Legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent once said, “I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity—all I hope for in my clothes.” There’s no question that denim is a fashion staple. Few among us could live without our favorite pair of jeans or denim jacket. For more than 30 years, Mavi has been mastering the art of denim. The brand is dedicated to crafting spectacular clothing, so every person can enjoy timeless style and a perfect fit
Mavi began in 1991 in Istanbul, Turkey. Appropriately, the denim brand takes its name from the Turkish word for blue. It was founded with the mission of creating an accessible luxury product that didn’t come with the standard luxury price tag. “We positioned ourselves uniquely in the market,” vice president of sales Volkan Ureten says. “We noticed people value quality but often don’t want to pay high prices or spend time hunting for the right piece. Our goal is to offer the perfect fit and effortless styling. A lot of fashion comes and goes, but not quality and comfort.” The brand launched in the U.S. and Canada in 1994 and is now a global operation.
One of the brand’s core tenants is sustainability. Mavi works to produce jeans and other clothing items, using less water and energy. It also treats its products with fewer chemicals, opting for sustainable laser and wash processes. “Denim will never be entirely sustainable, and greenwashing is a problem within the industry,” senior marketing and PR manager Alissa Friedman notes. “We work to be transparent in our efforts. As well as improving our production processes, we support initiatives like the Indigo Turtle Project, which protects endangered species in the Mediterranean. Everything we do is aimed toward a better and greener earth.”
By 2030, Mavi plans to have its entire denim collection made from 100% sustainably sourced cotton. The brand is able to opt for sustainable practices because it has more control over its manufacturing processes. It sources its own materials, including cotton, and all production is done in house. “Vertical integration is not something you see with manufacturing for many clothing brands,” Ureten says. “We produce around 50 million pairs of jeans and control every step of the process. This puts us in a unique position to improve not only the way we produce clothing, but also to raise the standards for the industry. We aren’t just jumping on a bandwagon; it’s something we’ve been working on for years.”
While Mavi is focused on denim, the brand has expanded its offerings. Using its more than three decades of experience, it strives to meet changing market needs. “We’ve established ourselves as a go-to denim brand, but we’re expanding with secondary fabrics,” sales director Lisa Fink says. “People can come to Mavi as a one-stop shop.” For fall 2024, the brand has received positive feedback about its luxury twill fabric, and in a departure from recent years, wide-leg pants are more popular than slimmer styles. Mavi also has found success by expanding its sportswear offerings.
The denim brand is available in St. Louis thanks to Jaxen Grey. Located in Plaza Frontenac, the store offers a curated selection of menswear. Mavi has been working directly with Jaxen Grey since 2020. The store helps provide insight and feedback regarding what its North American clientele is looking for, especially when it comes to the Midwest. “We meet early to discuss fits, fabrics and other details to determine what Jaxen Grey is looking for each season,” Fink says. “It’s been a very mutually beneficial process. We get greater insight into what consumers are looking for, and Jaxen Grey gets a more curated inventory.”
Mavi’s strong working relationship with Jaxen Grey has benefits for the St. Louis location and its clients. It is able to target the brand’s offerings to the local market, ensuring people can easily find clothing that meets their unique needs. “We have been able to partner with Mavi to increase the number of tall sizes like the 36-inch inseam for our St. Louis store,” explains Michael Druskin, CEO and co-founder of Jaxen Grey. “Our partnership with Mavi allows us to really dial into the needs of our customers in the market to ensure we can find them the perfect fit.”
Photo courtesy of Jaxen Grey