Get to know Mavi as a successful lifestyle brand and learn about what’s in store for the company!

As a lifestyle company with strong denim roots, Mavi is a popular apparel and accessories brand that is making waves across North America. Providing customers with superior quality, Mavi has anchored its success in creating the “Perfect Fit” strategy for its products.

HOLR is chatting with Mavi’s President, Arkun Durmaz to discuss how the brand was founded, what makes its products so unique, and why you need to shop the latest styles!

Tell us about Mavi’s history and how it was founded.

The story of Mavi begins in the 1960s with the rise of Turkey’s global reputation as a high-quality producer of jeans. The Akarlılar family started as a jeans manufacturer in the ‘70s, originally producing jeans for large American and European brands. In 1991, with the next generation joining the family operation, they launched their own jeans brand which they named Mavi, the Turkish word for “blue.” Mavi was readily embraced in Turkey and soon gained momentum throughout Europe, and in 1997 the brand made its official launch into North America.

Now in its 30th year, Mavi employs over 4000 people around the world with approximately 5000 retail locations in 33 countries including the USA, Canada, Turkey, Germany, Russia, and Australia.

What is your role with Mavi and how long have you been with the company?

I met Ersin Akarlilar, Mavi’s Chairman, at the Magic tradeshow in Vegas in September 1997. Our friendship quickly turned into a partnership, and I spent the next several years introducing the brand to Canadian customers. The brand grew quickly, as did my role. As President of Mavi North America, I lead our North American teams based in New York City and Vancouver. 

What makes Mavi premium denim so unique?

What makes our products different is our dedication to quality and obsession with fit – how Mavi jeans fit your body, lifestyle and budget. We achieve this through our skilled and accomplished design teams and our close relationships with denim mills, as well as our 30 years of experience in making and finishing jeans.

The latest Mavi Spring/Summer 2022 Preview is out – can you talk to us about what we can expect to see in this collection?

Our Spring/Summer 2022 collection is stacked with styles featuring organic, recycled, and renewable fabrics and fibers, made using clean and resource-efficient production processes.

For women, the rises are higher, and the silhouettes are wider and looser in vintage and ‘90s washes paired with fabrics that offer comfort in a rigid look.

For men, we are offering authentic Selvedge denim made using Organic Cotton with a touch of stretch.

We’re also seeing a lot of interest in our Athletic denim for men. Our Athletic fabric feels just like sweatpants but keeps its shape and wears just like authentic denim. 

What are some of the most popular styles we can shop from the brand?

Mavi fan favorites include the Barcelona, a vintage-inspired wide-leg jean with a high rise that fits through the hip and thigh and widens at the knee to a cropped, unfinished hem; the Soho is our high rise girlfriend that contours at the hip with a slim straight leg that tapers at the knee; the Luna is our retro ’80s balloon fit with a contoured high rise that hugs the waist and curves dramatically through the legs; and the Victoria high rise features a slim fit through the hips and gradual flare into a wide leg with a raw hem.

What does the future have in store for Mavi?

Mavi is on a mission to make sustainable denim the norm, not just the premium exception. We call this approach allblue and it starts with denim that’s made from organic, recycled, and plant-based fabrics and fibers like Tencel™ using the cleanest processes that consume less water and less energy.

We will continue to expand our allblue offering, thanks in large part to our long-standing partnership with our mills, which have been improving their ability to source larger quantities of recycled and organic yarns.

allblue is also the global strategy that is driving the brand forward with a deep-rooted respect for people, nature, and innovation. 

Published by HOLR Magazine.