Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/575200
120 BAL HARBOUR "I always look for a space that's special," says German-born designer Tomas Maier, discussing his new eponymous shop at Bal Harbour Shops. Located on the second floor, the space boasts a casual ambiance with clean white walls accented by wood display pieces designed by Maier and several furniture pieces by Danish designer Ole Wanscher. "I'm not a formal person," says Maier, sitting in his Midtown, Manhattan showroom on a sunny morning dressed in sneakers, jeans and a midnight navy T-shirt. "For me, individuality and easy dressing equates to relaxation and confidence." And more and more, that's the way Maier views fashion these days. The racks in his showroom are filled with easy-to-wear items, including a Japanese crepe jumpsuit, cashmere wrap cardigans, pull-on cords so soft they feel like sweatpants, and perfectly cut wool pea coats. "I don't need a suit and tie to feel good about myself," he says. When he isn't traveling the world or commuting from his pied-à- terre on New York City's Upper East Side to Bottega Veneta's Milan showroom for fashion fittings and shows, Maier lives between Palm Beach and Montauk, Long Island. These iconic seaside locales are decidedly less formal than the fashion capitals he frequents and, as such, they have wielded enormous influence on his designs. Of course, Maier still designs plenty of suits and ties for Bottega Veneta, the Italian luxury lifestyle brand where he has been creative director since 2001. But his own line is creatively closer to his own lifestyle. The new Tomas Maier boutique at Bal Harbour Shops IN DEFENSE OF CASUAL Tomas Maier brings his namesake label—and a fresh approach to wearable, touchable feel-good fashion—to Bal Harbour. BY KATE BETTS PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMAS MAIER