We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marialia Pacitto a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
MariaLia, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Keeping creativity alive is probably one of the most difficult challenges I have ever faced (and still face to this day). I have not designed or released a collection for my label in a very, very long time, and a major reason for that to be perfectly honest is lack of inspiration. I think as designers, it is perfectly normal to experience peaks and pits of creativity, and learning to navigate the pits can be really arduous. Having said that, I believe a solid support system and community of people that believe in you endlessly is a very important key to maintaining your drive to be creative, but it ultimately starts and ends with yourself. I am learning that prioritizing self-care and making sure your own cup is full before pouring into others’ is the best way to creatively stay afloat amidst all the ups and downs.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a fashion creative, designer, seamstress, and entrepreneur from Italy and Los Angeles, based full-time in LA. I wear many many hats, as I discovered a long time ago that the fashion industry is one big umbrella with a multitude of facets that can each pave the way for a very successful and fulfilling career… or in my case, careerS. I started my eponymous label, MARIALIA, at 15 with no formal training or education while I was still in high school. Growing up, I always had an interest in clothing design, and my mother was able to facilitate that interest for me since she had a background in sewing and an impeccable sense of style. I dropped out of college my second year in order to fully pursue my interests and it has been a very tumultuous, yet rewarding, journey. In 2016, after 9 years of creating and designing for my own label, I expanded my skill set by teaching myself industry-standard manufacturing and design processes in order to provide production services to others. From then until now, I learned everything needed to help clients bring their design/product visions to life and getting them factory-ready for large scale production. Although I miss designing for my own brand, I have found that helping other like-minded entrepreneurs in the same way I helped myself is the most rewarding. In early 2022, my production company (cheekily named XPNSV DSGNR LLC), was born and I have since been juggling the re-birth of my label and myself as a master tailor/seamstress whilst assisting clients with their own design needs. From technical design, sample making, tech pack creation, graphic design, e-commerce support, small brand consulting, and much more, I am able to diligently help guide clients to meet their design and production goals because I was basically my own first client when I started MARIALIA, and learned everything the hard way through my mistakes and my ignorance. My ethos as a designer and entrepreneur has always remained the same since 2006: to raise a huge middle finger to this vapid and dishonest fashion industry by helping others feel good about themselves through expression of dress, while finding ways to leave less of a carbon footprint and more of a direct impact on the people and the planet. I am very passionate about projects that give back, and that drives me more than any celebrity placement ever could.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe the three qualities and characteristics that have been most impactful in my fashion journey would be: passion, determination, and courage. Passion is the foundation of my “why”, determination is the fuel, and courage is the source of my strength to pursue my ideas in the first place. The advice I would give to anyone looking to develop these characteristics early on in their journey is simple: to just follow your heart; if you follow your heart’s desire, these qualities will come and build naturally.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always open to working with and collaborating with other fellow like-minded creatives! Anyone wishing to connect with me can reach out via my instagram at @marialia or email: [email protected] 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: MARIALIA.COM and XpnsvDsgnr.com
- Instagram: marialia
- Facebook: marialia06
- Linkedin: marialiapacitto
- Twitter: marialia06
Image Credits
Photos by Marina Bhathena (@ThisLifePaused)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
