Ethical, Eco-friendly Handmade Wedding Dress by Maison M'Elise

“We aspire to dress women across the globe in both splendor and integrity.”

Maaike Elise Stofferis, owner Maison M'Elise

About the makers

Maison M’Elise is an ethical, eco-friendly, slow fashion bridal brand located in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A key element in their vision is bringing innovation to the wedding industry. Using only suppliers that whole-heartedly care about the well-being of their employees and our planet, Maison M'Elise aims to offer clients a unique and sustainable alternative to the fast-fashion factory dresses. Besides that, their dresses and gowns celebrate diversity by applying culturally inspired embroidery techniques.

A sustainable bridal brand

Like most other growing industries in the 21st century, the wedding industry has become less sustainable and more exploitative. Maison M'Elise wants to go in the opposite direction, by recycling fabrics or using fabrics and other materials from either a local source, a sustainable and fair-trade supplier, or eco-friendly labels. They stimulate the recycling of dresses and use recycled paper for all the packaging, with environmentally friendly ink for all the branding.

“There is only one planet, and one human race, and there will always be people falling in love. We need to revolutionize the unsustainable way in which the industry is currently functioning.”

A touch of culture

Maison M'Elise wants to give their clients the opportunity to link to their own cultural background by using creative or culture-specific techniques and details. By doing so, they are adding an extra layer to the dress, reflecting essential parts of the client's true self. In other words, the dress or gown will be more than just fabrics; it will tell a story.

Integrity

With their unique work, Maison M'Elise wants to make a statement against the exploitative production of fashion. To lead by example, they only work with suppliers and craftsmen that work under healthy and humane conditions, with certified materials such as biological and fair-trade cotton. The brand wants the entire line of production, from the beginning to the end, to be clean, humane and sustainable.

Martijn Roos & Maison M'Elise

Together, we worked on a photo series that presents a masterpiece made by Maison M'Elise, inspired by the old Dutch paintings. As Maaike from Maison M'Elise put it into words:

“Supreme craftsmanship and the technique of 'layering' fabric as paint.
Achieving a sense of depth and richness unlike anything else...
A nod to the classical Dutch master painters.”⁠

This wedding dress was made for Olimpia Cheung, model for this photo series. She proudly wore it on her wedding day.