Marko Marosiuk

Photography by Marko Vulevic

Today we introduce you to one of our returning designers, Marko Marosiuk, from Belgrade, Serbia. His collection portrays an end of a love story, and it is part of our fashion show programme.

Hi Marko! What inspires you in general? 
I know it sounds cliché, but my biggest inspiration is love. I am always trying to tell a love story, or I get inspired by a movie, or a book, or a song that talks about a love story. And then, there are so many other things that I combine with this basic idea.

What place or city do you find inspiring? 
I still find Paris to be the most inspiring cities of all.

What is it like to be a young designer in your city/country? 
To be a designer in Serbia is still very hard. It is an economically poor country, and people still don’t believe in the culture of buying designer clothes, even though Serbia has so many talented designers. But it’s nice to know that people still like and understand my design.
What attracts you about the FASHIONCLASH platform? 
I love FASHIONCLASH because it is more than a typical fashion show. It is more about the art, the concept, and the idea. I love the energy of it. There are so many talented people, and it was so inspiring to meet them, talk to them, and share stories and ideas.

How would you describe your experience at FASHIONCLASH last year? 
Being a part of last year’s FASHIONCLASH was just wonderful. I loved everything about it. Maastricht is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, and I love that I got to share my work with so many amazing people. Just the idea of a platform that supports young talent is magical!!

What is the concept behind your latest collection? 
As I said before, there is a love story behind every one of my collections. There is nothing different about this one, except this time, it is more personal. The concept is basically a funeral of love. I had the idea of a really glamorous funeral, because I wanted to say goodbye to all the previous people that I had been in love with. I also wanted to include zodiac signs since I admire astrology very much. The collection is darker than my previous ones and is also more dramatic and theatrical. Since it is a sad love story, I wanted to read Anna Karenina once again, and it really inspired me. Last year, I watched the movie and felt like putting some of the elements of that era in my collection.

Marko working on his collection
By Miomir Milic

Describe you collection in three words. 
Glamorous, feminine, dramatic

Did you always want to work in the field of fashion? 
Yes, I’ve wanted to work in the field of fashion ever since I was a little boy dressing up his Barbies. 

Can you remember the first piece you designed? 
I was designing outfits for my Barbie dolls all the time. Those are probably the first pieces I designed.

Do you have a muse? If yes, who is it and why? 
My muses are such a huge part of my life and are my inspiration in all of my art. I have always been inspired by strong, courageous and beautiful women, who also have a vulnerable side and a graceful, almost godlike, appearance. I especially love if they have some kind of tragic story behind them! My favorite ladies are Madonna, Beyoncé and Charlize Theron.

You mentioned that you have a deep passion for theatre. Do you think your passion shows in your work? 
I do have a huge passion for theatre and I do hope it shows in my work. I feel like whenever I make a collection it is like directing a play: I have a specific story to tell and I always have it in my mind with the way the models are supposed to act. I always want to make it just a little more dramatic and since I really love making high fashion it is very much like designing a costume for theatre.

What kind of feeling do you want to transfer with your latest collection/creation? 
I am just hoping that the people who see this collection get the feeling that this was a personal story for me. I hope that they feel just a little bit of the emotion I felt when I was designing it.


The collection you are showing at the FASHIONCLASH Festival presents an end of a love story. How did you communicate the elements of darkness and the feeling of an end to your collection? 
Since it does speak about an end, I wanted to make the collection dark. I made use of black because I thought it could bring some mystery, and then added blue and purple as they are cold colors and bring a lot to the atmosphere. I find there is something very glamorous about the color black, and that was really important.

By Miomir Milic

Your collection is very black. What is it about black that you find so fascinating and alluring? 
Black is the color I have always loved using, but I wouldn’t say it is my signature color. This color always fascinated me because it is so simple, yet so strong. It can represent tragedy, power, and it has such a strong statement. As I already said, I also think it is a glamorous color. It worked perfectly for my tragic story of lovers who suffer, but remain graceful and glamorous at the same time.

What is on your playlist when you are working? 
Since Beyoncé released a new album – and I am much more than just a fan of hers – her album was on most of the time. I also really loved listening to Annie Lenox, Amanda Jenssen, Bjork, Editors, Florence and the machine, the Irrepressibles, George Michael, Madonna...

Who is your favorite fashion designer? 
My favorite fashion designer of all time is John Galliano.

What is the latest thing you bought for yourself? 
The latest thing I bought for myself was a Monster High fashion doll. I still play with dolls. Also the forth book of a series, the Witcher, and the deluxe version of Beyoncé’s album 4 (I love buying things for myself).

What is your favorite fairy tale and why? 
My favorite fairy tale of all time is the Little Mermaid, because it is so sad, and yet so beautiful. I loved the way she falls in love is willing to give up everything for that love. After giving up everything, she doesn’t get loved in return.

What made you smile today? 
I laughed really hard today when I was watching Naomi Campbell on The Face! I love her, she is such a diva!

Marko Marosiuk by Miomir Milic

What is your definition of style? 
I just think that to have style means that you have a specific message to tell. It doesn’t really matter what it is, just as long as it is an honest opinion and it represents how you feel or what you believe in.

What has been the greatest experience in your career so far? 
Well I believe that I still haven’t come to the best moment of my career. I just love that I am able to do what I love to do, but there are still so many goals in my career that I hope I will achieve in time. I am proud that there are women in my dresses walking down the streets.

What can we expect from you in the future? 
I never liked planning my future, so I can’t really say what my plans are. I do hope that I get to show my work even more, and I hope to make more clothes and costumes for theatre.