20 years of Maiami — in the words of friends
In 2024, Maiami celebrates the 20th anniversary of the brand. Maike Dietrich is its founder and it is not her style to brag about her own achievements. However, to build a successful fashion business from “less than nothing” over the course of two decades needs to be celebrated. We asked three of the designer’s friends to tell the Maiami story in their words.
All photographs were taken at our 20th anniversary event in October 2024 in Berlin.
Maike Dietrich in front of one of her first styles: the flower sweater on the right wall is the 20 year old original, the one in the picture is a replica from the autumn winter 24-25 collection
Karin K., the founder of a talent agency, and Maike go way back to the days when the latter still worked as a stylist. Encounters grew into a friendship.
“Maike needs to knit, it’s her inner need – like a painter needs to paint or a writer needs to write.”
There were a few sceptics among her friends who wondered how she wanted to make a living out of hand-knitted sweaters. Two decades later, Maiami is one of the most successful independent fashion brands running out of Berlin – and, to this day, every piece that leaves the house is made by hand.
Party guests on their way to the anniversary event. The colour that is a mix of mint and turquoise is the Maiami house colour
Dietrich takes small steps in the beginning, does everything by herself, from product development to PR and sales. According to her own words, she starts from “less than nothing” and reinvests every earned cent back into the brand. There is neither a business plan, nor the longing to be successful. The sole driver is the desire to express herself creatively.
“Wool is Maike’s material of choice. I think it satisfies a need for comfort and warmth. There was never really an alternative to Maiami.”
The result is a brand that grows organically and steadily. In her beginnings, Maike buys her wool in handicraft stores. In 2010, 750 kilograms of wool went into production, in 2023 it was almost 3.5 tons.
Maike Dietrich chatting with actresses Antje Traue and Fritzi Haberlandt
Petra F., a brand & marketing executive, and Maike met when they both worked for a renowned ready-to-wear house in Berlin.
“I got the first hand-knit sweater from Maike, it is red with a pink flamingo. I still have it.”
The first sweaters go to friends, with intarsia motifs, knitted with the characteristic high gauge knitting needles that some of them mock as “broomsticks”. The editors among them request first samples for editorial shoots and what started with single pieces grew into a collection that was presented at trade shows from Paris to New York.
Left: Model Ran Zhang taking a picture of her picture in which she wears a cashmere piece that was hand-crocheted by the Maiami founder. Right: The same piece was part of a kinetic installation by artist Verena Wieland
Since the founding in 2004 much has happened: global financial crises, tsunamis and pandemics have an effect on buying budgets – nevertheless, Maike leads the brand with stamina and composure.
“As an entrepreneur, you have to withstand harder times and this is easier when you have a point of view. Maike’s designs have this point of view. She has developed her own signature. I think I would recognise every Maiami sweater, no matter where in the world.”
With each collection, the design language is pushed further. The thick knitting needles remain, however, the yarns become thinner and lighter. Despite using a material that is commonly associated with warmth, Maiami stands for a certain airiness – combined with the unexpected combination of colours, another element of said signature. Maiami is the modern perspective on a traditional craft.
Guests congratulating Maike Dietrich for the Maiami anniversary
Katherina D., the founder of an executive search consultancy in the fashion and lifestyle industries, and Maike’s professional paths keep crossing every now and then. Today, they are friends.
“Each and every Maiami piece has a personal touch. It is not only a product, you develop a personal connection with the pieces. They have something precious. They don’t need hype. The product is the brand and the brand is the product.”
Maiami’s own fabric is a weave of personal connections and characters. Each piece is hand-made by one person from the first to the last loop – the opposite of mass production. This could be a retired woman in Poland that wants to remain a productive part of the community or a knitter in Bosnia for whom the additional income might be a means of independence.
Various guests showed up in their favourite Maiami pieces
Maike does not only prove her intuition for colours and silhouettes but also for business decisions.
“Maiami has a high potential for innovation. Maike has an intuition, not only in a creative sense but for the development of the brand, whether it is the early introduction of e-commerce or the thinking internationally, beyond Berlin’s borders.”
At very early stages, friends suggest showing the collection to Japanese buyers – successfully. Today, Maiami is sold in almost 200 multi-brand, department and online stores on four continents.
At the headquarters in Berlin, Maiami has grown from a one woman show into an enterprise with several employees that, together with their founder, keep on developing the brand in terms of quality, design and brand.
Shop our anniversary guests' looks here!
The exhibition was supported by Lana Grossa and the blue flower installation was by Marsano Berlin. All photographs were taken by Chris Puttins.