Ornamental Elements

A question often asked of Paul van Zyl…Why are you working in fashion? “Paul van Zyl spent over 20 years working in human rights and transitional justice, first under Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the Executive Secretary of South Africa’s Truth Commission and then as the Co-Founder of the International Center for Transitional Justice.  After winning the Skoll award for social entrepreneurship and attending the World Economic Forum at Davos, Paul met Daniel Lubetzky, a pioneer in using business to promote peace.  They decide to co-found a company that would use the power of the market to allocate capital to peace. Their hypothesis was that if they could source from and grow companies that had a stabilizing effect on their communities, they would be on their way.  Paul and Daniel believed that a fashion brand held the greatest opportunity, and the idea for what is now Maiyet was born.” Go here for more videos highlighting the craftsmanship behind the fashion.