Haven’t Heard Of Mimchik Yet? Give It A Few Months

While Emma Marciano and Mia Kazovsky have known one another for a decade, the Los Angeles natives never anticipated becoming business partners. “Originally, we met as children; my sister [Olivia] was best friends with Mia in eighth grade,” Marciano explains to me over Zoom. Sitting in her sun-drenched Cali home, she’s telling the origin story of her new downtown-cool label Mimchik, which she just launched with Kazovsky earlier this year. Filled with jackets, mini dresses, and bodysuits, the line is an of-the-moment mash-up of ’80s, ’90s, and early ’00s runway style described as "conscious hot girl" clothes on the brand’s website.

Kazovsky chimes in, and picks up where Marciano left off. “Olivia and I were starting to reconnect,” she says. “And she was like ‘You should get coffee with Emma; she’s super talented and finding her way in fashion.’” It didn’t take long for the two to know they should build something together.

A play on the founders’ names, Mimchik debuted on October 24, just nine months after said coffee meeting (which Kazovsky jokingly compares to a “first date”). “This collection is an amalgamation of our styles together,” Kazovsky says, describing hers as classic and comfortable, whereas Marciano’s aesthetic skews more playful and adventurous. The designer adds, “[We found] a middle ground between this carefree, fun-loving young woman who loves to go out and have a good time, but is also this serious, sophisticated person.” The assortment, priced from $155 to $1,215, offers an inventive take on tailoring. “It’s a mix of real powerful sexiness with classic staples,” Kazovsky continues in reference to the line’s menswear-inspired trousers, fitted vests, skin-baring bodysuits, and sultry mini dresses.

Some of the collection’s most covetable pieces are its moto jackets with a corset-like fit, which the co-founders count as a signature category for Mimchik — and in their own wardrobes. “Emma and I are both outerwear girls,” Kazovsky says. “Even when it’s hot out, we’ll be going out with a jacket. I think a jacket completes the outfit; there’s a lot of power in outerwear.”

While Mimchik is still in its debut season, its co-founders are hardly strangers to the world of fashion. In fact, you might already be familiar with Marciano (or at least her parents). As the daughter of Guess co-founder Maurice Marciano and footwear designer Nathalie Marciano, the 24-year-old has style in her DNA. And while she’s always had an open invitation to work at her father's iconic denim brand, the budding designer wants to make her own mark in the industry.

Meanwhile, 30-year-old Kazovsky, a Pratt Institute grad, began honing her skills right after school, working for small knitwear designer Kokun. From there, Kazovsky launched accessories label Dooz, and describes the experience as a crash course in business. And though she exited the brand some three years in, Kazovsky knew building another business was the eventual next step, despite the challenges that were bound to follow. “I was like, ‘Mia, don't think about how hard it’s going to be; just go [for it],’” she says.

Despite their collective breadth of industry knowledge, getting a label off the ground in less than a year was no small feat. “It took a lot of focusing on the goal and being determined to make it happen in a short period of time,” Kazovsky explains. “Manufacturing garments is timely and can be difficult, but the goal of getting this out there superseded everything.” Fortunately, designing came naturally to the founders, who were, in a sense, creating clothes for themselves — aka young creatives building their careers during the day and hitting the insider party circuit by night.

Sustainability is woven tightly into Mimchik’s brand strategy. Right now, the label primarily works with deadstock fabrics and recycled materials — and while the label is not completely green (an impossible feat for any company that creates things for consumption), it is open about eco-friendly practices being an ongoing process. “It is something we plan to dive deeper into and expand upon,” explains Kazovsky, pointing out their other efforts to be greener. “Manufacturing in L.A. ensures fair wages, and we can make a smaller run and keep everything streamlined to reduce waste.” Marciano echoes her business partner. “The goal is not to overproduce,” she says. “We’re making smaller batches because we want to be conscious of how much [product] we’re putting out in the world.”

No matter what kind of care is put into production, the real proof of the company’s success is in the response — and what a response it has been. Take the label’s star-studded launch party in Los Angeles on Oct. 21, where celebs and influencers like Benny Blanco, Eric Andre, Olivia Perez, Amrit Sidhu, and Alyssa Coscarelli were in attendance. Mimichik is also bursting onto the Instagram scene, with trendsetters including Devon Lee Carlson and Lindsay Vrckovnik wearing the label’s pieces on the app. (TikTok, you’re next.)

Not to mention, the inaugural collection itself has been a huge hit. “We pretty much sold out in the first month, which we’re so excited about and grateful for,” Kazovsky shares. “Seeing the brand come alive and people wear the clothes is incredibly rewarding.”

Ahead, shop Mimchik’s first assortment before your favorite piece sells out.