Magliano SS23 Blurs the Line

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Since Miista’s start in 2011, what has been your overall ethos as a company?

To push forward creatively, collaboratively and in the craftmanship of ideas we really believe in, both in product design constructions and experimentation or marketing concepts. If we really believe in something, we are committed to taking risks to achieve the outcome those initial ideas deserve. We call this the “The Opposite Thing." The industry is saturated with carbon copies of each other in terms of products, editorials or creative concepts. We live by the philosophy of not necessarily being the followers. Investing in craft and a short supply chain is also part of our ethos. When we felt we were ready, we invested all of the brand’s savings into starting our own clothing factory, giving us full control over the production of our own designs. A very 70s way to look at the industry. Undoubtedly the riskiest project we’ve undertaken since the start of Miista in 2011.

What prompted you to start Miista and is it the brand you thought it would be today?

I wanted craft to become sexy again, as it once was in the history of fashion. This time by creating a premium product with a more accessible price point. Democratizing design and craftsmanship. Placing the importance on craft that it deserves and removing the “labor stigma” that can be associated with the making process. I jumped headfirst into the male-driven world of fashion suppliers and manufacturers and quickly understood that the collaboration with makers is the most important step to translate our design ideas into luxury products. In Miista’s first chapter, we experimented with the craftsmanship of our footwear factory partners in the south of Spain. We then developed a subline, called E8, through collaboration with partners in Portugal before opening our own clothing factory in 2020. The brand that we dream Miista to be has a business model that owns the full supply chain and can proudly open the doors to anybody that wants to investigate our production lines, while experimenting creatively. We are as close as it gets running this project independently in Europe.

Have there been any concerns about the industry that you’ve come across over the years?

The meaning of luxury. We keep reflecting on what a product needs to be to achieve a luxury status and how we can maintain the narrative of people over machines in the manufacturing world. The time that we can provide our artisans for working towards crafting our designs in the most perfect way is luxury, but our concern over the last few years has been not having enough artisans available to collaborate with for much longer in the industry. This is a general concern in the industry in developed countries. The younger generations tend to choose digital trades over craft as a profession, and this is a problem for us and other creatives in our cluster. At the same time, we design and make products, but products without cultural environment are a commodity. We always get unquiet about how to generate a creative brand environment of storytelling where our community understands the Miista culture. We would never want Miista to become a commodity. Instead, we work very hard as an independent brand to create something desirable.

What drives you to keep innovating?

The anxiety to stay relevant and not to get bored. Anxiety to strive for perfection, a trait I’ve always had since childhood [laughs]... and this is sometimes not a good thing, especially when you’re young. However, Miista is not perfect. And as I get older, I feel prouder of the imperfections we show through our process, that help us get to a better place. Knowing us, it will take us years to get to perfection, because we get very curious about every single step that there is to take before we get there. And things take longer that way. As long as there is more and more to learn, will be engaged in this Miista journey of innovation. We always get unquiet about how to generate a creative brand environment of storytelling where our community understands the Miista culture. We would never want Miista to become a commodity.

Would you consider your work at Miista open and collaborative?

Collaboration is at the core of everything we do. The daily exchange of ideas between design, production, quality control, marketing, and customer service is endless. But collaboration goes far beyond the walls of Miista. Our community is filled with incredible creatives we rely on and learn from—whether it’s a photographer in a new city, a next day call out for extras for a campaign shoot or a group of DJs at one of our events. Our output wouldn’t be possible without their input.

How does Miista work to amplify other artisans’ voices?

We invite everyone that holds knowledge to understand the importance of sharing it and teaching the younger generations that are joining us. Without that we do not have a future. The industry does not have a future without passing that knowledge, especially not in craft. In this continued digital age, how do you inspire younger generations to continue down the path of those who came before them? The human power of real-life artisans simply cannot be replaced by machines. I’m incredibly invested in keeping the knowledge of craft alive, by up-skilling the next generation. We established our own clothing factory in A Coruña, North of Spain, where there’s a little-known, storied history of artisan garment production. With the arrival of industrialization, the region stuck to its values and refused to join the mass production model to meet the needs of fast fashion. Industry slowly disappeared. By bringing our clothing production to the area, we really want to bring back ready-to-wear industry for the people of Northern Spain. These people not only spent years learning their craft, but grew up around parents and grandparents who had helped establish the industry. We want to inspire young people by showing that making something from scratch with your hands is beautiful, to feel that learning from the older generation how to make is sacred.

With times being so uncertain, how do you continue to come up with new ideas?

With a commitment to the alternative and with a willingness to try and fail. And not fearing taking risks. Being proud of sometimes making mistakes.

How does Miista continue to be that innovative force?

We are different to what is out there in the industry in 2025. Being independent also gives us an advantage. We are not reinventing the wheel, but it does seem to be the opposite thing that we remain committed to conversation, people, responsibility, longevity and honesty. That we put the time needed into the creative process, even if sometimes that means our creative or design process might not be the most profitable at the time, because we know it will pay off at a later stage. Even if sometimes that payoff is brand recognition instead of profit.

In your opinion, are there any factors that are disrupting creativity? If so, what could be a possible solution to aid artists?

In my opinion the current state of the education system is disrupting creativity – at least in London. When I studied in the early 2000’s education was cheap. You could get into Central St Martins or some of the other top art schools if you were good and you worked hard for it. Universities really pushed the creative process. Now, potentially brilliant creatives are left behind because they can’t afford the high fees. Another significant issue is what happens to those who do manage to attend a good art university. After paying these high fees, young creatives graduate only to face that financial burden head on, and need to cash in. Experimentation in art and design takes time, but they may not have the luxury of time if they’re forced to immediately monetize their work to recover what they financially put into their education. The solution from my point of view? More support from governments. More university subsidization. More public funding for studying and experimentation. Less pressure on younger generations. And more time. There is also a missing deeper reflection on the importance of independent magazines and their role in pushing boundaries to uncover subcultures. The current state of social media doesn’t truly allow for deep creative focus or meaningful research. We live in a world where immediacy and engagement are celebrated above all else, often at the expense of thoughtful, crafted approaches to developing new concepts. We’d love to see more publications dedicate time and effort to in-depth subculture research — delivering truly refreshing ideas instead of just meeting the constant demand to ‘feed the feed’.

Now that you have opened up a storefront in New York, how do you plan to continue to spread Miista’s messaging across an American demographic?

There is a strong community of women than understand us and need Miista there, beyond just New York. We’re learning that each city and state is different and meeting them physically is the best way to understand the different audiences. In 2024, we hosted pop ups in Chicago and in Miami during Art Basel, and we hope to expand these in-person meetings in 2025.

What’s special about New York that helps inspire the brand?

When I look at New York I see history and modernity constantly blending. It’s about the activists and creatives who came before us and how they’ve paved the way for today’s outspoken artists. At Miista we’re constantly referencing New Year figures of the past and looking how we can bring their ideas into the 21st century. These influences are woven into everything we do, from design to production to marketing.

Do you see Miista opening storefronts in other cities as well?

Opening a store in New York was a significant investment for us as an independent brand. At Miista, we believe in taking things slow, so before charging ahead with new store plans, we’re pausing and taking some time to enjoy the city and build our community further there. That said, the future looks bright. Expanding into other US cities is on the horizon—but a couple of other cities in Europe like Milan and Amsterdam might be next in line. But we’ll do it on our own terms, when we’re ready.

If Miista were to design an unconventional item not typically associated with fashion, like a musical instrument or a piece of furniture, how would you infuse the brand's creative DNA into it?

Being Miista it would have to be through shape and materials first. No matter what the item would be, I think we would think of it in a sculptural way. That is how our brain has been trained.

What is the strangest or most unexpected source of inspiration that has influenced Miista’s design process, and how did it translate into a tangible collection?

Thinking quickly, one of my favorite collections we’ve worked on - both in terms of product design and the environmental design for our stores and editorial campaigns - was a collection called Objet Trouvé (Found Object) back in 2018. It was inspired by an exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery by artist Mark Dion. An explorer, collector, activist and conjuror of theatrical environments, Dion travelled through rainforests and rubbish dumps to uncover the wonder and fragility of life on earth. His work featured the most beautiful compositions of rubbish, perfectly cohesive and imbued with a particular sense of humor that I find endlessly appealing.

If you had to reinvent the idea of a fashion runway show to represent Miista’s ethos, what would it look like, and how would it engage the audience beyond the traditional catwalk?

Out of necessity, we've always taken an unconventional approach to presenting our collections. We have not been making it a priority to align our production process with the Fashion Week calendar, and like many other independent designers and brands, for the first few years of our career a runway show had been financially out of reach. Now that we are in a different moment as a brand and financially, we continue not to make it a priority, even though that might be changing in the near future. At Miista, we’ve reimagined runways as opportunities to bring people together and tell stories through creativity. Last year, we hosted a housewarming performance outside our New York store. Directed by Pam Nasr and choreographed by Dione Davis, the piece explored the question, “Shoes on or off when entering a friend’s home?", welcoming our New York audience into our new space. You’ll have to wait and see what’s next. It might already be in the works.

Lastly, as we just began 2025, what can we expect to see out of Miista this year?

We see 2025 as a year of investment in our team and inside development while continuing to experiment in creativity, collaboration and craftsmanship. We have just finished designing and will start building in March a bigger production space in the north of Spain with more space to train younger artisans and areas for research and development in product. We are aiming to also find better ways to bring our daily Miista stories to our community and physical stores, so more people understand this way of seeing the world, this commitment to the alternative, “The Opposite Thing”.