Sustainable Black Luxury: This is Maison Bent

“The only way to be luxury is to be sustainable,” said Shanna Bent, Founder of Sustainable Luxury Womenswear Brand, Maison Bent. Bent has always had a desire to design. At a young age, she began her journey through sketching, designing, and customizing her own pieces with inspiration from high fashion street style, and music videos. She learned how to work with the resources she had, and how to incorporate sustainable practices into her garments. Bent’s journey continued as she went on to attend Central St Martins, London College of Fashion, and completed 10 different internships, perfecting her craft. With a desire to share the stories of her bloodline through multiple perspectives and finery for the “femme du mode” (women of the world), Maison Bent was born. Maison Bent embodies timeless design, inclusivity, history, luxury, and modern representation of black beauty.

Pursuing Fashion Design was not always easy, especially as an aspiring Black designer. “It wasn’t cool to be Black and to be luxurious,” she said. With more inclusivity, all people are given the opportunity to express themselves. Bent loves learning about different cultures, and believes that through proper representation, we can all come together as one. “The media controls what we see and believe fundamentally. The world is so big with so many different, and amazing people that have so much knowledge and talent to share. Those that have been under-represented need platforms to be heard and seen. It’s important for people to speak their truth rather than allowing others to control what the world thinks of them,” she said.

Bent presented her first solo Presentation, AW20 “Escania” in February 2020, and her second SS21 Capsule Collection, “Annette” at London Fashion Week in September 2020. Passion is her driving force. “I believe in Maison Bent and have no choice but to look on the bright side of every situation. Luckily, the brand is small enough to be malleable in instances like these. The pandemic brought a lot of attention to Black Lives Matter after George Floyd’s murder, which helped to bring attention to Black creatives. It’s a shame that such a horrid event had to take place for this to happen but at the same time, it has been so relieving to finally be heard and seen by the world,” she said.

Bent illuminates the beauty and history of her Jamaican roots in each collection. Maison Bent’s AW20 “Escania” is inspired by the Windrush Movement, when Caribbean citizens arrived in the United Kingdom to help rebuild the country after World War II. While, the SS21 Capsule Collection “Annette” is inspired by her grandmother’s feminine upbringing in Jamaica. Each piece is made to order, and created with timeless design, natural fabrics, and end-of-line fabrics. Bent designs for the women who want to make a difference in the world. “The Maison Bent woman is a dreamer trying to reach her highest consciousness. She is inquisitive, open minded, seeks knowledge in how to do her part in helping make the world a better place, whilst enjoying the best things in life,” said Bent.

Photographer Kiera Simpson