Marcelle, a designer from Rio de Janeiro, is an emerging talent in the new wave of experimental craft in fashion and one-of-a-kind pieces. Now, she is pursuing her own projects.
MADALENA: Starting from the transition from Rio de Janeiro and the surf and beach culture, to then New York City. How was that experience creatively, in terms of work and mindset in the city, which is so different from Rio, right?
MARCELLE: So, I moved from Brazil when I was 16, still in high school. It’s funny because answering this question would be easier if I had moved during a more transitional artistic phase—like college. But because I moved so early, you grow, you adapt to that environment. So, a big part of my artistic inspiration never really came from the place I was or even the culture I was living in. It came a lot from fashion history and things I saw around me.
But as I got older in New York, something changed. I started to miss my Brazilian roots. I missed its charm, the warmth, what people are wearing here, or even things like architecture. Nowadays I’m trying to bring that back into my pieces, try to bring those two worlds together. Because before, it was like, “Brazil was then, and now I have to establish myself as an American designer.” And the more you live and feel the absence of certain family ties, of your past life, the more you see how much better it is to merge those two worlds, the more you use that to your advantage.
MADALENA: That was my next question—do you feel you incorporate Brazil into your designs and your creations?
MARCELLE: I think my goal, at least, is for it to be something global—something unique where I discover an interesting material. I draw inspiration from different places I’ve been, certain things I’ve read from philosophers, you know? I think it’s about getting inspiration from the whole world, from different industries. To be able to put together certain things I do, I take a lot of inspiration from construction, hairstylists, nail techs, interior design—because they use different techniques. And it’s those techniques that get me excited to do something new, to bring that into the fashion world, and still have it be wearable, beautiful, different, and interesting.
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MADALENA: You had a full-time job at a renowned luxury brand in New York. How did you find inspiration and distance yourself from that job? Because you were doing both at the same time—the personal and the full-time work. Was it difficult creatively?
MARCELLE: Very difficult. I’ll tell you—it’s not easy. Even though the company I worked for had a very specific identity, which wasn’t necessarily my identity as a designer, there was still a part of me that understood that concept, understood that DNA.
But it is difficult. I’d get home at 11 p.m. and that was my moment of happiness. I’d go to sleep at 2 a.m. just trying to develop a new technique—with no inspiration, no photos, nothing. Just developing a technique to see where it could take me. Maybe make a piece or maybe not. But those were the moments that made me happy, that made me okay with the job I had.
But this is the industry after all for us creatives. Consumption is the same. Sales are the same. God willing, at some point our generation can change that. And not just change it for consumers—but when someone is doing what they love, everything flows better. And I think that’s what it’s about. The industry needs change. Creatives need to be more—let’s say—green. And have time to create something beautiful instead of just rushing.
MADALENA: Yes, we see it every day. Today there’s no time—it’s just “make it fast.” That’s sad. So now you are working on your projects, full time, and you received immense recognition for the “solid” piece… how do you call it? The “I love NY” piece!
MARCELLE: Girl, I don’t even know. I guess “Sculpted tee” is the right term aha.
MADALENA: How did that creation come about?
MARCELLE: So, during college I did babysitting to make some extra money. And it’s funny because one day I was babysitting this little boy. He came home from school with a little plate he had made with modelling clay. When I went to throw it away—you know that instinct where you expect it to be heavy because it’s clay—I picked it up and it was super light. So I stopped and looked at it, and I thought, “I’m going to use this for something.”
I bought jars and jars of kid’s clay on Amazon and started trying to make a top. I saw that once it dried, you could sculpt it. I was like, “That’s it, let’s go!” And that was it.
MADALENA: Was it a long process?
MARCELLE: It took ages, six months, I think. But it turned into a meditation for me. I had never sculpted anything in my life. I didn’t use any base or mold—I just started. And the chest kept ending up too low. It was all trial and error.
The process, for me, in everything I do, is my favourite part.
MADALENA: So you were still in college?
MARCELLE: Yes. I’d text my professor, “Today I’m working on the top at home.” It was hard, but those were the best moments of college. That moment when you understand the material without even knowing what you want to make yet—then you just make it. You enter a zone where you don’t think about anything—it’s just a feeling. And when it worked and I presented it, everyone was amazed. Then I got selected for a benefit gala. It had a lot of impact—that top. So many people wore it.
MADALENA: Yes… I mean, Izzi Poopi… Tell us about her!
MARCELLE: Oh, that’s a great story! I found her on the street during my smoke break at work. It was New York Fashion Week. She was still small at the time.
MADALENA: We loved her!!
MARCELLE: I’m usually shy, but I said, “Screw it.” Walked up and said, “Excuse me.” She was like “What?” all impatient. I’m not the type to do that, but I just did it.
MADALENA: That piece was perfect for her.
MARCELLE: Right? I told her I was a designer and had a piece that was totally her. “If you want to wear it for NYFW…” I showed it to her. She was like, “Oh my God, yes, please!” So I dropped it at her hotel. Then I saw a video of her literally crying.
MADALENA: You didn’t have her number? You didn’t know if she’d post?
MARCELLE: No! Later she gave me her number… She’s amazing.
MADALENA: She is.
And a bit more recently you also made a custom dress for AnnaSophia Robb. Was it from the same material or a different technique?
MARCELLE: Oh my God, that was another crazy one. She showed up four days before she had to host a Planned Parenthood dinner in New York. Her stylist came to me and said, “Can we make something in four days, with craft-moulding?” And I said yes. But I didn’t want to use that material again—it’s heavy. I said, “Let’s use latex.” I had never used latex in my life.
Well… And I was already working full-time. I had an intern come to my house at 10 p.m. and stay until 5 a.m. We’d paint layer after layer of latex. I’d go to work sleep-deprived, then come home and do it again. My power went out because I had like 20,000 things plugged in.
Then Sophia came to my house because I had to mold her whole body to make a cast. It was insane. But it worked.
MADALENA: It is so interesting how you go for such different materials.
Now the most recent dress you designed, the metal one, it is very different and unique —how did it come about?
MARCELLE: I found myself extremely bored in Rio de Janeiro because I was between jobs, I was also waiting for my visa... So I spoke to my friend Gabi and said, “If I get a ticket to the Vogue Ball, will you go and use my design?” She said, “Obviously.”
It was a week before the event— a friend told me, “I got the ticket,” and I already knew what I wanted. I’ve been really inspired by the Duchess Marchesa Luisa Casati. Her story is fascinating—you should look it up. She was crazy. She had a jaguar and would walk around her palace with it at night. Totally surreal. And the duchess reminded me of my friend Gabi in a way—living free, using a lot of metal. I already had this idea to make something with metal and old materials. So I decided, “Okay, I’m going to make this dress for the ball, next Saturday.”
MADALENA: : So from there, did you show your friend the inspiration?
MARCELLE: I told my friend, “I’m going to do something kind of like this,” and she was like, “Whatever you make, I trust you.”
MADALENA: : Where did you find the materials?
MARCELLE: There's a market in Ipanema where people sell metal crafts. It’s open Saturday and Sunday. So I met Tony, a 60-year old man who’s work his whole life was fixing antiques—those huge iron sculptures in buildings—and he just dove in with me.
MADALENA: : How did you approach him?
MARCELLE : I said “I want to make a dress for my friend to wear next Saturday, entirely out of metal and antiques. Do you have anything?” He said, “Marcelle, you’re a little crazy, huh?”
But it did not take long for him to agree: “If you’re willing to come here, I’ll help you—but I won’t do it for you.” I said fine. We started on Monday, the next day.
MADALENA: You went alone?
MARCELLE: Yes, alone!
MADALENA: Tell us about the process!
MARCELLE: There was no A.C. And I was digging through metal—everything was black, chandeliers, cutlery. Me, Tony, his assistant Guache, and his wife, we built a friendship. I’d get there at 7 a.m., leave at 10 p.m., looking like I’d climbed out of a sewer. Dust mustache and all. And I was happy.
MADALENA: So it was truly a collaboration.
MARCELLE: Yes, it turned into something more than a dress—it became a core memory. I didn’t film or post anything—it’s just in my heart forever. If I could do that for the rest of my life, I’d be happy. I’d come home smiling from ear to ear, feet black, hands stained, face dirty. My mom was like, “MARCELLE!”, and I was glowing. It made me think, you meet people who are insanely talented and willing to help. Because it is not just anyone that would bet on a stranger with this crazy project.
MADALENA: I saw the dress. Absolutely stunning.
MARCELLE: Thank you! At the end, Tony was like, “Marcelle, this is a work of art.” We used it at the event, and it was amazing. Then Marina Sena saw it and wanted to wear it.
MADALENA: How did she see it?
MARCELLE: Her stylist contacted me, I think she found it through my Instagram. It really caught attention.
This interview took place in RJ, April 2025.