Judith Milgrom’s urban ready-to-wear — first launched in Paris’s 6th arrondissement — has a new Los Angeles base
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Maje’s newest address, along the cobblestone streets of The Grove, is a light-filled ode to the free-spirited Parisian designs Judith Milgrom has dreamed up over the past two decades. The 1,287-square-foot Los Angeles space awash in sustainable elements, custom wood louvers, and a felt wall for accessories opens with the line’s summer Ibiza collection and capsules. Milgrom looked to Anthony Minghella’s 1999 psychological thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley, shot largely in Italy, for inspiration. She cites a ’90s mood and the film’s “Italian atmosphere with pastel tones, a refined dolce vita,” as the overarching influences on her colorful Riviera chic.
Photo by Weldon Brewster Photography.
“There’s a lot of freshness and a touch of modernity through volumes and baby doll dresses,” she says, explaining the collection’s architecture. Breezy ruffled boho skirts join asymmetric satin jacquard dresses, skater frocks in cotton guipure lace and primly pleated midi dresses. Soft lavenders, creamy beiges and baby blue hues evoke Mediterranean villages. Milgrom says she specifically looked to the “ambiance of Italian romance, the seaside, Portofino, Capri.” The pale houses and aqua seas led to a pared-down summer palette. “I wanted to work with fresh materials, and we returned to natural materials and soft colors,” she notes. Pre-fall’s blend of yellow plaids, purple knits and a dash of black completes the new boutique’s mix, and Milgrom suggests toning down the new pieces with boots to evoke a nonchalant feel that ushers in a post-quarantine style reemergence.
Photo by Weldon Brewster Photography.
“California aligns beautifully with the ethos of our Parisian chic aesthetic”
Paul Griffin
Maje CEO Paul Griffin says California, where the brand first put down brick-and-mortar roots in 2013, represents an ideal intersection of lifestyle and fashion. The sun-drenched state “aligns beautifully with the ethos of our Parisian chic aesthetic,” he says. Personalized styling appointments and early access to collections are available at the new L.A. location and the boutique currently stocks limited edition colors of the brand’s fringed M bag in honor of the box-like design’s 5th anniversary. For Milgrom, Maje’s laidback simplicity is the real draw. “To be Parisian is not to make too much effort, even when it comes to an attitude,” she adds. 189 The Grove Dr., L.A., 323-900-8080.
June 29, 2021
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