Clothing in Use - The Language of Maara Studio

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Where Colour Holds
Maara Studio by Izabela Barbaric

written LE MILE

Maara Studio takes shape through a way of working that stays close to the garment itself and to how it is worn. Founded by Izabela Barbaric, the label develops through decisions that remain tied to the piece rather than building a fixed vocabulary.

Maara Studio

Maara Studio

Colour enters the collections with a clarity rooted in presence. It holds the garment in place, allowing it to register immediately while remaining connected to the body wearing it. The effect is direct, with a controlled sense of staging.

A similar precision runs through the way garments are imagined in relation to specific people. Many pieces are connected to women from Barbaric’s own circle, as a way of thinking through posture, gesture and how a piece is carried. This thinking informs proportion, material and colour at a level that remains embedded in the garment itself, without resolving into fixed characters or narratives.

Material and production follow these conditions, with small editions produced through Italian ateliers keeping the process close to the object so adjustments remain traceable and decisions do not disappear in scale. Fabrics such as silk, cotton and linen are selected for how they respond in wear, how they hold shape without fixing it, and how they shift over time. What emerges is a way of approaching femininity that does not need to be defined in advance. It takes shape through use and through how a garment holds together while being worn. In the following conversation, Izabela Barbaric speaks about how this approach developed and how it continues to inform Maara Studio.

Maara Studio

Maara Studio

Maara Studio

LE MILE
When did your design language reach a point where it needed its own label? Was there a decisive moment, or did that step take shape gradually? And how closely is that founding impulse tied to the assured femininity your work expresses today?

Izabela Barbaric
The desire was there from an early age. As a child, I used to flip through catalogues and magazines and knew I wanted to be part of that world. At first, I took a different path, worked, gained experience, and saw a lot, but something creative was always missing.
During the pandemic, that thought became more concrete. The turning point came in a conversation with a friend who simply asked why I wasn’t doing it. I didn’t have an answer. In that moment, I realised there was no real reason not to, so I started. Confident femininity was never a concept to me, it was always a feeling. For me, it is less about an external image and more about an inner attitude: taking space, being present, and not adapting.
Over time, that feeling became more defined through the process itself, through making decisions, but also through moments of uncertainty. That attitude was always there, but it only became tangible through building my own label.

Looking back at your earlier years — before Maara existed — what did you believe fashion could give you that it perhaps couldn’t at the time? And has that belief changed?

Fashion has always been a way for me to express mood and personality. It is about feeling comfortable, moving freely, and dressing intuitively rather than according to expectations.
That sense of freedom is still at the core of my work today. If anything, it has become even stronger.

Colour plays a central role in your collections. It feels deliberate, almost defiant in its openness. What does that luminosity mean to you beyond its immediate visual impact?

Colour represents joy to me, but it is also a statement. It expresses presence, confidence, and a certain independence from the need to conform. Colour always carries an attitude. At the same time, it is a form of communication. It influences how a look is perceived, the mood it carries, and how present it feels.
Sometimes colour is an intuitive decision, sometimes it is used more consciously to create contrast or a sense of calm. It also helps structure my collections by creating connections or, in some cases, intentional breaks.

Much of contemporary fashion operates through irony or conceptual distance. Against that backdrop, Maara feels direct and sensual. Is that a conscious choice? And what does that directness allow you to express that might otherwise get lost?

Yes. I believe in honesty in expression. Clothing should connect and evoke something without needing explanation. That directness makes it accessible, while still remaining deeply personal.

Maara Studio
portrait of designer and founder Izabela Barbaric

Maara Studio

Who do you design for? And how does that presence — real or imagined — influence the way a piece takes shape?

I design for individuals. I often have a friend or an important woman in my life in mind, her presence, her way of living, the way she presents herself, how she wears colour, and how she wants to be perceived. Clothing should enhance that personality, not overshadow it. It is about presence, confidence, and a sense of joy.
This idea directly shapes my designs, especially in terms of silhouette and proportion. Colour and material also come from this, because each piece needs to adapt to the person, not the other way around.

When you design, how consciously are you thinking about the body? Is movement something you construct deliberately, or does it emerge intuitively as the piece develops?

The feeling on the body is essential. A piece needs to feel natural and move with the wearer. When that works, everything else follows almost automatically. I think about the body and movement very early in the process. It is not something that comes at the end, it accompanies the design from the beginning. There is always a moment where I test how a piece falls, how it moves, and whether it supports the body or restricts it. Many decisions are made at that point.

Several of your pieces carry the names of women from your own circle. What shifts in your process when a garment is connected to someone you know personally? For you, is friendship more a source of inspiration, a space of resonance — or at times even a form of corrective?

It makes the process more personal. I think about real characters, their energy, their presence, and shared memories that are meaningful to me. Friendship is a strong source of inspiration for me because it strengthens each person in their own identity. That is essential.
At the same time, these relationships create a kind of resonance. They influence how I see my designs, how I develop them further, and sometimes how I question them. It is less about direct feedback and more about a shared understanding that shapes the process.

What does working in small editions allow you to preserve? And when does limitation start to feel like a conscious choice rather than a constraint?

It keeps me close to the product. I can work more consciously, make more precise decisions, and preserve the uniqueness of each piece. This creates something more personal and less interchangeable.

When working with small Italian ateliers, where does quality become non-negotiable for you — in the material, in the cut, in the finishing, or in something less tangible?

Everything.
Quality reveals itself in the details, in the materials, the cut, the craftsmanship, and above all in the fit. That is where I take the time it needs. For me, it also means paying close attention to the construction of a garment, how it is built, how cleanly it is made, and how well it holds its shape over time. That is where the difference really lies.

Croatian roots, Italian production — how present is that duality in your thinking? And where does it surface most clearly in the design itself?

For me, Croatia represents boldness, freedom, and a very vivid understanding of fashion, a way of expressing oneself and embracing life.
Italy, on the other hand, stands for precision, craftsmanship, and uncompromising quality. Both cultures carry a strong female energy, as an attitude, as a presence, as something natural. A woman as the centre, as a driving force, as someone who shapes rather than follows. This duality also becomes visible in the design itself, in the interplay between strong colours and clear silhouettes, between expression and controlled construction. That tension defines my work.

— Explore the Full Collection at www.maara-studio.com
all images seen by Karolina Golis, beauty by Anna Winkel for Maara Studio

SALZWASSER - Lennart Henze on Sustainable Fashion

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From the Coast to the Studio

*How SALZWASSER Turns Simplicity Into a Design Language

written SARAH ARENDTS

SALZWASSER was born where the wind carries salt across the shore and the horizon never ends. Founded in 2019 on the North Sea island of Norderney, SALZWASSER marks its sixth anniversary. What began on the coast has grown into a Hamburg-based studio that continues to work within Europe, maintaining short production routes and close collaborations.

Each piece starts with material selection: Merino wool, organic cotton, linen. Natural fibers chosen for their quality and origin. Production takes place in Italy, Portugal, and Germany, where every step is clearly defined and carried out with consistency. The result is clothing designed to last, made without synthetics, focused on fit, proportion, and longevity. The current collection continues this approach with knitwear made entirely from Merino wool — soft, breathable, and structurally stable for years of wear.

SALZWASSER
founder: Lennart Henze

Sarah Arendts
What was the starting point for the special quality that defines the brand today?

Lennart Henze
For me, it all begins with a deep love for good products — for things that stay with you for a long time and get better every day. I realized early on that true quality is never a coincidence; it comes from patience, care, and the courage to leave nothing to chance.
I’m fascinated by materials, construction, and tactile experiences — how a fabric falls, how a knit breathes. SALZWASSER was born out of this dedication: the ambition to create clothing that feels substantial, is impeccably crafted, and is not designed for just one season but for a life full of good moments.

The new knit styles made from 100% Merino wool expand your core collection. How did the idea for this collection develop?

The collection emerged from the desire to use natural materials in their purest form.
Merino comes with natural properties: temperature-regulating, soft, breathable — and without any synthetics, it performs better than many technical fibers.
After our more distinctive, technical-looking half-zip sweaters, we wanted to create knits that are even more reduced: simple crewnecks with subtle knit structures — understated and timeless.
Once again, made as a mono-material: no synthetics, 100% Merino wool. For us, this was a logical step — moving away from synthetics and towards a pure, natural material world that harnesses the best performance nature has to offer.

Your half-zip sweaters have long become synonymous with SALZWASSER. When did you realize they were more than just a classic pullover?

When I noticed that we hadn’t just adapted a classic half-zip — we had reimagined it.
The half-cardigan structure, used inside-out, the modern, slightly looser cut — that’s what made it unique. Bolder, more contemporary. And then came the decision to produce entirely without synthetics and even achieve GOTS certification — something rare in this category.
The fact that the sweater was so well received and that we were able to expand it twice through crowdfunding showed us that people value the full package: natural fibers and sustainability, quality, and European production.

Italy, Germany, Portugal — what connects these places for you?

First of all: quality and craftsmanship. Each of these countries has its own textile handwriting, and we value them all. Germany is our home, where everything began — on Norderney, in the far north. Portugal is a place of longing and inspiration for me — the coast, the light, the calm. Italy brings its own warmth and elegance — and a precise textile tradition.
And, of course, there’s something else connecting them: a transparent European supply chain.
Shorter routes, more personal relationships, responsible production. These places are part of our identity — reflected in our colors, our aesthetics, and our sense of nature and timelessnes.

How do you prevent sustainability from becoming rhetoric?

By not treating it as marketing, but as a mindset. And by enabling people to understand what real responsibility means: natural materials, European manufacturing, transparency. For us, sustainability isn’t a concept — it’s our starting point.

Where does design begin for you?

Design begins for us with reduction and responsibility. We follow a circular textile design approach, focusing on mono-materials, natural fibers instead of synthetics, and long-lasting construction. At the same time, we aim to create a stronger emotional connection to each piece — through timeless, minimalist forms that people can truly live with.
We don’t think in seasonal cycles or collections, but work on a continuous range. Our vision is clear: Focus on Essentials. Design evolves through subtraction — until only what is meaningful, beautiful, and lasting remains.

Timelessness — more about endurance or calm?

For me, timelessness is calm — and from that, endurance follows. A calm cut, reduced details, natural tones that never shout.

What role do places play — sea, light, the North?

SALZWASSER was born on the rough northern coasts. Coasts have always been places of longing and calm. Traditionally, people living by the sea have mastered a slow, minimalist, and simple way of life. They value durable gear and meaningful experiences with nature — they focus on what truly matters. With a contemporary design approach, SALZWASSER translates this lifestyle and mindset into modern everyday clothing — for city, countryside, and coast. It reminds people of moments of longing and allows a return to what’s essential. Focus on Essentials.

What should people feel when they wear SALZWASSER?

Freedom.

Calm.

And focus on what truly matters.

SALZWASSER
www.salzwasser.eu

based in Hamburg, Germany
designing timeless essentials from natural fibers — all made in Europe

At SALZWASSER, sustainability means durability, repairability, and transparent production within Europe. Every decision, from the yarn to the finished garment, follows this logic. The aesthetic remains consistent, defined by quiet lines, natural tones and functional clarity. As the brand enters its sixth year, SALZWASSER reaffirms its commitment to creating garments built for purpose and time.

Inside Shop Like You Give a Damn - Sustainable Fashion

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SHOP LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN
*A Department Store for the Future of Compassion

written AMANDA MORTENSON

Shop Like You Give a Damn was founded by Alex Jansen, Kim van Langelaar, and Stephan Stegeman to make ethical choices straightforward. Early on, the team tried to verify the ethical claims of brands they admired and discovered that reliable data to separate intention from reality was missing.

Together with a tech partner, they built an AI-supported assessment framework and tested it on a selection of the most ethical brands, but none met every criterion. The lesson became their principle of better, not perfect. The platform has been 100 percent vegan since day one and curates brands around three non-negotiable pillars of animals, people and planet. Its goal is progress backed by proof, with transparency throughout the production chain, fair labour and a smaller footprint. The team has assessed thousands of labels, works closely with more than 150 of them and continues to raise the bar through dialogue, evidence and clear standards.

DAWN

Shop Like You Give A Damn
founding team: Kim van Langelaar, Stephan Stegeman, and Alex Jansen

Amanda Mortenson
“Better, not perfect” is a central idea behind what you want to communicate. How did this become a guiding philosophy for Shop Like You Give a Damn, and how do you embody it in your decisions?

Stephan Stegeman
“Better, not perfect” became our mantra after an eye-opening experience early in our journey. About five years ago, we set out to verify every ethical claim our brands were making. We give a damn about animals, people and the planet, so it was crucial to ensure every brand on our platform truly aligned with our values — always vegan, fair and as sustainable as possible.

But we quickly hit a roadblock: there wasn’t enough reliable information to say with confidence which brands were genuinely better than conventional fast fashion. That uncertainty kept us up at night. Then a tech startup approached us with an AI-driven tool to verify sustainability claims. We worked together for six months to build a framework and tested it on what we thought were the hundred most ethical brands. The results were humbling — not a single one met all our criteria.

That experience crystallised our philosophy. If we chased perfection, we’d have no brands left to support, and that helps no one. So we decided to champion progress — brands that are proudly vegan, treat workers fairly and work to minimise their environmental impact. Every decision we make starts with asking: is this better for animals, people and the planet? If yes, it’s on the right path. We’ve now assessed over two thousand brands, using that knowledge to keep raising the bar and helping good ones get even better.

In your view, what are the biggest misconceptions people have about “sustainable fashion” and veganism?

One of the biggest misconceptions about sustainable fashion is that it’s actually sustainable. It isn’t — at best, it’s a less harmful version of regular fashion. Producing new clothing always consumes materials, water and energy, and generates waste and emissions. The fashion industry still accounts for around ten percent of global carbon emissions — more than all international flights and shipping combined.

The most sustainable choice is not buying new clothes at all. Using what you already have longer and consuming less is the best way to reduce impact. After that comes reusing, swapping or buying second-hand. If you must buy new, choose responsible brands that use better materials and fair production.

When it comes to vegan fashion, many people don’t realise it’s more than diet — it’s also about what we wear. Materials like wool, silk and leather all involve animal suffering and serious environmental costs. Wool, for instance, often involves painful procedures like mulesing and enormous water use. Leather isn’t just a by-product of meat — it’s its own industry, with chemical-heavy tanning that harms both workers and ecosystems. True vegan fashion means avoiding all animal materials and choosing plant-based or innovative alternatives, from organic cotton to apple, mushroom or cactus leather. It’s not impact-free, but it’s far less harmful.

When you look at materials, what trade-offs do you see most often, and which ones surprise people the most?

When you start really looking into materials, you realise there’s no such thing as a perfect one. Every fabric comes with trade-offs — it’s about choosing what does the least harm while moving the industry in a better direction.
Many people are surprised to learn that most vegan leathers still include some form of plastic, like polyurethane. That’s not ideal, but compared to animal leather — which involves suffering, toxic tanning and high emissions — a responsibly made PU- or bio-based leather is still a better choice.

The same goes for plant-based fabrics. Cotton sounds sustainable because it’s natural, but conventional cotton is extremely water- and pesticide-intensive. Organic cotton is better, but not perfect. Recycled fibres and low-impact blends help, yet they depend on proper recycling systems that don’t exist at scale.

What surprises people most is that natural doesn’t automatically mean sustainable, and synthetic doesn’t always mean bad. A “natural” fibre like wool or silk can have major animal rights and environmental issues, while a recycled polyester might have a smaller footprint if it’s kept in circulation.

At Shop Like You Give a Damn, we try to navigate those grey areas honestly. We look for what’s vegan, fair and more sustainable — accepting imperfection while supporting innovation. Real progress happens not when we find one flawless material but when the entire industry shifts its mindset from exploitation to responsibility.

How do you draw the line between what’s “good enough” and what’s still too problematic?

For us, the line starts with being 100 percent vegan — that’s non-negotiable. From there, we ask whether something is genuinely better than the mainstream alternative. That means no greenwashing, no empty buzzwords — just real, evidence-based improvement.

We have clear internal guidelines on what materials we accept. Products must be made from fabrics that are not harmful to animals and significantly less harmful to people and the planet. On labour, it gets more complex. Ideally, every worker earns a living wage, but not every region is there yet. Sometimes a verified minimum wage plus transparent progress toward a living wage can be acceptable for now. The key word is progress.

So “good enough” doesn’t mean perfect; it means effort, transparency and direction. If a brand is vegan, pays fairly and uses better materials, we’re happy to stand behind them. But if any of those pillars — animals, people or the planet — are missing, it’s not good enough.

You require sellers to adhere to your values. How do you support them in improving over time?

When we assess brands, we ask a lot of difficult questions and explain why certain choices don’t meet our standards yet. Even if a brand isn’t ready to join us right away, we often see them come back after improving.

We’re now working with over 150 brands, so we have a good understanding of where they tend to struggle and what helps them grow. Our goal is to use that shared knowledge to bring brands together, because this isn’t a competition. If we want to change the fashion industry, we need to do it collectively. One twig breaks easily, but a bundle doesn’t. That’s how we see ethical fashion — as a community. In the near future, we want to invest even more in that network, helping brands learn from each other and expand our collective impact.

KnowledgeCotton Apparel

Kings of Indigo

How do you communicate nuance or “imperfection” to your customers, without alienating or confusing them?

We try to be as factual and transparent as possible. That means saying we’re “more sustainable,” not “sustainable.” It might sound small, but it matters. Every product has an impact, and the goal is to make that impact smaller — not to pretend it doesn’t exist.

We remove vague or misleading claims like “eco-friendly” unless there’s real proof. And we make sure our language never excludes or offends anyone. Ethical shopping should feel approachable, not moralising. When people buy from us, we want them to know they’re making one of the best choices available — not a perfect one, but a conscious one that’s better for animals, people and the planet.

Recently, Shop Like You Give a Damn acquired the website of NOAH Italian Vegan Shoes. What motivated that move, and how will you integrate its legacy?

Our decision came from deep respect for NOAH’s pioneering role in vegan fashion and a shared desire to carry its mission forward. Founded in 2009, NOAH spent sixteen years proving that high-quality design can be completely vegan and ethical. It was one of the first brands we partnered with after our launch in 2018 and had long been a pillar of the community.

When NOAH announced its closure, we didn’t want that legacy to disappear. By acquiring its website, we can ensure that everything it built continues — its vision of compassionate, high-quality vegan fashion will live on and reach new audiences.

As you scale, what are the hardest tensions you face?

One of the hardest parts of running a sustainable company is making choices that are good for sustainability but bad for business. We’ve onboarded brands that customers love but later had to remove because they no longer met our standards.

It’s tough, because building a truly ethical business is difficult. Many brands and platforms have disappeared for that reason. But to make a real impact, a company also needs to earn enough to sustain its team. Only then can it continue to drive change. Balancing credibility and survival is never easy, but it’s essential.

What keeps you and your team motivated?

Most people in our company are vegan for the animals, and that shapes everything we do. It’s about compassion — making sure we don’t exploit people or destroy the planet. Even in hard times, when resources are tight or things get complicated, those values keep us inspired and focused on why we started this in the first place.

Looking ahead five to ten years, what do you dream Shop Like You Give a Damn could become?

I hope that in the next decade we’ll be the leading vegan, fair and sustainable fashion marketplace in the world. I want us to continue raising awareness about the problems in fast fashion while offering people an easy, enjoyable and trustworthy alternative.

KOMODO

SUITE13LAB

SHOP LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN
www.shoplikeyougiveadamn.com

based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
offering over 20,000 vegan, fair and sustainable products

A recent step reflects that approach with the acquisition of the website of NOAH Italian Vegan Shoes, preserving the legacy of a pioneer in vegan fashion and keeping its mission accessible. For Stephan, it comes down to building a credible way to buy with less harm, buy better and keep compassion at the center of commerce.

Kuyichi

Thinking MU

Rotholz