our story

MAEMAE is a New York City based line grown from an obsession with design, a need to create, and a compulsion to break with the industry standard of producing and pushing too much too often. 

The limited ready-to-wear collection consists of seasonless pieces. This finite production is supported by hand-embellished basics and one-of-a-kind upcycled garments made from vintage linens and textiles.

MAEMAE evokes a pre-Internet experience, encouraging an expression of individuality and promoting the curation of responsible, cherished wardrobes.

Designer Chloe Bernbach earned her BFA in apparel at RISD and has spent over 2 decades in the NYC fashion industry as a designer, stylist, pattern maker, and seamstress. She has also spent a lifetime as a collector, accumulating an eclectic source of inspiration. She exercises her expertise in technical design across many mediums to expand on the perception of wearable, timeless clothing, infusing her design with a sense of edgy glamour and individuality.

Expanding her creative vision beyond apparel, Chloe joined forces with her husband Matthew to launch Bernbach Studio, showcasing a collection of fine jewelry that mirrors MAEMAE's ethos of timelessness and individuality. Using precious stones and metals, Bernbach Studio crafts refined pieces with an edge, further embodying the belief that confidence is the ultimate accessory. 

Together, MAEMAE and Bernbach Studio offer a comprehensive approach to personal style, inviting wearers to fully embrace their role as the lead character in their own epic story.

Confidence is chic. We are born cast as our own lead character. Let’s be epic and dress the part.