Mara Girone is a passionate traveller, advocate for feminism, and an artist, specialising in hand-embroidery and painting. She designs hand embroidered t-shirts and hoodies and silk scarves based on her original painting; she then adds powerful words to support, uplift and empower other women around the world.
The traveller side of her have lived and worked across the globe from Italy to Mexico, Portugal to Greece and London and have been inspired by the tapestry of life and many other strong women she has had the honour to meet in different places.
Apart from a brand owner, she is also the host of a weekly video show and podcast called ‘Empowering Voices’. Prior to opening the brand Simple Sophistication, she became the founder and manager of a publishing house working worldwide, which she truly enjoys.
How did you start your accessory brand?
At the age of 8, I fell in love with hand-embroidery and regularly returned to this art form throughout my life. I was living in Athens when I turned to hand-embroidery again and because this art became a defining gesture of my day-to-day life, I promised myself that I would not lose it again. And so, when I moved to London in 2017, I took a leap of faith, and with a full heart, I began this adventure of creating empowering hand-embroidery. I chose clothes, as it is something everyone has a need of, and they can inspire both the wearer and the watcher.
Mara Girone’s main sources of inspiration are nature, literature, museums and theatre.
Why do you do what you do? What do you like about your job?
The aim of my creations is to offer support and empowerment to women through beautifully crafted pieces with the addition of powerful words to wear. I like to call my accessories ‘fashion with a meaning’. I came to the realisation that the right mindset can be a very good ally or the worst enemy in our journey through life, so my creations are little reminders of our worthiness and of how unique and strong we are.
We would love to hear about how you connect with your clients.
I create ready to wear and bespoke pieces and what I love about what I do is that I get to connect with most of my customers on a very personal level. They feel the need to tell me their story and I am the proud receiver of their beautiful uniqueness.
What's your proudest moment in your accessory designer career? What makes you a happy artist?
My creative process involves taking to life an idea that came to knock at the door of my heart. When this happens, it is like magic coming out of me, but its value is made real only when my customers choose to wear my pieces. Only when I can share my art with others, I can feel that the creative process had a meaning and the circle closes.
Do you have any tips for the aspiring artists who want to start their own accessory brand?
When I am asked how and when I started it is always very difficult to give a very clear answer. I think an artist has always been an artist all their life, and then there are events in life that make it come to the surface. So, my suggestion is to nurture your passion, every moment, to have a vision, to have dreams and then chase them and grab them to make them true.
Don’t wait till tomorrow, your moment is now! You will never have the perfect moment to make it real, the perfect moment is when the idea comes and knocks to your heart.
Love,
London Accessory Week Team
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