MILAN – Anna Maria Marino is a reserved person, so opening the doors of her apartment a stone’s throw from the Arco della Pace landmark arch here to mark her debut on the Milan Fashion Week schedule shouldn’t be taken for granted.
It mirrors a shift at her Maison Jejia brand, which has carved out a market niche and attracted a global audience from ages 25 to 60-plus but now is ready to further boost its international push.
Marino, a fashion industry veteran who served as consultant for many luxury companies for three decades, is fully focused on the effort, backed by Riccardo Grassi Showroom as a new partner.
Launched in 2012 more as a hobby and a personal way to honor her late mother – after whose nickname the company is labeled – Maison Jejia took official shape as a brand around 2017, when Marino decided to devote herself to the project, giving up her role as a consultant at Max Mara at the time. Marino, who hails from Como, kick-started her career with Remo Ruffini on his New England brand in the Eighties and also worked with Tod’s Group in the past, among others.
Under her own label, she has pushed a spontaneous yet intellectual approach to fashion, hinged on tailoring and a few everyday pieces worked in high-end, structured fabrics. The fall 2024 lineup focused on blazer jackets and coats cut in maxi proportions, including fuzzy mohair styles in camel, pastel pink or popping check versions. Extra-wide baggy pants in tie-dye effects were added to other carryover pieces Marino always includes and which anchor her aesthetic, like mannish shirts and clogs.
“I have many women in mind while designing. First my mother, but there are plenty of others, and they constantly change. There’s not a target of reference and I think that’s the strength point of the brand,” said Marino.
“The brand is growing in a moment where the general market is stalling. It has matured and now it’s time to take it a step further,” continued the founder. She pointed out that 60 percent of the brand’s revenues are already generated outside Italy, with the best-performing markets being South Korea, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
With prices ranging from 600 euros to 1,600 euros, the label is only distributed in the wholesale channel in 130 retailers across Milan, Seoul and Tokyo, where it’s available at United Arrow and Journal Standard Luxe, for example.
Marino has not launched an e-commerce platform yet. “To be honest, I don’t believe that’s the most important part of the business. I’ve never been attracted by the online and considering the moment we’re experiencing, maybe I saw something before others,” she said with a smile.
A brick-and-mortar store still looks more appealing to her. “Of course, one day the goal is to open little standalone stores because those are the best way to truly convey the attitude of the brand,” she said, teasing that she would start with units in Milan or Paris first.
