Change Maker Award
2021 AWARD FINALIST
Sponsored by Environmental Protection Authority
Maggie Hewitt founded Maggie Marilyn in 2016, aged 21. Its mission is to “use fashion to create a better world”, being transparent, circular, regenerative and inclusive.
The brand’s ‘Somewhere’ range is designed to be recycled or composted at the end of life. It uses organic cotton, NZ Merino and recycled nylon (ECONYL®). All are traceable back to source.
In November 2020 Maggie halted all wholesale sales. It became a direct-to-customer business. Previously 80% of the company’s revenue came from wholesale customers. But Maggie realised she could not achieve her goals that way.
Maggie Marilyn’s 2020 carbon footprint (mapped by Toitū Envirocare) was 73% lower than in 2019. The business helps customers extend the life of their purchases for as long as possible. While 90% of clothing sales are from the ‘Somewhere’ range, 10% are from the ‘Forever’ range. This range guarantees lifetime repairs of each item.