As we delve into an exclusive interview with the visionaries behind Maggie Sottero, join us on a journey to uncover the secrets behind the brand’s enduring success and the artistry that goes into creating gowns that make dreams come true.
With a rich history spanning twenty-seven years, Maggie Sottero first made waves in the bridal market by revolutionizing design through the pioneering implementation of corsetry. Since then, the brand has become synonymous with premium construction, impeccable styling, and an unmatched commitment to providing brides with an incomparable fit.
This commitment is evident through incorporating jersey linings and curve-hugging features, empowering brides to embody the best versions of themselves without compromising comfort or quality.
Curious to explore how Maggie Sottero, as a women-led business, cultivates empowerment and support for women both within the company and in the wider community, we sought insights into their initiatives and practices in fostering a positive and uplifting environment for women.
“Female leadership is a vital part of our company’s success! We are constantly inspired by the amazing, diverse group of women that make up the Maggie Family.”, explains the brand.
Since its inception, the company has been a women-led and women-owned business. Twenty-seven years ago, the brand, originally a boutique in Sydney, Australia, began its journey. Over time, as the brand expanded, Lesley Margaret (“Maggie”) Webster took on the name “Maggie Sottero” as a tribute to her great-grandmother. Presently, Lesley’s daughter, Kelly Midgley, has seamlessly stepped into her mother’s legacy, assuming the role of CEO.
The brand explains that they create a nurturing environment for working mothers, actively fostering a supportive culture within the company. The brand empowers women by offering flexibility, enabling them to seamlessly balance professional responsibilities while actively engaging in their roles at home and within the community. After all, this commitment reflects Maggie’s dedication to supporting women in their multifaceted lives.
Maggie’s focus on body positivity, diversity, and inclusion empowers and supports our brides. We believe every bride deserves to feel exceptional on their big day, whatever their style, identification, budget, size, timeline, and wedding vision.
Striking the perfect chord between trends and timelessness
The brand explained its strategy for staying on-trend while preserving a unique and timeless identity, highlighting the balance that sets Maggie Sottero apart in the ever-evolving fashion landscape, focusing on its different sub-brands.
“Each season, we strive to elevate our labels to cater to our diverse brides’ unique needs and preferences as trends evolve. Our Maggie Sottero label offers striking yet classic styles, on-trend yet unexpected, and the perfect fit for any bride’s love story. Our Sottero and Midgley label offers glamourous and trendy gowns with a refined fashion sense and makes an ultimate one-of-a-kind designer statement. Lastly, our Rebecca Ingram label is our more affordable label, meeting brides who are more interested in a practical choice than a couture label but don’t want to sacrifice quality or style.”.
At the core of Maggie Sottero’s design philosophy lies the conviction that every bride possesses a unique love story deserving of a beautiful and meaningful celebration. The brand places a high priority on comprehending brides’ needs and desires and conducting development events throughout the year. During these occasions, Maggie Sottero actively engages with brides and their families, gaining insights into their love stories, wedding visions, and style preferences. The brand attentively listens to feedback, carefully noting the significant details. This input is then transformed into designs that encapsulate each bride’s narrative and mirror their individual style.
Regarding the brand’s interest in unconventional materials for future creations, Maggie Sottero highlighted their commitment to sustainability which started more seriously in 2022. The brand is actively incorporating lower-impact materials, particularly recycled polyester, inspired by Textile Exchange’s Recycled Polyester Challenge. The initiative aims to reduce pressure on virgin materials and non-renewable resources like crude oil, using recycled polyester derived from post-consumer PET waste products. Furthermore, Maggie Sottero’s partnership with SuperCircle focuses on next-phase textile-to-textile recycling. The brand’s embrace of yarn-dyeing production methods, evident in fabrics like “Elin” Mikado and “Wai” Satin, contributes to a significant reduction in water use and carbon emissions, with an estimated 70% decrease achieved by their mill partner.
We are thrilled to showcase designs made of lower-impact materials integrated throughout our collections, and we can’t wait to unveil what we have planned for the Fall 2024 collections!
The brand elaborated on its global contributions and passionate endeavors by stating that Maggie Sottero, representing love for all, including Mother Earth, is a third-generation family-owned company dedicated to forging a more sustainable future for generations to come.
The brand emphasized its commitment to learning best practices, reducing environmental impact, and restoring vital ecosystems across locations significant to Maggie, from its birthplace in Australia to the Great Salt Lake Region that the brand calls home.
“The Maggie family is committed to being the change, disrupting the standard, and creating the future to ensure our brides’ love stories— and our planet— endure.”.
In addressing their environmental initiatives, the brand outlined its commitment to waste reduction, stating that Maggie Sottero is actively recycling all possible materials, from bulk shipping waste to diverting stock away from landfills, with a dedicated aim towards achieving zero waste. In terms of resource consumption, the brand expressed its support for renewable power projects, reduction of product impact, and investment in a circular supply chain, underscoring its aspiration to transform into a more regenerative brand. In the realm of biodiversity protection, Maggie Sottero emphasized its backing of endeavors aimed at fostering healthy ecosystems, both globally and in proximity to its Scope 1 facilities. If you’re interested in learning more about Maggie Sottero’s iniatives, click here to view it directly on their website.
Each season, we strive to elevate our labels to cater to our diverse brides' unique needs and preferences as trends evolve.
Our Maggie Sottero label offers striking yet classic styles, on-trend yet unexpected, and the perfect fit for any bride's love story.
Our Sottero and Midgley label offers glamourous and trendy gowns with a refined fashion sense and makes an ultimate one-of-a-kind designer statement.
Lastly, our Rebecca Ingram label is our more affordable label, meeting brides who are more interested in a practical choice than a couture label but don’t want to sacrifice quality or style.
Maggie takes our development process on the road and holds events to gather feedback from the brides. We use this feedback to fine-tune our designs before launching collections to ensure designs are catered to the preferences of brides around the world. This allows Maggie to directly engage with current brides, understand their preferences, and incorporate their feedback into the design refinement phase.
Maggie Sottero partnered with SuperCircle, aiming to revolutionize bridal fashion through a commitment to circular solutions. The collaboration, the first of its kind in the sector, leverages SuperCircle’s expertise in garment recycling. Chloe Songer, SuperCircle’s CEO, highlights the pioneering nature of the collaboration, emphasizing a focus on high-value end-of-life outcomes, particularly fiber-to-fiber recycling.
Maggie Sottero envisions contributing to broader sustainability in bridal fashion by regularly sending excess inventory and materials to SuperCircle’s facilities. This strategic move aims to redefine industry standards, embracing a circular economy approach to reduce waste and ecological footprints.
Maggie Sottero's partnership with SuperCircle represents a major milestone as we work to become a more regenerative brand, making an ongoing investment in circular solutions like textile-to-textile recycling.
Maggie Sottero provides a glimpse into its future design evolution, collaborations, and brand expansion. The brand emphasizes its commitment to sustainability, unveiling plans for collections featuring more pieces crafted from lower-impact materials. Collaborative partnerships will contribute to a more sustainable bridal industry, with initiatives like biodiversity projects and support for aspiring designers focused on sustainable practices.
When asked about the role of consumer awareness and demand for sustainable fashion in driving these initiatives, Maggie Sottero acknowledges the evolving landscape. The brand, rooted in a waste-not mindset from its founders, recognizes the increasing consumer consciousness, particularly among Gen Z, regarding environmental sustainability and the fashion industry’s impact. Maggie Sottero takes pride in aligning with these concerns and actively engages in internal initiatives to contribute to a more sustainable and responsible future within the industry.
Finally, looking ahead to the Fall 2024 collections, Maggie Sottero promises a revival of the 90s aesthetic infused with chic features, incorporating delicately feminine elements, 3D embellishments, and sustainability measures such as lower-impact materials for ivory gowns.
For the upcoming Fall 2024 collections, we are thrilled to embrace the nostalgic charm of the 90s aesthetic, infusing it with chic and simplistic features. The Regal Maximalism trend takes center stage, showcasing extravagant trains and resplendent gold hues. Delicately feminine elements permeate this collection, featuring intricate beaded lace, artful ruching, and captivating 3D embellishments. Classic opulence is redefined through the inclusion of standout pearls and dazzling jackets. Our daringly sexy styles make a bold statement, incorporating side illusions, peek-a-boo cutouts, and alluring plunging necklines that captivate attention.
