Maiyet Spring 2014: Put a Bird On It

For Spring 2014, Maiyet founders Paul van Zyl and Kristy Caylor designed a collection inspired by the spirit of a Hemingway novel: a woman who is whimsical yet willful, sensitive yet adventurous. And the pieces — all ethically produced, as part of the luxury brand's mission, by artisans from the emerging world — fit that heroine beautifully. Collaborating with craftspeople in Indonesia, Varanasi, and Bolivia, they re-created a playful bird print on sun-faded silk dresses, incorporated basket-weaving techniques into knitwear, and used handmade metallic embroideries on ultrasheer fabric. With this offering, it's official: Maiyet no longer needs to shout its good deeds from the rooftops. The clothes — like the women who'll wear them — sell themselves.