Marija Kulusic is a freelance fashion designer based in Zagreb, Croatia. Marija completed a fashion design degree and soon afterwards launched her brand in 2017.
“Since I was a child, I knew I wanted to do something fashion related, as I grew older it turned into fashion design. Clothes intrigued me, made me curious about how it’s made and how it looks from the inside.”
The dreams became the reality and now Marija is designing ready-to-wear womenswear and accessories.
Marija believes that it wasn’t that much of a challenge to create the brand but to keep it alive is so much harder. “Especially now where nothing is for certain. Fashion is not so important when someone’s health is at risk.”
At the same time, Marija thinks that “it is really rewarding to work for yourself and go by your own tempo. In my case, it is a slow one!”
Behind Marija’s designs there is always a story. The latest collection is focused on a modern baroque woman. “I was fascinated with Rembrandt’s work ‘Minerva in her study’. That was the atmosphere I wanted to achieve within this collection.”
The designer loves travelling, food and art. “It’s also important to me that I spend as much time as I can outside, nature calms me more than anything.”
While working on the new collections Marija is inspired by everything around her. It could be a place, people or experience. “The ideas for upcoming collections are mostly in my head while I am still working on the recent one.”
Marija describes her designs as clean, timeless and complex. The designer is especially focused on hand-finished details and delicate fabric techniques.
“I aim for juxtaposition in the design. Contemporary silhouettes are tailored and finished by respecting tradition and exploring the difference between modern and traditional to achieve timeless pieces.”
Sustainability is also at the core of Marija's brand. The designer prefers to use natural dyes while working with the fabrics.
Marija showcased her work at the fashion week in the past but soon realized it wasn't something for her. “It was quite messy and stressful for me, but I am open to showcase through my own fashion show. That is a possibility.”
Marija believes that not everything can work for every designer. It is important to “work and stay true to your vision or try and find it.”
At the moment Marija is finishing her upcoming collection. She thinks it is quite hard to think about the future considering the situation. “I am going day by day since it is all hard to plan at the moment.”
Follow the link to shop Marija's latest collection.