Success Worldwide : The One With Simple Sophistication With Mara Girone

Mara Girone is first and foremost an artist who’s passion for beauty and diversity of our world has taken her to Mexico, Portugal, Greece to then living and raising her family in London. Mara is inspired by the tapestry of life and speaks to women who are adventurous, feminine, brave and authentic, which means she speaks to every single one of us at House of Coco Magazine.

Her dream customer is the woman that is guided by passion and curiosity for our rich and colourful world who faces every day with independent spirit and style. Basically, Mara speaks our language and so we had to spend some time with her to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that led you to launching your brand, Mara Girone…

From a young age I have always been creative and as a child I wanted to be a writer with my own publishing house and an artist. At the age of 8, I fell in love with hand-embroidery and regularly returned to this artform throughout my life. I could get lost in it for hours and although at the time I didn’t know, I had discovered a powerful and effective form of meditation. Creating with hands has always been very fascinating. It holds some magic as it has the power to transform raw materials into beauty. I grew up in the south of Italy and very soon I realised I wanted to leave, to open wide my wings and find my happy place in the world. After my Master’s degree and an unfulfilling job with no prospects for growth, I left. I moved to London first, then to Mexico, Portugal, Greece and then back to London where I am based now. During this time I met my now husband and got married, I founded and directed a successful publishing house, I had children and in 2018 I launched Mara Girone Simple Sophistication, my indie fashion brand and in 2020 ‘Empowering Voices’ my video show and podcast.

Your brand speaks to women that are adventurous, authentic and brave. That’s everything that we stand for at House of Coco magazine. What’s been the bravest decision you have made since launching your brand?

My bravest decision since launching my brand was allowing myself to believe in myself and to trust the process. I realised that many limiting beliefs due to cultural and social reasons were just holding me back and preventing me from shining to my fullest.

When I managed to overcome these, I felt unstoppable and the law of attraction started working for me too.

I also had to learn to concentrate on the ‘here and now’. We are constantly bombarded with examples of overnight success that either doesn’t exist or is really rare. So the idea of doing it all, doing it perfectly and smashing it, can prevent you from enjoying every step of the journey during which you have the opportunity to learn to decide, to change direction, to celebrate.

Looking back since launching your business, is there anything you would do differently?

For a long time I thought that I would have loved to start earlier to use my potential and grow my business, but in reality I believe that life happens for us and to prepare us to new challenges. If I had started this adventure earlier, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today and my business would certainly be different and not necessarily better. I am very happy to be where I am and to envision all the new adventures yet to come.

Tell us more about what inspires you…

Certainly the places in which I have lived have been a great source of amazement and surprise to boost my imagination. The people that I meet and the stories that I hear. I have a special gift that I am very proud of: people trust me at first sight and they feel comfortable to tell me their stories, to open up and ask for advice. Interaction with all the beautiful souls I had the opportunity to meet on my journey are fertile soil for my inner magic, for my creativity and for nurturing my soul. I am also captivated by architecture, by exhibitions at museums and galleries, by plays at the theatre where scenografies and costumes excite my brain and produce great quantities of new ideas. And finally, nature, especially the sea, can create a big space inside where new ideas can take life.

If you wanted to describe your brand in three words, what would they be?

Sophisticated. Empowering. Inspirational.

The motivational words and quotes want to be a reminder to us women of our worthiness and become a form of support in our daily life. To carry around the message can be empowering for oneself and for the people who we meet in our journey. What better way to do it through clothing, through everyday pieces transformed into affordable luxury with endless combinations?

What advice would you offer to anyone wanting to launch their own business?

Have a successful mindset and believe in yourself. Believe in your business and take that leap of faith. It is so easy to stick to what you know, but if you jump outside of your comfort zone and fully embrace the journey then you will get to where you want to be.

Celebrate the success and learn from your falls. Life and business are two great adventures often going hand in hand and surprising us along the way.And finally, ‘never give up’ Have the attitude to face life with a smile, the capacity to dream wild, and to not be afraid of giving your all.

Talk us through an average day in your life…

With a business like mine, not one day is similar to another. Although I am obsessed with lists and they are a bit of a canvas supporting my daily tasks, I am open to the adventures that every day my business and life offer to me.

Generally the mornings and early afternoons are for business, while in the afternoons I am a full time mum. For a long time I would try to squeeze in the afternoon some emails or calls, only to become resentful and frustrated. I learned that being there, in the moment and enjoying the little things, the stories, the laughs and the cuddles of my children is the most amazing gift I had from life. Of course after bedtime, some business related task is always at hand.

How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?

Social media is not always a way to close sales, actually it almost never is, but it is definitely the best and most effective way to build trust and credibility, the foundations of any profitable business. I have always been true and honest with my followers and that has paid back as the power of identification as opposed to the dread of comparison is gold in this moment when social media can easily become a frustrating and sad environment.

Through social media I had the opportunity to meet amazing people, women I can call friends today, I could collaborate with other brands, grow my business and have the opportunity to dream, have a vision and make it come true.

Nowadays everything is filtered through our online interaction so our social media presence is the entrance door for a business to be on press, on radio, on podcasts, in front of people through different channels. Of course the traditional word of mouth and the presence in brick and mortar shops is what will take the brand to close sales.

You’re very well traveled but which place really has your heart?

I have lived and worked across the globe from Italy to Mexico, Portugal to Greece and London and have been inspired by my experiences around the world and by the people I met and their stories. However, Mexico has been a life changing experience. Mexico was a place where I felt at home. I felt very integrated and always in awe of the beauty around me that I felt like I belonged there. Also the language was so natural for me, more than once people asked me if I was a local. The vibrant cultural scene, the architecture, the cultural heritage, the people had and still hold a very special place in my heart. My first child was born there and we called her Maya to honour that magic land that gave us so much.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

I have never been to Asia and top of the list is definitely Japan. Now that my children are older, it would be easier and amazing to spend a month travelling around the country. Unfortunately for the moment this kind of travelling is on hold, but there, ready to happen, as soon as possible.

What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?

Generally if I remind myself of my ‘why’, of my mission, of the change I want to make with my fashion and with my podcast, I feel I am on the right path and I am motivated to go on with my journey. But of course I love the power of words and quotes mean a lot to me. A couple of very inspiring quotes for me are: “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington

“Impossible is just an opinion.” – Paulo Coelho

And of course I could go on forever….

What’s next for you and the brand?

I have numerous ideas that are in the pipeline, first and foremost to make stronger what already exists. I am working hard in the wholesale field and negotiating for sponsors to support my podcast. At the same time I started a collaboration with artisans from my home country, Italy, to go back to my roots and bring into the world the highly skilled craftsmanship that so often makes us famous in the world. I also have a couple of campaigns ready to happen with the collaboration of two charities in UK to spread the positive message that my brand wants to take into the world.

After giving stability to what I have I would like to start new projects: a book is in the making and another is brewing in my head, and I will finally start the History PhD I gave up several years ago to follow my husband in our expat life.

However, this is only for the near future, but new ideas are already there, waiting for their turn to reclaim their place.