Fashion is much more than just clothes; it is a way of telling stories, transmitting emotions and reflecting the world we live in. At the heart of this vision are Marcos and Diego , two brothers from Valencia who have given life to MADI , an emerging brand that is already making its mark in the fashion industry.
This year, their story has taken on an even more special tone. The show for their latest collection, Malibú , was scheduled to take place just when the DANA tragedy in Valencia occurred, forcing the event to be postponed. However, far from giving up, Marcos and Diego showed admirable strength in getting back up after adversity . They have worked tirelessly to not only remake their collection, but to turn its presentation into an event full of emotion and symbolism.
Finally, on December 15, Malibú saw the light in the impressive setting of the Palau de les Arts , making it clear that resilience, talent and passion are the true drivers of creativity.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into the universe of MADI to learn more about their history, their sources of inspiration and the message they seek to convey with their work.
MARCOS, WE KNOW THAT YOUR CAREER IN FASHION IS BEING IMPRESSIVE. HOW DID YOU START IN THIS WORLD AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A DESIGNER?
Well, the truth is that my brother and I started creating Madi as a project that we wanted to have together. I took on the creative direction and my brother took on the executive direction, communication, marketing, etc. At first we only made sweatshirts, t-shirts and very basic pants, but from the very beginning that was not enough for me, so I started to want to make increasingly more complicated and unique things and acquire a more elegant, more beautiful and more luxurious style . Since I didn't know how to make patterns, sew or anything about fashion, I had to create my own pattern-making methods and learn and reinvent sewing techniques by myself. So in a way what inspired me to be a designer was wanting to make more beautiful and unique pieces. In just one year we went from making sweatshirts and pants to creating totally unique and innovative tailoring and haute couture pieces.
YOUR STYLE IS UNIQUE AND BOLD. HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR CREATIVE APPROACH AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT WHEN CREATING A NEW COLLECTION?
I always say that my style is an investigation into beauty. When I design a new collection I always think about advancing the concept of beauty even further and making things more complicated and unique. I don't like to understand the concept of beauty as a standard, because that would be putting limits on what is beautiful. Beauty is something more transcendental that cannot be reduced to simple standards. There is beauty in every detail of the world and of reality, but standards limit our perception of it, that is why I use fashion to distance myself from those standards and to open ourselves to all the beauty that exists. For me, fashion, and art in general, is the language of beauty, so with my collections I try to convey what I cannot with words.
What we want most at Madi is for our clients to find themselves and feel like themselves, and not the person that society wants them to be.
THE SS25 MALIBU COLLECTION HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS. WHAT DOES THIS SHOW MEAN TO YOU AND HOW DOES THE ESSENCE OF MALIBU INFLUENCE YOUR VISION OF FASHION?
This show was a big change from the previous ones because we have improved a lot technically and creatively. For me this show is a big step forward in our development as a fashion brand and in the style we create and believe in. The essence of Malibu stands out above all for having true freedom to wear what you want , regardless of what others say or what others think. It is about, to a certain extent, letting go of what people think of you, the standards and limits that are imposed on you when it comes to dressing and even behaving, so that you can truly be yourself, investigating your own style and identity, and not the person that society wants you to be. That strong personality that we call the Malibu mood is what we consider important in fashion, both for the one who creates it and for the one who wears it.
OHMYKOKO WAS AN ESSENTIAL PARTNER AT THIS SHOW. HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FASHION AND SKIN CARE, ESPECIALLY AT SUCH AN IMPORTANT EVENT AS THIS?
Fashion and skincare always go hand in hand . In the end, what appears on the catwalk is not just clothes and styles, but also makeup, hair, skincare, diversity and even behaviors, personalities and identities that will later become trends and change the people who see those shows either directly or indirectly. Introducing natural and vegan cosmetics is not only a necessary step in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of the quality of what we put on our skin. And from the fashion world, which has that voice through the catwalks to influence people, it is our duty to introduce these cosmetics that OhMyKoko creates .
BEAUTY AND WELLBEING GO BEYOND AESTHETICS, AND OHMYKOKO PROMOTES NATURAL AND VEGAN COSMETICS. HOW DO YOU SEE THE INFLUENCE OF SKIN CARE PRODUCTS ON THE WAY MODELS ARE PERCEIVED ON THE CATWALK?
Well, something that OhMyKoko and Madi have in common is that we believe in natural and real beauty , we bet on models that are natural , and in this way I think we influence people to trust natural and vegan cosmetics like those from OhMyKoko.
We must abandon the fast-fashion model and seriously invest in an ethical, dignified, sustainable manufacturing process that truly demonstrates the quality and value that we have always boasted about in high fashion.
HOW DO YOU THINK FASHION AND WELLNESS ARE COMBINING IN NEW TRENDS? WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU SEEING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE AND CONSCIOUS VALUES?
One good thing that I think has been seen in recent years is the trend towards recycled fashion and the selection of sustainable and quality fabrics , although I would like to see more progress, especially when it comes to the manufacturing process, which I think we should abandon the fast-fashion model and seriously invest in an ethical, dignified, sustainable manufacturing process that truly demonstrates the quality and value that we always boast about in high fashion.
FINALLY, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM MADI IN THE FUTURE? DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS OR COLLECTIONS THAT YOU ARE PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO PRESENT IN THE COMING MONTHS?
We have high expectations for the next collection , in which we want to show impeccable haute couture that is totally innovative and creative. In the end, with each collection we are improving technically and creatively, so I think the next collection can mark a before and after for Madi.
MADI IS SYNONYMOUS WITH INNOVATION. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH GLOBAL TRENDS AND HOW DO YOU ADAPT THEM TO YOUR PERSONAL STYLE AND THE NEEDS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS?
Well, we don't focus on trends. I think we are a firm that is capable, not of adapting to trends, but of creating and predicting them. Therefore, we take advantage of the virtue that we have for this and we try to show with our collections the style, beauty and taste that defines us so that the world can be inspired by it.
Something that OhMyKoko and Madi have in common is that we believe in natural and real beauty. We are committed to models that are natural, and in this way I think we influence people to trust natural and vegan cosmetics like those from OhMyKoko.
THE CONCEPT OF CONSCIOUS FASHION IS INCREASINGLY GAINING RELEVANCE. HOW DO YOU DEFINE CONSCIOUS FASHION WITHIN YOUR BRAND AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT IMPACTS CONSUMERS TODAY?
At Madi we use sustainable and ecological fabrics, as well as having a slow-fashion manufacturing process , moving away from mass production and slavery and trusting local businesses for our materials. I think that consumers are not yet used to slow-fashion, but I think they should be. In the end, trusting in slow-fashion or natural and vegan cosmetics like those created by OhMyKoko not only makes us more human and aware of the planet , but also improves our lives and the quality with which we live them.
THE DETAILS AND FINISHES IN YOUR DESIGNS ARE ALWAYS IMPECCABLE. HOW MUCH IMPORTANCE DO YOU ATTEND TO DETAILS IN A COLLECTION AND HOW DO THEY CONTRIBUTE TO MADI’S IDENTITY?
For me, details and finishes make the difference. A garment with good finishes and meticulous details is very different from one that doesn't have them, and I know this because at first I didn't pay attention to these things in my creations and now that I do and I'm getting better at it every day, I realize that they make the difference between a vulgar garment and a beautiful garment. At Madi, finishes and details are not only something we give a lot of importance to, but we also improve them so that they are more than perfect, innovating and creating details and finishes that no other brand or designer has ever created .
SUSTAINABILITY IS AT THE HEART OF THE MODERN FASHION CONVERSATION. HOW DO YOU INTEGRATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO YOUR COLLECTIONS WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE STYLE AND QUALITY THAT MADI REPRESENTS?
At Madi, the quality and style of the garments are very important , and we are lucky that sustainability is not an enemy of these, but rather an ally. Combining sustainability with quality and style at Madi is not difficult, in fact sustainable fabrics or sustainable manufacturing processes are those that provide the most quality and style to the garments , so for us, and in general for any firm, abandoning sustainability would be reducing the quality of our products and at Madi we are very clear that we do not want to reduce the quality of our garments. To do this, we are committed to slow-fashion and sustainable fabrics and materials from local businesses.
FINALLY, WE KNOW THAT FASHION IS A POWERFUL LANGUAGE. WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONVEY THROUGH YOUR COLLECTIONS AND HOW DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL FEEL WHEN WEARING YOUR DESIGNS?
My brother and I try to convey to people that they should open their minds regarding beauty and that they should move away from the limits of beauty standards, so that they can explore their own identity, personality and character through fashion. What we want most at Madi is for our clients to find themselves and feel like themselves , and not the person that society wants them to be. We want them to feel comfortable, beautiful and unique wearing our clothes.
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🎤 We invite you to explore our 'We Talk With' section, where you will find various interviews with healthcare professionals and those in the health and beauty sector, who address issues related to health and skin care.
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