Antwerp-based zero-waste and locally-crafted womenswear brand MARTHA launches its new collection.
Hailing from the Southern Caribbean – Curaçao, but living in Europe as a recent graduate of the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, Martha’s cultural identity plays a major role in the inspiration behind the garments, pulling references from the Caribbean and African heritage as well as Martha’s own childhood memories and values.
The juxtaposition of the bold colors, traditional forms, and the upcycled French luxury house materials make it difficult to resist being drawn to the originality of his work: a fine line between modernity and nostalgia. Asymmetric cuts, flowy silhouettes, beads, and cut-outs included in the pieces create a strong statement.
Martha Pengel says:
“I learned from a young age to utilize what I had and whatever I could find. I created toys, clothing, accessories from bits and pieces that were thrown away. The ‘new’ was only limited by my own mind. This has been till this day the way that I approach art and clothing.”
Here are some of our favorite pieces from the collection:
You can check out MARTHA on the web at marcmartha.com and on Instagram @marcmartha_.