Mara Hoffman Shutters Her Brand When Fashion Needs Her Ideas Most

After 24 years in business, designer Mara Hoffman announced in an instagrammable post and an interview with vogue on Sunday 5/19 that the spring collection will be her last collection in 2024 Instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrammable instagrams.Photos on instagram show the spring collection of 2024. Hoffman was committed to sustainable operations, but the cost of balancing slow and conscious production with the expansion of independently owned brands was too incompatible. "[T] his reality is that a request that is in a small company is financially undisclosed and is almost impossible to execute after a certain point," she told Vogue

within minutes of reading the news, I emailed a close friend a link to Hoffman's post and two words: "I'm devastated.

Hoffman started her colorful resort wear brand in 1999, but shortly after she graduated from Parsons, I learned about Hoffman's work in the late 2010s.By the time I saved up ordering my first few sustainably sourced linen skirts and viral "popcorn" material dresses, Hoffman had completely reset her business. She pivoted to completely rebuild the supply chain in 2014, when the piece was fair trade certified and eliminated polyester from the design. In 2018, Hoffman introduced 1 of the most comprehensive size ranges in the industry. The majority of each collection was available in sizes up to 3XL.

Mara Hoffman won me because she did 2 things at once that other corners of the fashion industry would call impossible. She championed sustainability and mindful consumption, but not at the expense of inclusion. The variety of women who wore her designs — from everyday corporate workers and fashion editors I interviewed for styling stories, to celebrities like Beyonce, Chrissy Teigen and Issa Rae — attest to it.

In comments to Marie Claire, journalists, designers, small business owners and climate activists all said they would miss Hoffman's job for the same reason.

"I cherish every Malahofmann work in the closet, and each has great memories," says writer Aminatou Sow. She describes Hoffman's designs as festive yet thoughtful, incorporating discerning textures and volumes. "It was a pleasure to receive a solid education in textiles, fashion and sustainability through buying her clothes."

In terms of sustainability, Hoffman pushed the boundaries with new market-launched materials that were executed (and taken) as luxuriously as synthetic fibers used by other brands. Let's take a look at the swimsuit fabric update she released last year.It replaced nylon and polyester, common in swimming, with a water-resistant material made from wood pulp.

Activist, author and model Cameron Russell calls Hoffman's work a "beacon."; Abrima Erwiah, designer and co-founder of Studio189, considers Hoffman a "pioneer."

"The loss of the brand is felt by the entire industry," says Maxine Bédat, founder of the New Standard Institute. "This fact also highlights the very real business challenges facing companies that are trying to do the right thing. Without common sense rules, it is simply impossible to compete in the market and do the right thing.

Climate activist and journalist Sophia Li assesses Hoffman's definition of "sustainable fashion" before it becomes a hot topic in the wider industry zeitgeist. "Not only has she been a visionary paving her way into space, she has also brought a whole wave of creativity that never felt embraced by "fashion"," says Lee."

It's a sad irony that Hoffman's brand closure will arrive now. Six months ago, she won the CFDA Fashion Award for environmental sustainability. Her work has been worn by some of Hollywood's brightest stars, in fashion capitals like New York City. In her Instagram farewell comments, hundreds of women from around the world poured their hearts on how her clothes felt: "Beautiful," "worthy," "My absolute

Hoffman calls the business of the past 24 years a "gorgeous run" despite the hardships. Now by step back, she is still setting an example. Telecommunications company The No.Erin Allweiss, co-founder of 29, says hoffman is telling the truth that insiders know but don't admit. Only a real artist and a truly integrated human being can make a decision to stop."

In 2023, I interviewed Hoffman about one of her sustainable textile innovations, a fully recyclable dress created in partnership with the materials company Circ.1 In hindsight, her reasoning for the limited production run of the dress (only 35 were made) seems like a breadcrumb for her final decision to stop production altogether on her label. "I think we're used to seeing so much," she told me. "The scale on which we all experience material life — I think we don't even understand how big it is going to be."

All the style experts who shared their thoughts on Hoffman's legacy wanted this brand to be invisible to her last. The designer said her work was "not done.""If Hoffman's individual brands cannot remain in the business, let's hope that the underlying ideas remain in the conversation. Losing sight of the sustainability that everyone can include will be even more devastating.

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