It’s all about going the extra 1% for designer Jessica Maxey. The London native initially launched her sustainable label, 101%, in 2021, inspired by the growing need for eco-conscious fashion options. “Starting a brand whilst knowing how unsustainable the fashion industry meant that using sustainable fabrics was non-negotiable for us from the beginning,” explains Maxey in conversation with 1883. “This was a much bigger investment at first in terms of time & production. The lack of supply really highlighted the limited use of sustainable fabrics in clothing which made us more determined to invest in these materials.”
Maxey’s journey in fashion began at Central Saint Martins in London, later taking her to Paris, where she worked at American Vogue, as well as with brands such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria Beckham, and Swarovski. It wasn’t until relocating to Mexico City during the pandemic, though, that inspiration struck. “Mexico City has a very unique & special culture which naturally influenced the brand,” says Maxey. Influenced by the city’s intense climate, Maxey explored the practicality of performance fabrics. “It is a lot more experimental and more creative than cities I’ve previously known. I’m sure this led to us taking more risks in terms of colour and pattern, but also in fabrication, with the hotter climate here, we’ve been prioritizing temperature-regulating fabrics and making sure to include lighter weight pieces, alongside our heavier weight pieces which were designed for a consumer in a ‘grey’ city.”
She also drew inspiration from unexpected sources like architecture and industrial design. Now the brand is renowned for its architectural prints with 101% incorporating designs inspired by iconic structures, such as the mosaic-like patterns of Paris’ Pompidou Centre and New York’s Seagram Building. The brand’s forward-thinking collections are developed in collaboration with Mexican architect and co-founder Fernando Romero.
“We heavily collaborated with Fernando’s architecture studio, FR-EE, in setting up the brand, most notably through the origin team being made up of predominantly architects with no fashion background,” states Maxey. “This led us to approach the creation of the brand from an architectural perspective rather than a traditional fashion approach. As a result, architecture is a part of everyday conversation: new buildings, architectural styles, and environments. This inevitably influences all decisions and aspects of the brand – originally the influence was more conceptual, but gradually we made it more obvious through direct patterns of buildings or projects that inspired the collection.”
For the brand’s FW24 collection, Maxey explored the different ways both feminity and comfort can still be achieved and embraced through their garments, regardless of whatever active, urban lifestyle the wearer lives. With its signature circle cut-out logo — a quiet rebellion against traditional branding — 101% continues to carve its own path in the world of performance wear. The FW24 Collection is equal parts innovative and precise, designed for those who refuse to choose between style, comfort, and performance, each piece reflects the brand’s commitment to a modern, fast-paced urban lifestyle.
As part of the campaign, Maxey and FR-EE opted to use designer chairs in the photography to represent how they view 101% attire. “The use of striking “design” chairs in the shoot, represents a similar way that we see our garments – merging ergonomic design with contemporary form, but ultimately providing the user with comfort, in this collection, we aimed for something more feminine in terms of silhouettes while maintaining something that felt true to the brand’s ethos.”
Still, sustainability is at the heart of 101%. Ensuring that the brand’s main ethos — crafting garments that both push the boundaries of ethical and sustainable fashion — is Maxey’s goal, embedded in every fibre and stitch. Core garments are crafted from GRS-certified recycled nylon, sourced from pre- and post-consumer waste, and produced by their team in Mexico City.
“We launched our first collection with 100% ECONYL® regenerated nylon, which is made using waste that would otherwise pollute the earth,” explains Maxey. “As well as being water-repellent, the fabric also had an anti-bacterial finish made from natural peppermint oil which kills 99.9% bacteria. This was an exciting step for us as it proved we didn’t have to sacrifice performance capabilities for sustainability. Functionality was also a non-negotiable for us as our mission focused on creating garments for the city which are as performance-oriented as something you would wear up a mountain or to a gym. We always want to focus on fabrics that complement the way we live today.”
For more information and to view the FW24 Collection, visit 101p100.com and follow 101% on Instagram.
