Judith Milgrom

The Maje artistic director takes boho style in an office friendly direction.

- Alison S Cohn

The first thing I do when I wake up is meditate. I live in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris, and mornings are my favourite time of the day, with all the natural light streaming in the windows. We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of Maje this year, and I often find myself thinking back to 1998, the year I decided to launch my own collection.

I had been working alongside my older sister, Evelyne Chétrite, for several years on her label, Sandro. Sourcing fabrics from wholesalers was my first summer job in high school. Some might find that’s a lot responsibility at 16, but I loved it! At the time French fashion was dominated by luxury brands, and Sandro’s offering of high quality and stylish separates was unique in that it embodied that quintessential Parisian tailored elegance at a more accessible price point.

With Maje, I wanted to try something that felt a bit more bohemian and flirtier, more deeply authentic to my own personal style. My first store, on Rue du Four in the heart of Saint-Germain, was filled with silk, lace, prints, and vibrant colour inspired by my childhood in Morocco, where we lived until I was 10. The Maje woman is resolutely feminine, glamorous, and bold.