Let us introduce ourselves. It's only been 8 years.....
Hey guys Emilie here. Abby and I are the owners, designers and pretty much everything in between of Maaike and we'd love for you to get to know us a bit better. To be honest, even having our picture taken is a huge ordeal and we have always been pretty happy to fly under the radar but we feel like we have grown such a beautiful and loyal customer base in these 8 years and maybe you'd like to see a bit more of us, so here is a small start!
Abby and I met in Auckland about 10 years ago working for another designer. We clicked straight away, bonding over a shared love of fashion but sometimes more importantly food! We became fast friends and a couple of years later started this adventure of Maaike. Right from the start we had a few strange connections - Abby is from Waimate, a tiny little town in South Canterbury which is where my Dad comes from and we are both half Dutch (Maaike is a Dutch name and is actually my sister Jess's middle name). While we are on that if you don't know, it is pronounced My-Kah!
ABBY VAN SCHREVEN
Where are you from and where do you live now?
From Waimate in the South Island (you'll probably never go there!) now live in Grey Lynn, Auckland
What do you love about what you do?
Getting to turn ideas into an actual physical garment that hopefully someone else will fall in love with. Seeing people wear your designs is a pretty cool feeling.
If you weren't doing fashion what would you do?
I have no idea, I've never wanted to do anything else. Fashion was my focus from a very young age.
If you could steal credit for any great piece of art, song, film, book etc what would it be?
Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, I love how it has intertwined with nature.
Ideal weekend?
Being close to the ocean - swimming and reading a book, followed by good food and wine.
Death row meal?
Fried chicken and hazelnut Lindt balls.
Signature dish?
I don't think I have one! I love to cook and try new things, I should probably try and perfect one thing.
Where do you want to travel to next?
I would love to visit my beautiful friend Tash in Croatia again and tag on a trip to Morocco.
EMILIE PULLAR
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I am from Christchurch and now live in Grey Lynn next to Farro - heaven!
What do you love about what you do?
I just feel really lucky I found my passion early and managed to turn it into a career. Earning a living from something we built from nothing is extremely rewarding.
If you weren't doing fashion what would you do?
Something to do with food, photography or beauty.
If you could steal credit for any great piece of art, song, film, book etc what would it be?
Any Rothko piece - going to the Rothko Room at the Tate Modern when I was 19 was an unforgettable experience.
Ideal weekend?
A picnic on the beach with friends - lots of food, wine and laughs.
Death row meal?
It would be a toss up between the poutine at Fed Deli and a big bowl of pasta.
Signature dish?
I think I do a pretty mean roast - my roast potatoes are my thing.
Where do you want to travel to next?
My husband and I are travelling to Europe next year so he can meet our family in Holland but for me Japan is top of the list.
We look forward to sharing more with you and make sure you follow us on instagram @maaikeclothing where we share a lot more of behind the scenes!