Happy Earth day! We are celebrating 5 years strong. I launched Malaika New York 5 years ago with the high hopes and dreams. It had always been my dream to become a fashion designer and to live in big cities like New York, Paris or Milan but I didn't know if I had what it took.
One day while I was interning at a big fashion company in LA I went on inspiration shopping on Melrose BLVD. I found a high-end fashion forward store and went in. Just when I entered the store the sales guy in the store said stop what are you wearing! I was wearing my zero waste school project only half finished. The garment is what you today know as the zero vest. He wanted to know when and how many he could get to sell in his store. (Fun fact about the store.. they have a lot of celebrity customers like Sean Kingston, Paris Hilton and many more so I have to admit it was a good start!) I didn't even have a company yet but as you know it was my big dream. The store went on to become my first wholesaler account and that was how I got started.
The internship was a full 3 month living in LA.. but as soon as I got back home to New York this was in 2014 I founded Malaika LLC doing business as Malaika New York. I was going to Parsons at the time so I didn't have any time to run the company so the wholesale account in LA was the only one I was working with while attending grad school. In 2016 after having finished my studies at Parsons I officially launched my company and what better day to launch my zero waste company than on earth day underlining my purpose.
I held a small party with my husband and a few friends. I had high hopes for my launch and I waited patiently for my very first sale which came from a friend but still, it was a sale and I was very excited and this is how I still feel 5 years later! Every time I hear a cash registrar sound from my phone I start to smile So If you are one of those that have supported me this far just know that each and every sale means the world to me!
High lights from the past 5 years
- Featured in Harpers Bazar, Vogue, Elle, Refinery 29, Tatler & many more
- Vegan Fashion week 2019
- Worked with influencers like Jenny Mustard, Chris Lavish, and many more
- Sold my collections in several locations across the USA including, Soho, Philidelphia, Seattle & Washington DC among many more plus London UK.
- Saved 700 bike tubes from the landfills
- Saved over 1000lbs of fabric from going into the landfill
- Rated "Good on you" by the Good on you company
It's been a good ride so far with many ups and downs but hey I am still here and for that I am grateful!
Thank you for your support I couldn't do it without you!
X, M
