No one knows how to combine minimalism and playfulness better than Malaika Raiss. The Berliner designs fashion for a life full of fun – smileys add a wink, self-drawn prints add character and sequins add a pinch of fairy dust.
FACES: How do you describe the woman who wears Malaikaraiss at a wedding, or even her own wedding?
Malaika Raiss: She is self-confident and wants to feel beautiful and, above all, like herself in her dress. Fashion and her look are important to her, but she is also busy and has a hell of a lot to do.
FACES: On your website, you talk about wanting to become the best possible sustainable version of yourself. What hurdles do you still have to overcome and how do you manage this?
Malaika Raiss: The biggest hurdle at the moment is still access to alternative materials, as the large corporations have already secured their quotas. So we have to think outside the box and sometimes find interim solutions. The fact is, however, that we have long had a much more transparent supply chain than the big players.
FACES: There is also an “Archive” section on your website. What can be found there?
Malaika Raiss: These are favorite and iconic pieces from past seasons that we are making available for a limited time.
FACES: Some labels are turning their backs on the distinction between spring/summer and fall/winter collections. What considerations lead you to continue this classic collection separation?
Malaika Raiss: The rhythm is somewhat determined by the market and, of course, by what is published. As far as wholesale is concerned, we stick to seasons. For our direct-to-consumer capsules, we also like to break out of the fashion carousel.
Collabs with Malaikaraiss
FACES: You do a lot of collaborations, most recently around the Moomins. What other collabs are planned, and which ones would you particularly like to see?
Malaika Raiss: I like working with other brands with which I also have a personal connection – Moomin is a childhood memory, and we share the same values as a company with Dr. Hauschka Beauty. Above all, such a partnership must be authentic. I think a collab in the interior sector would be great.
FACES: You create many of your prints yourself. How do you go about it?
Malaika Raiss: Mostly based on my gut feeling and what I can already tell from my mood board – colors, textures or inspiration from art.
FACES: How do you go about designing a new collection?
Malaika Raiss: I soak up inspiration like a sponge. Usually, an idea for the new collection is already subconsciously there, and the countless pictures on my desk just need to be organized.
FACES: What does digitalization help you with in your everyday life, and where does it hinder you?
Malaika Raiss: My iPhone is now my office. I use an incredible number of apps for communication and creative work, and I love the fact that I can do this from anywhere. However, the flood of impressions on social media means that you are no longer as free in your creations; sometimes I have to consciously break away from that and be more analog when designing.
Review of the past years
FACES: How has Malaikaraiss fashion changed over the years?
Malaika Raiss: I think the core message has remained the same: an essential wardrobe with a fun-feminine twist.
FACES: Jewelry is a big part of your collections. You now also sell Living products. How did this come about?
Malaika Raiss: I simply love designing, and Living was the most obvious category for me. Then I just did it – as I often do.
FACES: What does your closet look like?
Malaika Raiss: A good mix of vintage and Malaikaraiss. Sometimes I’m the tomboy in chunky knit and suit trousers, sometimes I’m wearing a print dress and mary janes – it’s a bit like my collections. My hobby is hunting for vintage designer pieces. 90s Jil Sander and Old Céline are at the top of my list. I also wear a lot of black or dark blue, but always with a colorful twist.
FACES: Red never meets pink, socks don’t come in sandals. There used to be clear fashion rules. Are there any limits to fashion today?
Malaika Raiss: For me, rules have always been there to be broken or rewritten.
The dear home of Berlin
FACES: How has Berlin changed in recent years?
Malaika Raiss: Berlin is constantly changing, and it’s precisely this transformation that I love so much about this city. It has definitely become even more international here, a real metropolis, which I like.
FACES: When you think of Berlin, you think of Berghain and people who wear a lot of black, thick soles and narrow sunglasses. Malaikaraiss is the exact opposite. Do you even fit in in Berlin?
Malaika Raiss: Berghain and black, that’s just one aspect of Berlin. For me, Berlin is primarily colorful, and anything is possible. My fashion is aimed at women for whom anything is possible, anywhere in the world. Our customer is just as much a Berliner as she is a resident of Japan, Copenhagen or New York.
FACES: What’s great about Berlin, and what annoys you about the city?
Malaika Raiss: That there is always something new happening, there is always something to explore and that you can be whoever or whatever you want. Winter is often gray, dark and long. You have to escape.
The right fashion consumption
FACES: How are you experiencing the fashion industry right now?
Malaika Raiss: In upheaval. A bit of a midlife crisis, caught between saving the world and infinitely scalable business.
FACES: The demands on fashion are higher today than they used to be. Consumers want to know more about the production and background of an item of clothing in addition to its appearance. How does this change your work?
Malaika Raiss: Actually, only the dialog with the customer has changed; she finally wants more than just a fashion label. I think that’s great.
FACES: How should fashion even be consumed today?
Malaika Raiss: Conscious. Less is more.
FACES: Does the fashion merry-go-round get on your nerves sometimes?
Malaika Raiss: Of course, at least three times a day, but I wouldn’t want to do any other job!
FACES: Do you ever run out of inspiration? What are you doing about it?
Malaika Raiss: Not really. I feed my creative brain regularly. Art, music, traveling and exchanging ideas with other creative people provide plenty of ideas.
FACES: Where and how do you best switch off?
Malaika Raiss: With the family. And even better – with the family in the house by the lake in Finland. Absolute peace and quiet.
FACES: You support women with strong and cool looks. What support do you want for yourself?
Malaika Raiss: Visibility. I feel there is a lack of pride in fashion in Germany, especially in fashion labels founded by women. I don’t think just one Jil Sander is enough. More is possible.
Malaika Raiss
Malaika Raiss from Hesse is 25 when she founds her own label, having already gained plenty of experience at fashion school and at Lala Berlin. She hits a nerve with her own collections and quickly becomes known for the wink that surrounds her designs. Raiss knows how to balance art and commerce – one of the reasons why she has quickly made a name for herself in Berlin and is now one of Germany’s leading fashion labels.
malaikaraiss.com
Click here for all collections and the Malaikaraiss store.
And while we’re on the subject of Berlin: Here you’ll find the best pizza in the German metropolis, and here you can get the ultimate tips from Berlin models Alessa and Anna Winter.
Photos: © Malaika Raiss
