From Tallinn to the Big Apple: Maison Beast shakes up New York Fashion Week
Interview with the MB founder Michael Burich by Megan Riley, MLR Strategies
What inspired you to launch Maison Beast?
I’ve always had a love for hip hop / urban culture – it was an industry I’d always felt comfortable in. Prior to Maison Beast I was very numbers-focused, with strict dress codes and not a lot of freedom, no creative outlet. MB is a rebellion against that. I woke up one day at 38 and thought, “if not now, when?”. First Kaido [Põldma] joined the mission, and then we found Kristiina [Jeromans, Designer] and asked her – we had no money to pay her. She signed up to do this as a side hustle and within 4 months it became a full time gig.
And in less than 2 years you’ve done New York Fashion Week.
Yes. It was just about a year ago we did our first retail experience, and that helped us with product market fit. No one here was doing anything like our brand. So then we had feedback from Estonia, but we needed to hear from the Fashion Capitals. We heard there were brands doing a collective in NY Fashion Week, and we had to apply. The team agreed, we created some bright and bold designs, 8 looks, and joined the Flying Solo Show. We brought Nublu to close the show, he walked out carrying Estonian kefir. The reception was phenomenal. After NY we realized that even if it’s risky, it’s going to go well.
Maison Beast has gone from idea to NYFW in less than 2 years. What is the secret?
Typically when people are starting a new venture, they try to do it low-risk. This is completely against what I wanted. We have done everything from scratch from day one: the design, how the garment falls on the body, the cut. We’re known for certain cuts and fabrics. For us, it’s not about minimizing risk, but about maximizing quality. From the beginning, I was clear that Maison Beast should be not just a brand but a fashion house.
How has this idea of building a fashion house influenced your overall strategy?
The people we grew up with – JayZ, etc – they’re more than just one thing, they have music, clothes, clubs. When the head of Warner Music in Estonia told me they were pulling out of the Baltics, we opened a record label. Two of the artists stayed on and we have signed another. Then you need to get people relevant to the culture to wear your clothes. The artists wear our clothes in their videos. Then Henri Drell wore our clothes in the NBA tunnel. Rather than traditional marketing, you can create culture that people want to feel a part of. We’re an urban streetwear brand, we like to mess things up, keep our sense of humor.
NYFW is like the Olympics. Getting there isn’t the victory or the end goal. The celebration is that we don’t pay celebrities to wear our clothes. They love the clothes, that is key.
Maison Beast is an Urban Streetwear brand out of Tallinn, Estonia.
Maison Beast is the team of Michael Burich, Kaido Põldma, Kristiina Jaramets