For a while now I have been wanting to showcase my Panama designers and creators. I have had the privilege to travel to other countries in our region and I see how their designers are supported and showcased in the most important magazines but for some reason, ours were not.
So I decided to use my platform to showcase these creators and the wonderful work our designers, educators and artisans are doing for the fashion industry in Panama.
I had heard of Maison 75 Official a while back but for some reason I had never made it to her atelier. Fast forward to a couple of months ago, Astrud from Fashion Week introduced me to Désirée Lam creator of Maison 75 Official. At first I thought she wasn’t from Panama but she is more panamanian than me. Her mother, Désirée talks about her with such love and admiration, made it a priority for her and her sister to learn French and travel abroad.
As you walk in her atelier, located in the heart of Bellavista neighborhood, it is like walking into a french apartment. So quaint, beautifully designed. Lets say the outside does not match one bit the inside and all is thanks to the creation of her sister Aimée who’s an architect currently living in London.
Désirée studied fashion design at Maragoni in Paris and later Fashion Business at Central Saint Martins in London per request of her father that it was important to know how to manage her business. She also had 2 years work experience in Paris with Maxime Simoens.
Curiously, I asked her why she had never participated in a fashion week and she told me her business had been growing at a steady pace so for now she didn’t want to but maybe further down the line.
All her pieces are made with such love and care, very very close attention to detail. Her fabrics are brought in from London and Paris, most are manufactured in Portugal or the patterns of her design are made in London then printed in Panama and assembled here.
She is a very passionate woman when it comes to her designs, very meticulous. It is all about making women feel sophisticated and elegant at all times.
In the end we ended up being there for most of the morning and I didn’t want to leave, her energy and calmness were contagious. If you have never heard of her, this is your opportunity. If you are looking to make a clean start with your closet and focus on line and cut, she will cater to your every need and make you feel fabulous in the process.
