Michael Saiger
Miansai is the best bracelet line in the industry. You can find their collection at Colette, Barneys, Saturdays, J. Crew, and Surf Bazaar at The Surf Lodge. Is there anything left to say?
Grungy Gentleman hangs out with Miansai founder, Michael Saiger below...
Michael Saiger: I design Miansai so any guy can wear it, literally. Its subtle but cool. It appeals to everyone from the fashion editors in NYC to your grandpa. Girls rock it too! I like to test my stuff out before producing it, so as I design I wear the product to see how it feels. If it works for me, it will work for someone else. I'm on a constant rotation of my new best ideas!
Michael Saiger
GG: No secret that your line is carried in super-dope doors, from Saturdays to Surf Bazaar at The Surf Lodge. Any new doors on the horizon?
MS: Actually yeah! We're in like 13 countries now and just launching in some of the sickest stores in Europe - Colette in Paris, Liberty of London in the UK. Back stateside we're launching a small assorted Miansai collection for J. Crew's flagship stores and their catalogs starting next month!
GG: Dude, Miansai and Burkman Bros! When I heard that, I was like woah. I didn't even need to see how it was going to be paired; it was a no-brainer it would be a home run. How was it working with Camp Burkman?
Miansai design studio
MS: Doug and Ben are great! Since we met we have become friends and travelled the world together; from Asia to France and back again. When I designed my first belt, I thought it would be cool to launch it first on the Burkman Bros website because it works well with their aesthetic. So that's what happened!
MS: I am constantly thinking of ideas. When I think I have a good design, I have my head of fabrications make a prototype and I adjust it from there. I like to keep a classic aesthetic with the same material (leather, rope, silver) combos, but there's no limit to how much cool stuff that can come out of it! I kind of save my best test pieces and that get’s adjusted to become my next season's layout.
GG: So I did this rad shoot with WGACA. Did I don the goods correctly?
MS: Ya man you rocked! WGACA always gets it right... They were one of the first 5 stores I ever sold in and working with them has been great ever since!
Miansai design studio
GG: What has been your best Miansai moment?
MS: Oh god, I don't know if I have a best moment. Every day going to work and seeing this company that I love so much grow and become successful gives me such a high. My first 'whoa' moment was getting into Barneys Co-Op, that had been such a huge goal of mine. When I had that meeting and sealed the deal it was unreal! That was shortly followed by my 2nd and equally awesome moment, when Damien Nunes featured the Foxtrot bracelet as his Editors Pick in GQ. That exposure was huge and so were sales that followed! Gotta love it.
GG: What can we expect next from Miansai?
MS: Lots of new colors, bright ones for summer, and awesome toned down combos for fall. New bracelets, new keychains, THE belt...you gotta wait and see it all for yourself!
[see more from Miansai below]
Miansai design studio
2 comments:
I recently saw an ad about you in GQ and wondered if you could send me some information in the mail.If so,my address is 7113 Ivy Court,Winter Park,Florida 32792-7226.Thanks so much and have a great day.
The bracelets/items are awesome, but WAY over-priced... Great alternatives can be found for half the price, such as this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/98298613/the-original-rope-bracelet
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