Maisie Wilen’s vibrant designs, characterized by their psychedelic prints and form-fitting silhouettes, are only matched by the strong personalities of the women who wear them – think Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Jorja Smith, and Christina Aguilera. Naturally, her label has quickly become buzzed about on the Internet and cultivated a cult online following.

It’s an unusual trajectory for a designer who started her label just two years ago – but nothing about Schloss’s career is typical. After graduating from Parsons, the Chicago-born designer landed a gig in Los Angeles working for Yeezy under Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West). In just three years, she worked her way up the design ladder and managed to catch the eye of the designer himself – and was named the first recipient of West’s fashion incubator grant. With financial backing and mentorship under her belt, she launched her own label –and now, Schloss is nominated for the American Emerging Designer of the Year award at the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards.

Ahead of the November 10th ceremony, we spoke with Schloss to hear more about her influences and inspiration.

Congratulations on your CFDA Award nomination! What was your reaction and how did you celebrate?

Thank you! I was beyond excited. I found out the news just as I had gotten back from New York Fashion Week, so with the timing, it felt particularly rewarding. Seeing as I was exhausted from NYFW, I celebrated with a day sleeping and watching movies in bed.

When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in fashion?

In elementary school — this has always been my path.

What’s your fashion philosophy today?

Do whatever you want.

How did your education at Parsons help inform your design process or business today?

Parsons really grounded me and taught me to think realistically about what people want to wear. I learned to balance realism with imagination.

What was the experience like working at YEEZY and getting mentorship advice from someone like Kanye?

The wide variety of creative projects you’re exposed to at Yeezy make it such a unique workplace. It was an incredible lesson in considering a brand as an entire universe and thinking ambitiously.

What were some key moments or career highlights that got you to this point?

For me, the key moments are the breakthroughs and lessons I’ve learned when figuring out how to run Maisie Wilen. Understanding the sometimes mundane day-to-day operations is what got me to this point.

What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards?

Being able to see what everyone’s wearing in person!

What’s something you hope to change about the fashion industry?

The speed at which product is churned out. I hope to operate at a slower, more meaningful pace.

What is something you hope to accomplish in your career? Where do you want to take the brand looking forward?

I want to be able to expand Maisie Wilen‘s offering into many categories. I think of the brand as a universe and would love to offer everything within it.

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