In December 2015, we launched Mahsa as a summer pop-up in Ponsonby. We had a vision for a label that would celebrate womanhood – nostalgic and modern, constant and changing – through explorations of ‘moods’ rather than traditional seasonal collections.
Our first mood, Beautiful Imperfection, was based on the notion of ‘wabi-sabi’, or the loveliness inherent in ‘imperfect’ individuality. Six summers on, we still draw enormous inspiration from individual women – both well-known ones, like our muses Frida Kahlo, Elsa Peretti, Georgia O’Keeffe and Joan Baez – and from the circle of women who have gathered around the Mahsa label – team members, daughters, models, friends and our customers.
One thing we’re proud of as we reflect on those six years is that some of the first pieces we created are still part of our range – creating timeless garments is central for us – and that we can look back at other pieces and imagine them reappearing in the future in adjusted forms.
As we reach the end of a challenging year in 2021, our current mood, Enduring Nature, speaks to the increasing urgency we feel around protecting the source of our textiles and the wild places we retreat to for inspiration and relaxation. Sustainability has always been an important part of our ethos, but as we move into 2022, we will focus on improving these practices even further.
Over the next six years we plan to continue to nurture the culture around the Mahsa label – by collaborating with more like-minded people, evolving our showroom space into a place where our customers and friends can gather, talk and try on more easily and perhaps even expand our range beyond garments.
Enquiries
contact@mahsa.co.nz
