Imagine you’re getting ready for work and suddenly receive a message from a follower telling you that your favourite artist has worn one of your signature pieces. And what's more, not only has she opted for your brand to attend an event or go for a walk, but for the cover image of her highly anticipated new album. It may seem like a dream come true, but that's what happened to London-based Spanish designer Mario Marquina. Lady Gaga, whom he refers to as a statement in his life, an artist who has inspired a whole generation of creatives, unveiled the deluxe cover of Mayhem featuring Marquina's The Matador Jacket some weeks ago. Now it's time to speak with Mario.
“I received a message on Instagram from a follower: “Is that your jacket? It's one of the Mayhem covers, I just found it on Twitter." I called my dad, sent the picture to my close friends, cried a little bit and got late to my workplace,” he tells us about the moment he was told that the one and only Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga, had chosen one of his most special pieces for one of the most important shootings of her new project. He created this unique opportunity in his professional and personal life by contacting the artist's stylist to offer them the garment on the chance they wanted to use it. “You really need to make some noise out there,” he adds.
Mario, I'm very happy to talk to you. First of all, how are you? How's your week going?
Hello David, I’m doing great thank you, I've been non-stop for the last two weeks, to be honest.
Everyone is now talking about you, your brand, and the garment you created that Lady Gaga has chosen for the deluxe cover of Mayhem, her eighth album. But before we continue speaking about this great milestone -I'd like to congratulate you on it, of course - I'd like to look back for a moment. Let's travel back in time to the first post you shared on Instagram in May 2015, ten years ago. "Yesterday, opening the Concept Fashion Show at the Escuela Superior de Diseño de Madrid, ultimate happiness!" you wrote. Do you remember that moment?
Of course I remember it, I was in the first year of my fashion degree and that was my uni's very first fashion project. I made that look from printed fabrics that I found in the rubbish of a sports clothing store.
Is that feeling of happiness still present in the same way, or has it been transformed?
Not really, by that time I was very innocent and experiencing the student life in Madrid. Things have changed since then, happiness now tastes different.
How do you remember your time at university? Did you enjoy the experience?
Wild. It was all about enjoying freedom, expressing yourself and creativity.
What are the first memories that come to mind when you think about that time?
Eating tomato pasta every single day, drinking kalimotxo, living on the dancefloor, sketching, sewing and dreaming. Always dreaming.
Since then, you've shown a great liking for experimentation, the relationship between fashion and art, playing with this artistic discipline and trying to offer something different from other brands. Who were your main inspirations while you studied fashion?
My biggest inspiration by that time was the haute couture of the late 90s and early 2000s McQueen, Lacroix, Mugler, and Gaultier but I remember starting to be interested in experimentation through designers like Rei Kawakubo and Martin Margiela, and also loved the way Demna Gvasalia turned Balenciaga upside down.
Did you always know you wanted to dedicate yourself to fashion? What was your first contact with it?
Well, before I knew what fashion was I wanted to be a farmer, I was obsessed with animals. My very first contact was in the early 2000s, I was watching the news and a broadcast of Paris Fashion Week appeared out of the blue. It was a Galliano show and my mind exploded, I was trying to understand what I was seeing and I loved that feeling. Since then I've been devoted to fashion.
Lady Gaga already had a presence in one of your Instagram posts back in 2018. What has she meant to you? Are you a Little Monster?
Lady Gaga is a statement in my life, only the people who know me personally can tell what I'm talking about.
As an avid fan of the Poker Face and Judas singer, I followed every step she took, not only on stage but also when she arrived in a new country, her departures from the airport wearing those unique looks, her way of interacting with fans, etc. I would say she's been the artist who has had the greatest impact on me throughout my life, the one who has most captivated me creatively and aesthetically. What do you like most about her?
I totally agree with you, those days were mad as a fan of hers. I remember checking all day all the crazy looks she was wearing, those music videos, the red carpet looks… I really think she inspired a whole generation of creatives, she delivered an endless overdose of creativity, and she changed fashion and the music industry. It's been a blessing growing up admiring his career.
Two years later, in November 2020, when we started to realise that the Covid pandemic had come into our lives to stay for a while and turn them upside down, you created the garment that Gaga wears on the deluxe cover of Mayhem. What do you remember from that strange time?
I don't remember a lot, to be honest, but I wanted to invest all that free time in a new collection. I knew London was coming next so I wanted to create something special.
At that time, you had already launched your first conceptual collection, some of your pieces had been featured in fashion editorials in various magazines, and you had concluded your experience as the couture assistant at Dior. Did you feel that the global situation we were going through at the time was clipping your wings in some way? Were you afraid about the future of your project?
I wasn't afraid at all, the whole world stopped for a while. Even though it was a hard time for all of us, I was waiting for Central Saint Martins to reopen and do my courses. I enjoyed my time back home so I was pretty excited for my next chapter in London.
Let's speak a bit more about this piece, The Matador Jacket, that has given much to talk about in the last few days. What can you tell us about this very special piece?
This garment came after a deep analysis of the traditional “Traje de Luces” jacket. I wanted to preserve as many details as possible while giving a twist from a personal perspective; oversized and decadent appearance. The fact that it is a zero-waste piece allowed me to work with accidental results, creating random shapes where maximizing fabric usage was one of the main objectives. It's made of bleached denim fabric, loads of paint, trims and rhinestones. A funny fact is that I made it with a Singer domestic sewing machine, the construction was a bumpy ride. It took me almost five months to complete it but overall it was something beautiful to experience.
Reading some previous interviews, I was thinking about how you took the initiative to achieve one of your dreams. I understand that you were the one who wrote to the artist's stylist to offer them the jacket if they wanted to include it in one of her upcoming projects. Is this true?
It is! I have been doing this for years. You really need to make some noise out there, there's nothing wrong about introducing yourself to the industry and you never know when the bell is going to ring.
Have you always been someone with so much initiative, or have you ever been afraid of rejection or pushback?
I consider myself positive, I am never afraid of proposing something in order to create there's nothing to lose. Rejections exist but consistency is key.
Speaking with many creatives and designers, I realize that not all of them show confidence in what they do when it comes to communicating their projects. They do feel proud of their product and their vision, but when talking about it they sometimes feel fear or a certain shame, I don't know if this has to do with the imposter syndrome. Has this happened to you too?
The imposter syndrome is a fact, it is not an easy path, and sometimes we deal with doubts and obstacles. The important thing is to find your own rhythm and always keep going. I’m confident with my vision as a creative but not gonna lie, the struggle is real especially since I moved to London. The investment of time just to pay bills is frustrating and distracts you from your goals, the main point here is to find a balance.
The famous jacket is part of the Freak Show collection, in which you draw inspiration from some of the most representative Spanish popular codes to reinvent them through your creative vision. A reconnection with your roots that other Spanish designers have also been interested in in recent years, including Arturo Obegero, Alejandro Palomo, and Carlota Barrera. What do you like most about Spanish culture?
It's unique, I find it powerful and passionate. It's an eternal dialogue between tradition and reinvention. Very vibrant and always alive, from dance to costumes, music, flavours, colours, and movement. I am obsessed.
Which Spanish designers or projects coming from your native country do you like the most at the moment?
I’m not quite updated with the current Spanish scene but I admire Miguel Adrover, Ernesto Naranjo and Fattyglassy.
You were born in Burgos but currently live in London, don't you?
I was actually born in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid. I was raised in Burgos, my whole family is from there, so it's the place that I call home. Madrid feels like home as well. I lived there for 5 years and now I’m London-based.
And what did your friends and family say when they saw that you've dressed none other than Lady Gaga?
They were totally shocked, nobody expected it. I kept myself shut up for months because I didn't want to jinx it.
How did you react when you heard the news?
It was early in the morning, I was getting ready for work and I received a message on Instagram from a follower: “Is that your jacket? It's one of the Mayhem covers, I just found it on Twitter." I called my dad, sent the picture to my close friends, cried a little bit and got late to my workplace.
Do you have a website?
Not at the moment.
Where would you like to lead your project in the next five years?
To a better stage in my life definitely. Would love to get my dream job in the industry and work on my own collections at the same time.
And now that you've fulfilled one of your biggest dreams, what's next?
I prefer to stay quiet, hopefully you will see it soon.
