A unique combination of futuristic elements and contemporary tailoring stands at the heart of Joseph Achajian’s designs.
Launched in 2018, Maison du Mec is a Lebanon-based fashion brand that is inspired by East Asian aesthetics and minimalist designs. Its offerings range from apparel such as suits, cardigans, and pants, to leather goods such as bags, passport holders, and wallets. But if there is an aspect of the brand that Achajian is especially proud of and strongly advocates for, it lies in the fact that Maison du Mec’s ready-to-wear clothing line doesn’t necessarily conform to the overtly masculine traits that are often characteristic of contemporary men’s fashion.
The fashion house was born from a need to create a brand that understood the local men’s need for fashion and embodied minimal lines but is not afraid to explore a little change every now and then. It’s the representation of everything that is black and white and yet in minimal form and tells a bigger story that is waiting to be told, to be shared, and most importantly, to be experienced.
In 2018, Maison du Mec was set up. It was born of a pursuit of minimalist excellence. Faultlessly-cut ready-to-wear pieces, which come alive with twist of the wearer’s personality, when styled and worn, irrespective of gender. Practically chic is the design, production and retail ethos that directs everything we do at Maison du Mec and is reflected in every facet of our designs and pieces.
They do not target customers, but create adopters. This for them is a true measure of their growth and success. Their adopters are not flamboyant or overtly extravagant. They enjoy a sense of mystery and intrigue and while they seek comfort and individuality, they want to passe inaperçu. They are discovery seekers, who create their own path, they are not crowd followers. They pay attention to detail, fabrics and cuts not to logos and labels. They are loyal, and return to us time after time, as to them, Maison du Mec is a lifestyle, not just a choice of clothing.
Joseph Achajian is creative director and founder of Lebanon-born menswear brand Maison Du Mec. Achajian himself is a man of the world, with Armenian roots, Lebanese heritage and international expertise having lived and worked internationally. He founded the company in 2018, and Maison du Mec, a creative collective was born. Achajian did not have a traditional fashion education, and learned mostly on the job. He comes from a legacy of tailors, corsetiere, and factory owners, a family business that dates back to the 1920’s, a legacy of which he is extremely proud. He was originally destined to be a doctor, “I had completed a degree in masters and biology, but I knew this was not where my passion lay.” He then worked in several positions in retail including visual merchandising, styling and retail operations before returning to Lebanon to start Maison Du Mec.
The company began eccentrically, making simple garments, using local tailors in small workshops across Lebanon. So impassioned was Achajian, and so impressed were the craftsmen with his passion, that they loaned their skills, with full confidence in him, and the brand. To the discerning wearer, or as he likes to call them, his adopters, Maison du Mec is home to a sense of mystery and intrigue and where they seek comfort and individuality. Maison du Mec is a lifestyle, not just a choice of clothing.
CityPages Magazine: You come from a legacy of tailors, corsetiere and Factory owners… a family business that date back to the 1920s. Why menswear now?
Joseph (Jow) Achajian: Coming back to Beirut after 10 years of employment across the united states, Europe and the Gulf. I realized there was a gap on the market especially for casual and evening wear and decided to launch Maison du Mec.
CPM: Are you self-taught or did you study fashion design?
JA: Despite not having received a formal design education, I grew up in a household of third generation tailors, factory owners, and my evolution into design was an organic one. My grandfather used to be a men’s suit tailor. My aunts were haute couture seamstresses and my mom’s aunt had a factory for kids clothing. My great grandmother used to be a corset/spanks tailor since the 1920s.
Being part of that lineage, combined with around 17 years of retail experience engulfed me in every element of the design process, with a hands-on approach that has allowed me to manage the various steps needed to render an abstract idea into a desirable product.
CPM: How has your work evolved since you began your own label?
JA: We launched one product as a start and we started introducing two categories every season. From only tees, to suits, pants, shirts, coat, leather jackets, backpacks, weekend bags, after 10 seasons, we now cover a full range of products alongside a runaway collection where we introduce the coming year’s trends. So, other than a full range we cover three collections; causal, evening and runway (a full range of products within the 3 collections including shoes., accessories, and home collection).
We now work ahead of year, focusing on product development, fabric development alongside enriching our product range.
CPM: Who is the Maison du Mec man?
JA: He is a chameleon. He can be your jet setter, partying on the French Riviera, your bicker closing clubs in Berlin and anything in between.
CPM: Altesse, your Fall Winter 22-23 collection, was showcased in the latest edition of Dubai Fashion Week with great success. What are your thoughts on the runway, or the best way to present your work?
JA: Altesse has yet been our best show, as we have successfully incorporated leather, knitwear, muslin and velvet into the three different collections (casual, bicker, evening, this is how our runway is divided). This collection was inspired by the grandeur of royalty and sumptuous fabrics that were seen in royal grand palaces.
CPM: What are the highlights from the new range?
JA: Long knit scarves, long floor length coats, leather bicker jackets, long muslin scarves, oversized week ender bags, fluid silhouettes and tone Sur tone outfits.
CPM: What do you think or know about Middle East men’s dressing style scene?
JA: A good chunk of this scene is very much into BCBG (BON CHIC BON GENRE) classics, while the other indulges in trendy streetwear. A lot of brands have mushroom across the years; most of which offer casual wear, for a very niche audience.
CPM: Have your pieces become more appealing to people as a result?
JA: We, at MDM, believe that we’ve managed to create a label that appeals to different personas- from the classic/ comfort seekers to the bolder daring souls. All through a wide range of fabrics, cuts, styles, etc. Which is what makes the brand stand out in the market.
CPM: What is your design process like?
JA: MDM’s core collection gets renewed from a collection to another and it’s all around a theme. It’s all about the story. Where will Le Mec go next? And this is what you find out at every launch.
CPM: How would you describe basic menswear design codes?
JA: At MDM, menswear design codes revolve around fits, proportions, color, details, accessories, occasions and personal style.
CPM: What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
JA: After the Beirut blast, and seeing how the country and its people have evolved, my inspiration mostly comes from the challenges we face on a daily basis. I take them and draw strength to design collections that defy the status-quo. Because this is what fashion is about.
CPM: What are your world-dominating goals for Maison du Mec?
JA: For Le Mec to set a flagship in every major fashionable city around the world.
CPM: What’s your favorite quote or life motto?
JA: New Dreams Every Day.
What is next for Maison du Mec?
JA: Womenswear…? Because Le Mec needs his antithetical, doesn’t he!?
