DSO: What does life look like for you these days, both at home as a mother of four and at work leading the Citizens design collective?
MM: Surprisingly, my role as a mother at home and leading the design team at Citizens of Humanity are not that dissimilar. Both require a high degree of passion and creativity and I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to do both. My days often start with walking the children to school, where we look for surfers and sailboats in the ocean followed by morning fittings in the studio. I love starting my days this way, and fitting in the morning allows us a fresh look at new fashion and silhouettes that we are working on.
Afternoons are primarily spent working with the team and sketching. Evenings generally include homework with the children followed by a session on the Peloton or yoga after the children are in bed. I like to do more research late into the night as it allows my mind to be exposed to new ideas before falling asleep. Weekends are spent with our friends and their children. My husband and I love to entertain and now that all of our friends are vaccinated it feels like we’re able to reconnect with those we love.
DSO: What elements of your individual style are reflected in the collection? Any favourite styles?
MM: The collection as a whole is a manifestation of my individual style and what I would imagine the world to be drawn to in the coming seasons. I love the sophisticated ease of our new lounge pieces: the Scarlett Henley is made from some of the finest knit fabric in the world- it feels at once extremely luxurious and has an understated sexiness to it, I also love the Lilah v neck paired with the Charlotte in Dance floor. I often pair this with a sweater tossed over my shoulders to layer in a little bit of colour and texture to a classic jeans and tee look. I wore the Liu jumpsuit last week to an outdoor birthday party - it feels incredible on and looks chic paired with a bit of jewellery and a heeled sandal.
DSO: How do you and the rest of the Citizens team keep the brand innovative and unique in the denim world?
MM: One of the things I love about my job is the way our CEO Amy Williams, priorities creativity above all else. This is felt at all levels of our organisation, and our vertical manufacturing structure allows us unparalleled creative freedom. We are able to work hands-on with our pattern makers, wash developers and sample makers which helps to foster a unique entrepreneurial spirit amongst the team. There are not many design teams that have the structure that we do, ours reminds me of an old fashioned atelier where we literally have the luxury of draping, hand cutting patterns and most importantly experimenting with new ideas as part of our everyday reality.
DSO: Citizens often seems to be introducing really meaningful capsules with interesting collaborators. Any passion projects you are working on at the moment?
MM: We recently partnered with maternal health organisation, Every Mother Counts, on a limited-edition tee collection. Founded by Christy Turlington Burns, their mission is to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, respectful, and equitable for every mother, everywhere. I believe maternal health is a fundamental human right and as a mother, couldn’t be prouder to support this important work.
