By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
By any measure, designer Ariella Maizner has had a remarkable career, and now, her teen clothing line THEME is being picked up by retail giant Walmart this spring.
What is remarkable is that Maizner is experiencing this runaway success at the age of 12, after first seeing her fashion designs getting a major boost with fellow designers and social influencers. Her pieces have been worn by famous figures including Tik Tok sensations Charli and Dixie Damelio, stars Whitney Port, Tia Mowry and Karolina Kurkova, and fashion industry mainstays Rebecca Minkoff and Eva Chen.
By contrast, when I was 12, I was delivering newspapers to people’s homes on my bike, back when that was a thing.
“I always knew I wanted to be a designer,” says Maizner. “People asked me what I want to be when I grow up, but I didn’t want to wait to be me. So, I launched THEME for the dreamer in me.”
Maizner, aided by licensing agency Brand Central, who brokered the landmark deal, is launching a 21-piece tween collection at Walmart.com this spring. The collection is aptly named Theme by Ariella. Inspired by THEME’s iconic designs and custom tie-dye collection, Theme by Ariella features stylish sets and separates that Ariella designed for tweens and teens to stay on-trend at accessible, affordable prices.
“I’m excited and honored to launch this summer collection with Walmart and bring my vision to kids my age across the country at accessible prices,” Maizner says. “I believe that style is important and that when you feel good about yourself, you can succeed. My collection is all about that—feeling good and empowering people to go after their dreams to be whoever they want in life.”
Sizes range from girls’ 7/8 through 16 and feature three mix-and-match categories: Hanging Out, Sun Is Out and Working Out. Shop dresses, bathing suits, skirts, bike shorts, tees and more cast in THEME’s signature colorful tie-dye and punchy floral prints. The results—an unlimited amount of Instagram-ready styling options at a great new price point.
Ariella’s design path started at age six, when she began sewing handmade pieces from recycled fabric that she wore proudly to school and special events. Their popularity took off and soon Maizner started fulfilling custom orders. In 2018, at nine years—old, she started tie- dying clothing on the roof of her apartment, becoming an overnight online sensation and setting the current tie-dye trend in motion. The following year, in 2019, Ariella was the youngest designer to show at New York Fashion Week presented by Rent the Runway.
Along the way, Ariella and THEME have won the hearts of major influencers, celebrities, designers – but most importantly teens, tweens and parents alike. Collections consistently sell out and give back a portion of sales to non-profits. Ariella’s one-of-a-kind designs ship globally, and a selection have sold at high-end boutiques including Bloomingdales and Stoney Clover Lane.
In conjunction with the collection, Ariella has created a fun, behind-the-scenes social media campaign featuring her and her closest friends.