Maïa Archive is a product development and consultancy studio which collaborates with independent brands and creators.
We founded Maïa in 2019 initially focused on developing and producing fashion items, including woven, jersey, and knitwear products in Northern Italy. Today, thanks to our network of skilled Italian artisans, manufacturers and suppliers, we manage everything from sourcing to production across a wide range of crafts, such as leather, ceramics and metal accessories.
We come from Veneto, a region in Northern Italy famous for its rich tradition of craftsmanship among small and medium-sized enterprises, and we have a deep understanding of this heritage. We are committed to cultivating and promoting it beyond Italy's borders.
COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT
At Maïa, we believe the future of craftsmanship lies in redefining the relationship between creative vision and technical expertise. In most cases today, these two worlds often collaborate in a commission-based manner, where designers provide the ideas and makers simply execute them. However, our approach is different: we call it collaborative development, because we foster a deeper partnership between designers and artisans, utilizing our extensive knowledge of materials and processes.
The craftspeople we work with possess rare handcrafting skills and their expertise is vital to creating high-quality products.
By integrating the creativity of designers with the technical knowledge of our producers, we build strong relationships that are essential to achieve our clients’ goals.
We also believe that this dialogue is key to addressing sustainability challenges. Often, the best solutions lie in the craftsmanship and technical knowledge held within productions. By combining innovative design with this expertise, we can significantly enhance the sustainability of the products we create.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of our practice are:
RAISING DESIGNER AWARNESS OF PRODUCTION PROCESS
We aim to deepen designers' understanding of production and supply chain processes, empowering them to create more thoughtful and informed projects. By enhancing their knowledge of techniques, we not only improve the functionality of their designs but also inspire greater aesthetic appeal, leading to beautiful and meaningful creations.
PRESERVING ARTISANAL KNOWLEDGE
We focus on maintaining the unique know-how of artisans while helping them adapt to the needs of a new generation of creators.
REDUCE IMPACT OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Our goal is to channel this collaborative effort towards improving the sustainability of product supply chains, promoting partnerships that enable designers and manufacturers to avoid overproduction, reduce costs and minimise environmental impact, all while ensuring the profitability of workshops.
SUPPLIERS
Maïa sources materials from stockists who gather surplus from luxury and high-end brands, as well as from regular suppliers renowned for their strong sustainability practices. By using stock materials, we reduce the need to draw on new resources or energy for processes such as spinning, weaving, dyeing, or leather production. When new materials are necessary, we exclusively collaborate with trusted and transparent suppliers to ensure we select the most sustainable options available.
Our commitment to sustainability is further emphasized by our “zero-kilometer” approach, which prioritizes suppliers located as close as possible to our producers, thereby reducing pollution and fuel consumption.
The manufacturers we work with share core values that align perfectly with our customers' objectives. They are generally small companies, with 4 to 6 workers, who are flexible and open to undertake special projects, such as upcycling. Collaboration with these workshops facilitates direct dialogue and detailed communication during all stages of sampling and production, ensuring an efficient and transparent process.
