Design Theory: How 12-Year-Old Ariella Maizner Got Her Designs Into Walmart
Ariella Maizner is already making a name for herself in the fashion industry, becoming one of the youngest entrepreneurs to partner with a national retailer.
The 12-year-old fashion designer is behind the label Theme, which she created in 2018 to pursue her love of fashion and sewing. Her tie-dye and floral pieces have developed a loyal customer base and celebrity clientele, and helped catch the eye of Walmart, which tapped Maizner to create an apparel collection this year.
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“It was a dream come true,” Maizner said about the partnership. “I’ve always dreamt of creating a collection for every part of a girl’s life. I also love that Walmart is accessible for so many people. It’s such a huge honor to have a such a huge organization believe in me and my design ability.”
Maizner got started in fashion design at a young age, stating she started dressing herself at age two and started sewing at age six. She began making clothing for herself for school and events and her family and friends started asking her for special requests, which encouraged her to make more pieces. It was her tie-dye pieces that initially resonated with customers, and helped her develop a following that includes Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Whitney Port, Eva Chen, Rebecca Minkoff and others.
Since the launch, Maizner has been working on the brand after school and slowly growing with more collections and partnerships. She’s teamed up with other companies, such as apparel brand Terez, sold pieces at pop-ups and presented at New York Fashion Week in 2019.
Maizner’s Walmart collection debuted earlier this year and includes many of her signature styles, including matching sets in tie-dye and floral prints. The collection also includes pieces like T-shirts, tops, dresses, skirts, shorts, sports bras and bathing suits in tie-dye, floral and animal prints. Sizes range from seven to 16 for young girls and teenagers. She’s working on another collection with Walmart that’s coming out this fall.
“I wanted to just put my fashion out there and make other girls feel good wearing my clothes,” Maizner said about Theme. “It’s just been a big passion of mine and I really love designing.”
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