Viking Magazine - January 2022 - 20

THE SUSTAINABLE SOPHISTICATE
While on vacation in Bolivia, Copenhagen-based designer Maria Høgh Heilmann was inspired to create a sustainable knitwear brand.
In 2004, she did just that by launching Aiayu (aiayu.com). The brand not only helps bring timeless, durable designs to the world, it
also supports the work of the artisans who make them in Bolivia, Nepal and India. Aiayu, pronounced [ai-ya-yu], means " soul " in the
indigenous Aymara language from Bolivia. Here, the founder and creative director shares her passion for fashion and sustainability.
Q How did you start your design career?
A My first job as a designer was in Italy. I
loved it. Returning to Denmark, however,
was a big contrast to my years in Italy and
the reason for my education. In the early
2000s, the focus was on fast fashion
trends. As a designer rooted in materials
and craftmanship, I felt we had lost the
connection to nature and the craft. I have
always had a profound love for natural
materials and craftsmanship. That has
always been my main attraction, much
more than the fashion scene itself.
Q What was it about Bolivia that inspired
you to create Aiayu?
A I went to Bolivia for a holiday. I saw
llamas roaming free in the Bolivian
highlands, and cholitas knitting almost
everywhere. I learned that the long fibers
of the llama wool make it less prone to
pilling, and that it's warmer than many
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January 2022
other types of wool. The challenge of
doing something with this superior wool
and using the local craftsmanship excited
me. The factory in Bolivia was Aiayu's first
sustainable initiative. An existing wool
production was expanded to become the
first knitwear factory in Bolivia through
our funds and direction. Creating our
production in Bolivia allowed us to do
things in different ways than what the rest
of the industry.
Q How did sustainability become such
an important part of Aiayu?
A I founded Aiayu in 2004, and at
that time, nobody was talking about
sustainability in the fashion industry.
Fashion's cost to the environment and
humanity appalled me. I wanted to create
beautiful clothes made 100% responsibly in
a way that cares for the planet and for the
people who make them.
Q How does that play into your
design process?
A From the beginning, our focus has
been on making items thoughtfully and
conscientiously, with the utmost respect
for people and the planet. This is reflected
in our styles. They are timeless, exclusive
essentials, made using nature's best
materials. The material dictates the design,
that is where my process starts. We use
100% natural materials, and that sets its
own beautiful limitations to the design
process.
Q Where do you find inspiration for
your designs?
A Nature is my biggest source of
inspiration; it is my guiding compass when I
design. It provides me with colors, textures,
unexpected combinations-and life! I
merely see my work as refining what nature
has already created so beautifully.
sonsofnorway.com
PHOTOS (FAR LEFT AND MIDDLE) COURTESY MUUTO, PHOTOS (RIGHT) COURTESY AIAYU

http://www.aiayu.com

Viking Magazine - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - January 2022