Resort collections in New York and Europe are typically a bipolar mix of wintry staples and takeaway clothes: lofty turtlenecks and coats to wear now alongside bikinis and caftans to pack for a tropical holiday. Meanwhile in New Zealand, where Maggie Marilyn Hewitt has spent the whole of the pandemic, Kiwis are preparing for summer. The citrus-hued scarf tops, cut-out dresses, and striped shirting in her new collection aren’t “escapist” in the least; this is what Hewitt and her community will be wearing in just a few weeks’ time.
It gives the “in-season” collection launch more relevance, though plenty of New York and European labels have waited until now to show resort. Where Hewitt is going against convention is by re-cutting best sellers and, perhaps even more surprisingly, styling past-season looks with her new pieces. The puffed-sleeve dress in crinkled peony and emerald viscose, known as the “You Win Again” dress to MM fans, has featured in several collections, and her line of recyclable Somewhere basics are making repeat appearances.
It isn’t just that Hewitt knows those items are going to sell; she also hopes to make a subtle statement about longevity and timelessness. Surely her team appreciates the reduced pressure to reinvent the wheel every season. Similarly, Hewitt made a point to style her new silk scarf a dozen different ways: as a top, a skirt, a bag, a headband, and even as a full dress, with multiple squares tied together. The looks capture the summer feeling Hewitt is craving, particularly after another intense lockdown in NZ: warm, relaxed, and unrestrained.
