Maiyet receives $25.5m investment, pre-fall 2015 revealed

American labels are revolutionizing luxury fashion when it comes to environmental awareness and social change. Coining itself “new luxury”, Maiyet is one of several brands intent on making clothing that celebrates rareartisanal skills from “unexpected places.”By working with impoverished people in countries within Latin America, South East Asia and Africa - as opposed to large scale factories where unethical work practices are rife - Maiyet hopes to change the norm in regards to textileproduction.The New York-based company and its eco-pioneering is becoming increasingly known to the fashion world, having raised $25.5m from undisclosed investors at the end of 2014, according to reports from mediasource, Crunchbase.Founded in 2011, Maiyet is the brainchild of CEO, Paul van Zyl and Daniel Lubetzsky. The style brains behind the brand is Maiyet’s third founder and creative director, is Kristy Caylor.Maiyet's goal is to reawaken timeless textile techniques and “elevate the next generation of master craftsmen” from places such as India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mongolia, and Peru, its website reads.In addition to sourcing from global experts of their craft, Maiyet runs specialized training programs for partners to create higher-quality products that promote stability and sustainability in their communities.Most recently, the eco-luxury brand has entered into partnership with Nest, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping and developing artisanal businesses. Promoting entrepreneurship in places that need it the most, is a concept Maiyet cares strongly about.Looking at the clothes, Maiyet’s collections hope to inspire something special and rare - disclosing the soul behind the work through exquisite textiles. And the brand’s pre-fall 2015 collection doesn't disappoint.Paying homage to a woman of intense beauty and strenght, the clothing works off Emilie Floge (a fashion designer and entrepreneur), specifically chosen by Maiyet for her role as a muse for Gustav Klimt. (Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement).Caylor’s designs put textures, embroidery and cable-knit sweaters as the seasonal focus, adding depth and decoration to simple, modern shapes. This season Maiyet silhouette is all about the shift – “short shift, midlength shift, shift skirt, shift jumpsuit, shift sweater dress,” said the brand online.Angular beading is also used in conjunction with silk for the manufacturing of dresses; while line-thread cashmeres come paired with fringed, multicolored tweeds for jackets – creating a sustainable approach to English heritagelooks.“Our collections appeal to young women who demand more authenticity from brands and are attracted to our social mission and business model,” Caylor told the Financial Times, at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit back inNovember.“Great products will always drive sales, but clients often tell me that they are excited to discover a luxury fashion brand that reflects their values.”With a strong pre-fall offering and several unnamed investors tipped to take the luxury brand global next year, Maiyet is a label worth watching out for in 2015.