The roots of our culture are the fundamental of our IDentity

We are proud of our roots and culture, the great heritage of our ancestors, their stories and courage. The beauty of simplicity. We take these values and make them ours by reviving traditional craftsmanship, taking elements from national costumes and using modern techniques to tailor them into unique garments. Placing into the present traditional crafts creates a demonstration of culture and a story of the person behind it.

IDentity by MA RA MI focuses on craftsmanship and slow fashion. The local crafts are at the forefront and form the basis of limited edition designs rendered through modern techniques and sustainable fabrics. IDentity contributes to preserving traditional techniques and influences from Romanian culture.

MA RA MI was created by designer Andra Clitan in her desire to make a fusion between Romanian traditional art and costumes with different cultures from all over the world. We believe that, beyond their functionalities, clothes should be statement pieces. They should tell a story and strengthen an individual’s identity, giving significance of perpetuating traditional clothing, as testaments to history.

Collaborations between designers and craftsman have opened up new dialogues across borders, developing communities which have successfully been taught to be more self-sufficient and independent, maintaining their identities while telling their stories to the world.

IDentity speaks about who we are in relationship to the world, traditions, culture to which we belong, is a vivid expression of the world, a story of design, craftsmanship and tradition interpreted in a modern manner.

The collection was carried out under the project “Fashion and Crafts: Perpetual Dialogue”, a project initiated by MA RA MI to highlight the necessity of perpetuating crafts and promotion of traditional values in line with the trends of contemporary fashion and interdisciplinary collaboration in fashion design between craftsmen and designers.

Andra Clitan, MA RA MI’s designer, has collaborated with three young professionals from fashion related areas to outline a genuine capsule collection, starting from traditional items made by craftsmen.