EPISODE 156 FEATURES MARA HOFFMAN
This week we sit down with New Yorker Mara Hoffman to find out how she turned her namesake brand into a sustainable fashion leader, what makes her tick - from astrology and to the inspirational beauty of Mother Earth, and being a mamma thinking about the next generation.
The MH brand does a bunch of cool stuff, like working with natural dyes and regenerative agriculture projects. There’s even a peer-to-peer preloved Mara Hoffman marketplace called Full Circle. They also work with a local social enterprise called Custom Collaborative that provides jobs and training for from low-income and immigrant communities.
In this warm discussion, Mara and Clare discuss why we still need physical stores and spaces to connect is in ways that aren’t quite the same online. The burden of physical stuff, the responsibility that comes being a designer today. And plants! And SATC legend Patricia Field. Enjoy! Mara is tops.
NOTES
ABOUT MARA HOFFMAN Mara Hoffman founded her label in 2000 after graduating from Parsons School of Design in New York City. Fifteen years later, the brand committed to implementing sustainable and responsible practices while remaining to present colorful collections inspired by and in celebration of women. To foster mindful consumption habits, the brand maintains an open conversation about its approach and encourages consumers to reevaluate the relationship society has with clothing. The company continues to focus on sustainable materials, processes, and production in order to improve and extend each garment’s life, and is a vocal and active advocate in seeking racial and social justice for the sake of a more equitable society.
NEW STORE The designer has just opened her first store in Soho, New York City.
This is from the press release:
“Independently-run, the brand’s raison d’être is intrinsic to Mara’s design philosophy, hands-on approach, responsible practices, and connection with her customer. Home to both brand and designer, New York was the natural choice for launching a retail ‘home base’. The store has been envisioned by Mara herself and the concept is built around her affinity for plants, realized through an ongoing collaboration with landscape designer Kari Elwell of Mingo Designs. A custom fabricated wooden frame mirror draped in palm fibers was created by botanical sculptor Lutfi Janania of Rosalia. Lighting fixtures were sourced from Noguchi. One-off vintage pieces infuse a feeling of in-residence. Mara’s process is layered and guided by creative instinct, much like furnishing a home. The result is more emotional and sensory than sleek and polished—a space of connection and welcome.”
Mara Hoffman, 183 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013
STARS The astrologer Mara mentions is Danielle Bernstein.
Mara’s brand was originally called CIRCLE. Full circle moment - she recently launched a pre-loved initiative - Full Circle Marketplace keeps timeless Mara Hoffman styles in circulation and out of the landfill. More here.
Mara Hoffman Spring 2019
SUSTAINABILITY ETHOS “The aim is to design and manufacture with greater care, to reduce impact on the planet, and generate awareness.” - Read more here.
DANA DAVIES is the brand’s vice president of sustainability. Watch their fab IG live on the practical work on implementing circularity measures here.
The NATURAL DYES capsule was created with Cara Marie Piazza in 2021. So pretty. Read about it on Wallpaper here.