In a marketing era where consumer relations mean everything, brands are constantly chasing authenticity, and Los Angeles-based accessories label Heaven Mayhem has taken a decisive step beyond the traditional playbook, placing its community not just at the heart of the conversation but at the centre of creation itself.
The brand’s newly announced Office Essentials Collection marks a first for the brand: a fully co-designed line shaped over six months by a global network of community members spanning locations across Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, and New York. Rather than relying solely on internal design teams, founder Pia Mance invited her audience into the design process through a series of private Zoom design panels, transforming the brand’s community into active collaborators:
“From day one, we’ve made it a priority to involve our community as much as possible. We treat them like true VIPs, not just as customers but as collaborators. Inviting them onto the design panel felt like a natural extension of that relationship. At the end of the day, they are the ones wearing the product, so their voice genuinely matters.”
Participants were actively engaged and involved in every stage of the design process, with the members being sent physical design catalogues to annotate, critique, and reimagine. These members were able to vote on everything from colourways, silhouettes, to the naming of each piece, embedding a sense of ownership into every single aspect of the new collection. The outcome of this process is a tight edit of city girl office essentials: laptop cases, journals, updated Vesper sunglasses, and the brand’s long-awaited phone cases.
Pia Mance explained:“We invite feedback earlier, building in moments where the community can influence decisions, or even leaving space for interpretation so people can make the product feel like their own. It shifts the role of the customer from passive buyer to active participant.”
Beyond the product itself lies a redefinition of authorship in fashion and accessories, with each item in the collection named after one of the four cities that informed its creation: Amaro (Milan), Sable (Los Angeles), Jude (New York), and Merlot (Paris). At its core, the collection embodies the “city girl” archetype with its hero pieces, particularly the limited edition laptop cases designed to be functional yet refined, made to carry essentials but also reflect identity.
“We approached each case as a reflection of the women who define these places. Each design is less about the place itself and more about the attitude and identity of the women who move through these cities.”
Co-creation has long been discussed as a key strategy for building brand loyalty, but few brands execute it with great detail and transparency. By involving customers at every stage and crediting their influence, Heaven Mayhem has turned its product launch into a shared community milestone.
“Involving our community at that level brought in perspectives and details I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. It challenged certain assumptions, but in a way that made the end result feel more considered and well-rounded” says Mance.
The Office Essentials Collection will be available to shop at www.heavenmayhem.com on April 23rd at 9:00 AM PST with prices ranging from $10 – $180 USD.
