Luxury Plant-Based Accessories Brand Marici Launch Exclusively In Selfridges

One thing we can all agree on, despite the pandemic, it has not stopped us from following our dreams, achieving our goals or for some of us to embrace the courage to build a brand with a positive vision and watch it succeed as it unfolds. That is the case for the remarkable luxury brand Marici, as it takes its perfect spot exclusively in the spotlight by launching their collection in the renowned department store Selfridges, joining their luxury design concept titled Project Earth.

Among the chaos and hardships of the pandemic last year of 2020, Marici began its unique journey by a group of friends getting together to sustain the importance of mother Earth and craft at all costs. Known as the Collective, these group of women have made the decision to set an example of finding new and interesting ways to create innovative, timeless products by striking a balance between good quality, the environment and luxury design.

However, with exciting times ahead has since flourished into the world’s first exclusive luxury plant-based vegan accessories brand. The words you would use to describe Marici is good quality, luxury and environmentally friendly. This message has been a part of the brand’s strong philosophy from the beginning.

“We hope to create an elevated luxury product that offers low environmental impact and high social responsibility. To offer a kinder alternative to Mother Earth whilst not compromising on aesthetics and quality” - The Collective

Using the material Pinatex, made from upcycled plant fibres, the material offers the Marici brand good quality and a conscious change to leather. The Pinatex material obtained by farmers who gathered off-cuts of the fabric from the pineapple industry. Whilst in production, oppose to using harmful fossil fuels and plastics, the material was used for upcycling and has since aided in the process of transforming into a unique nostalgic luxury stunning creations, handcrafted by a team of talented Venetian craftsmen for a finalised impeccable modern finish accessory.

As an awe-inspiring brand, it is evident that Marici has a passion for the products they have created and produced a revolutionary item that could make a change for the better. They continue to follow their goals in creating a product enthused by style, luxury and encouraging a conscious buzzing positive change to benefit their audience and the environment.

Behind the pioneering brand, we at New Wave Magazine fire up some questions for the founders Amanda and Leila which have so kindly provided us with an insight into the vision that has paved the way through the brand Marici being the perfect example in showing a positive impact in the fashion industry.

1) Congratulations on the launch of your new product! What is your inspiration for designing luxury plant-based accessories?

Thank you so much! I am equally excited and nervous! I have always loved artisanal craftsmanship – I love products from the 30s-70s where we can see phenomenal craftsmanship and small details. Unfortunately, due to industrialization and fast fashion, traditional craftsmanship is disappearing and even many luxury brands are mass-produced and in so many point of sales, it is no longer artisanal nor exclusive.

It is important to me to preserve traditional craftsmanship that has been passed down in generations, and this is why we are only creating numbered limited-edition pieces that are made by the hands of master artisans preserving the luxury craft. I am really inspired by the invention of plant-based leathers and that Dr Carmen Hijosa spent 12 years on developing this material from existing resources that would have otherwise been a waste.

I also feel very passionate about this subject and to create awareness around plant-based alternatives as I felt there is a big misconception on buying “vegan leather” that is made from plastics – it’s an extremely cheap and environmentally damaging option made from toxins that take over a 1000 years to biodegrade, the material has a very short shelf life as well leading to more consumption and often mass-produced – whilst people would make the decision to be sustainable I think they were often misled to what they were purchasing which in essence was plastic made from fossil fuel.

So I wanted to work on a different alternative that is more a natural option with its source from earth and sun, it helps to upcycle waste, for every meter of our material we purchase we help to avoid 8kgs of Co2 from going into the atmosphere as the plants would have been burnt otherwise, our purchase helps farmers receive an additional income – we are combining the material of the future with heritage craft and hoping to have an impactful message that will make people think.

2) How does it feel to launch your brand in Selfridges this summer surrounding the craze of the pandemic?

It feels nice to have something positive happening! Obviously, it is challenging times when tourism is on such low and Selfridges is a huge tourist destination. I guess we just have to stay positive and do our best to ensure all goes well and take the time into consideration.

3) Have you always been interested in plant-based products?

No, I cannot say I have been, it is also a fairly new invention and I was one of the first people to come across as my dad attended the Danish sustainability summit and heard Dr Carmen Hijosa speak about her invention, I think that was one of her first appearances on Pinatex. So, I was lucky in the fact that my dad came across it. I fell in love with the aesthetics of the material – I love the metallic gold and silver and then when I read about the material and the story and impact I fell more in love and just felt passionate about sharing the story of a new and better alternative product on the market. I have always been engaged in a circular design economy mindset however which is also the philosophy the material we use is based upon.

4) How does it feel to create the first luxury plant-based accessory brand?

It does feel pretty good, to be honest, something to write home about and I hope it makes my parents proud and happy. It has also made me more confident in staying curious and to continue being explorative. On another note, I hope that it can also send a message to smaller brands have the strength of being more agile than bigger established brands, it is extremely hard for them to make big changes – so this is the advantage one and it is one for entrepreneurs to think about – we can lead the way and set trends as well.

5) Where does the name "Marici" originate from, is there a story behind the brand name?

So Marici is a Sanskrit word, and the direct translation is Ray of Light and directly associated with the Sun, a ray of light is hope. I was looking for a name that was related to the Sun for a few reasons, firstly the source of our material grows due to the Sun, secondly the Sun is the source of 99% of life and energy here on earth so in essence, we are all here on Earth because of the Sun and it is the same Sun that sets and goes down on all of us. I feel the world is divided by nationalities which are borders created through wars won or lost, we are divided by religion but in the end, we are all the same and unified by the Sun. I hope that we can all act as rays of light in each other’s lives, give each other hope. I hope we can coin be Marici, be a ray of light ;)

6) Which item is your favourite out of the luxury selection of Marici bags and why?

Honestly, I cannot answer that question, I love all the styles for different reasons, and it is hard to play favourites at this point in time!

7) Do you feel there was a gap in the market for plant-based accessories?

Yes, especially in the luxury category – Marici was created to fill that gap. Hermes has for example created 1 style of handbag made from plant-based leather so that is quite limiting for choice. We are in fact, the first plant-based alternative in Selfridges which is a department that is focused on offering sustainable choice.

8) Have you got any interesting projects coming up in the pipeline for the rest of the year?

Yes, we will be opening a standalone boutique on Draycott Avenue, so we are really excited about that! We are also developing beautifully scented candles as Marici means ray of light we felt that in line with the message of the brand – and I have always been obsessed with candles so that has been quite different and exciting for me!

9) What are your long-term goals going forward for the business?

My long-term goal is to have a long-standing successful partnership with Selfridges and together create more awareness around an elevated plant-based alternative – I like for the brand to remain exclusive, only offered in very few point of sales and for us to focus on relationships we have and focus on making them stronger.

10) Have you always been interested in the Fashion Industry?

I have always been interested in fashion – and now I am focusing on combining my interest in fashion together with making an impact as well and see how I can use fashion towards a positive use.

11) How would you describe your core values for the brand?

Our core values are equality and inclusivity. Respect for Mother Earth and integrity in craft and output.

12) In the future, will you be adding more product assortments to the Marici family?

Yes, we hope to be adding smaller accessories that we will be making from upcycling our waste created from our handbag production – as we produce, we are thinking of how we can minimize wastage created thereof – we are also creating a candle line as mentioned above.

13) What advice would you give to your younger self for starting a Fashion business?

To always ensure you have an accountant from the start and that you file all your expenses and have a clear overview of your financials J. Other than that I would say nothing will ever be perfect and to just follow your dreams and adapt as you go along – I waited quite a while before I started my own business because I was scared – there is no reason to be scared – one just have to make sure that the business is filling a gap and one will learn from mistakes as one goes along and those are invaluable lessons on how to improve – so I would say let go of fears.

Words by Charlene Foreman.