her years. The 1890s, art deco, the jazz age, as well as artists including Man Ray, Modigliani and Matisse are all prevalent in her Fall 2018 collection. "It's very classic and it’s clean. I would say sophisticated,” she says of her aesthetic. “It takes a lot of inspiration from the past, but…I’m trying to do it [in a] contemporary [way].”
Indeed, Marei 1998 is a perfect blend of antique and modern styles. Vintage silhouettes have been tweaked with contemporary tailoring, while ultra-luxe textiles such as silks and the aforementioned faux furs have been offset with minimalism through embellishment, allowing for the decadence of the textures alone to be the focal point of many pieces. Her focus on separate also makes it easy for fans to integrate her looks into everyday wear, as Bella Hadid recently did when she stepped out in a Marei 1998 coat, paired with jeans. The ensemble quickly generated Margot Tenenbaum comparisons, leaving some critics to wonder just how broad Marei 1998's nostalgic appeal really is.
Despite her quick success, Reik is still finding room to grow. Last season she showed for the first time at New York Fashion Week (a city she described as a “second home”), and she continues to find confidence since launching her label.
“I think now I’m more strong from a year and a half ago. In the beginning I think I was also very shy,” she explains of being taken seriously in the industry. “There’s a lot of fun stuff about being so young and doing something you really like, because not everyone gets to do it. But I think it’s also not that easy with people sometimes—people do not take you so seriously, or think it’s just something you’re doing now, but you’re not going to do it in a month. I’ve got that feeling from people, and I think that’s what’s the hardest thing.”
But Reik has more than proved that she is in fashion for the long haul. The designer is already hard at work on her Resort and Summer collections, which she promises will feature elements that she hasn’t used before.
“It’s still very elegant, very serious, but it’s going to be more summery, more fun, [with] more colours, more textures,” she says. “I think it’s just going to be something new…more fun.” With a wealth of historical and art references at her fingertips, it’s more than a little exciting to wonder what this emerging talent will do next.
Marei 1998's Fall/Winter 2018 trunk show is available now online.
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