Small Business Stories: Senja By Maddie

This week, BRICKS meets fashion designer and brand founder Maddie Sellers to hear how she grew her brand organically online through community fostering.

We’re back with our latest instalment of our Small Business Stories series, learning how independent makers have launched their brands without corporate backing or nepo-connections. This week, we meet Maddie Sellers, fashion designer and creator of Senja by Maddie (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). Founded during lockdown in January 2021, Sellers launched her brand selling upcycled and hand-made garments to friends, which slowly grew into scheduled monthly drops and made-to-order garments. 

Maddie has since developed the brand’s vibrant aesthetic through different dye techniques, original prints and sunset tones, each paying homage to her Indonesian heritage. The brand’s knitwear pieces are crafted in London by Maddie’s small team, ensuring almost zero waste when making each made-to-order garment. Keeping true to the brand’s upcycling roots, celebrating pre-loved clothing through second-hand coats and cardigans that she sources before attaching her signature fluffy trims, adding individual touches that make each upcycled garment one of a kind.

As the brand has grown, Maddie’s work has become a staple across London’s independent designer pop-ups, leading her to host her own and collaborate with other indie brands. Individuality remains at the core of Maddie’s design ethos, so in 2024 – following the success of new, heat-printed t-shirts, skirts and dresses – she began hosting workshops with her community, allowing attendees to customise their own unique styles using her drawings and designs, as well as a place to foster connection among her customers.

Yesterday, the independent brand launched its first SS25 drop, Summer in the City, a fusion of Maddie’s Indonesian heritage and the dynamic energy of London. This duality shapes her designs, creating pieces that feel effortless both in a tropical escape and the heart of the city. The collection features three newly-developed prints – a blooming macro-photo floral print, a dappled print utilising the same floral photographs, and a mixed sunset stripe print – accessorised with pink frilled trims, asymmetric details and lace hems. You can shop the collection here (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), and details for her next print workshop can be found here (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

Below, Maddie shares how she developed her brand aesthetic, the importance of creating a like-minded community and the value of storytelling for emerging designers.