Maisie Schloss had been working at Yeezy for three years when Kanye West came to her with the opportunity of a lifetime: He wanted to back her clothing line, making her the first recipient of his fashion incubator grant. “His approaching me for the partnership was a complete surprise,” Schloss tells us. And while she didn’t have a concrete business plan, the Chicago-born, L.A.-based designer had a general idea of the direction she was going to take. “My aesthetic and interest in making [the] type of clothing I do has been consistent for a long time.” With her new financial backing, and seven months spent laying the groundwork, Schloss launched
Maisie Wilen
last June. (Maisie being her first name and Wilen her mother
’
s maiden name.) Last week the designer showed her second collection at
Paris Fashion Week
.
Since launching, Maisie Wilen pieces have been spotted on everyone from Jorja Smith and Megan Rapinoe to
Bella Hadid
and
Joan Smalls
. “Maisie Wilen comes from my desire to make clothes that are special and exciting but also very wearable,” Schloss says, adding that her pre-fall collection shown is “a study of prints
’
effect on clothing and on the body
—
how they can create dimensionality or illusion.” Only a few black garments have made it into her collections, with the majority of Schloss’ pieces being made in bright, eye-catching colors. Click through for a look.
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