Founded in 2020 by Mara McGinley, Mara the Label is an LA- based sustainable fashion brand. The seasonless designs feature vibrant patterns and luxe textures with a vintage-inspired flair; think resort-ready matching sets, jumpsuits, and floaty dresses. Mara the Label strives to reduce their environmental impact through limited batch local production with deadstock textiles. All garments are made in LA with natural fabrics such as silk, viscose, and linen.
Mara the Label Questionnaire
- What inspired you to start your own label? Was fashion always a part of your professional journey, or did you come from a different background?
- I was inspired to start my own fashion label because I had taken a Design course in Sustainability and wanted to develop a brand that created sustainable clothing. I studied Design for undergrad and wanted to create designs that moved with you in your life. I enrolled in Fashion Design at FIDM and learned the entire process of developing collections and how to launch a brand.
- Launching Mara the Label at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic must have come with significant challenges. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced during that time?
- Yes, it was challenging, however, I had began working on building my brand about 2 years prior. It was a dream of mine to move to Los Angeles and launch a sustainable clothing brand after graduating FIDM. I worked for about 2 years developing patterns, samples and sourcing before I launched.
- I had planned my first photoshoot before the lockdown began in March without knowing the pandemic was about to happen. Since I had done the photoshoot right before, I was able to prepare to launch my collection that summer in July with all the images we had shot. I had done a production run of oversized tees and samples of the other collections. I was able to start posting the collection that summer and began taking orders that fall with local production. My friends and family were excited I launched my business and that provided some momentum.
- Once the pandemic restrictions began to lift, I looked for alternative ways to join fashion communities. Through that time, I met people who were hosting pop up markets and made so many wonderful friends through the journey of doing pop ups and becoming an entrepreneur.
- When I launched, I was still working full-time at my 9-5 job so it allowed flexibility for me to develop my brand without as much pressure of solely relying on the business.
- Mara the Label embraces seasonless fashion, a concept that can often be misunderstood. How do you define seasonless fashion, and why is it central to your brand?
- I took inspiration from my name, Mara, which translates to salt water and I wanted to align with the lifestyle of coastal, resort wear. living in Los Angeles, the weather is typically warm. You can wear a dress year round if styled correctly.
- Your brand is built on using eco-friendly deadstock fabrics. What motivated you to create a sustainable fashion label, and why was this approach important to you?
- I took a sustainable design course in college and realized how much of an impact designers can make on consumerism and product. I wanted to try and be part of a solution when it comes to offering chic sustainable fashion. There are better ways to create products than the way fast fashion companies do. The clothing we wear impacts our health too. I was really motivated to create a sustainable fashion label, because I wanted to create beautiful clothing that was well-made, locally and with premium materials with a focus on deadstock. Most of the fabrics I work with are: silk, linen and viscose. It’s important to me to try and find an alternative solution to fast fashion.
- What advice would you give to someone wanting to build a sustainable wardrobe without feeling overwhelmed?
- Start with a silk slip in black and a viscose set you can wear at home or out. I think those are staple items you can get a lot of wear out of. Then you can pair in vintage too for styling alternatives with jackets.
- Which designer do you find most inspiring, and what is it about their work or philosophy that resonates with you?
- I find Hedi Slimane when he was at Yves Saint Laurent incredibly inspiring. I loved his attention to detail, storytelling and ability to deliver an edgy, luxurious collection.
- What’s on the horizon for Mara the Label? Can you share any exciting plans or projects coming up?
- Tomorrow I am bringing products to a new boutique in Laguna Beach and doing my SS25 photoshoot next week in Laguna as well. I’m excited to launch the new collection within a couple weeks and am looking to expand into more retail locations.
