MAKING SOMETHING FROM ANOTHER: MARIA GOUNDRY ON INDEPENDENT DESIGN, SUSTAINABILITY & FINDING CREATIVE FREEDOM
DESIGNER MARIA GOUNDRY - PHOTOGRAPHER NICO BRADLEY-WYATT - STYLIST LAYLA - MAKEUP ARTIST EVA NIKOLAEVA - MODELS VENUS STAR & SINGITA DIEDERICKS - ASSISTANTS CHARLIE STEWART & NICOLE PALMIER
What happens when the university workshops close, the student support runs out, but the creative drive refuses to go anywhere? Enter emerging designer Maria Goundry. An independent label born from a desire to keep creating, using what was already there. Built from fabric scraps, deadstock, second-hand finds and remnants of her graduate collection, the project transforms discarded materials into something entirely new, celebrating the possibilities of making more with less.
A Central Saint Martins graduate, Maria's practice sits at the intersection of art, textile experimentation and fashion, bringing together bold colour, playful maximalism and innovative construction. But behind the expressive silhouettes and unexpected combinations is a designer navigating the realities of establishing an independent practice without the financial backing, studio space or industry connections often taken for granted.
Shot alongside a collective of emerging creatives, this editorial celebrates not only Maria's distinctive vision, but the importance of collaboration, community and carving out space for yourself in an industry that doesn't always make it easy. We caught up with Maria to talk sustainability, life after fashion school, finding freedom in limitations and building a label on her own terms.
F WORD: ANOTHER explores what happens when fashion school ends, but the need to create doesn’t. Where did the idea for the collection come from, and what did this transition from student to independent designer look like for you?
MARIA GOUNDRY: ANOTHER came from wanting to keep creating once I had finished university. All I could do was to continue using what I already had. After my graduate collection, DISSOCIATED, I had accumulated fabric scraps, remnants from university projects and pieces that still felt full of possibilities. And I hate waste, so I wanted to give those materials another life, which is where the name came from. It also felt like the beginning of another chapter for me.
Leaving university meant losing access to the workshops, facilities and the creative environment that had supported my practice, as well as financial support from student finance and scholarships. Suddenly, I had to figure out how to continue independently, with much more limited resources. ANOTHER grew out of that situation, working from home, using what was available and finding ways to keep developing my ideas.
FW: You’ve spoken about coming from a working-class background and navigating life after graduation without studio space, access to facilities or financial backing. What do you think needs to change within the fashion industry to make it more accessible to emerging designers, particularly those without financial support or industry connections?
MG: I think there needs to be more practical support for the period after graduation. There aren’t enough affordable studios, places to access equipment, or people you can turn to for advice on how to get started. Simply having somewhere to make your work can be a huge barrier.
I see magazines and industry figures talking about discovering new talent, but without any money to begin with, how do you actually start? Even an affordable studio requires a deposit. Every step costs money. My domestic sewing machine is struggling to keep up with the amount of work I’m putting it through, but I’m determined to keep going.
Designers starting without financial backing need support to sustain their practice. Many of us need another job, so we have less time to make, apply for opportunities and build a business. I’d like to see more opportunities that take all those circumstances into account. Being able to afford visibility shouldn’t determine whose work gets seen.
FW: Sustainability sits at the heart of your practice, with ANOTHER transforming fabric scraps, deadstock and second-hand clothing into one-of-a-kind pieces. How do you approach working with materials that already have a history, and how has creating with limited resources influenced your design process?
MG: I’ve always created from limited resources, and I think it has made me the designer I am today. Even when I was younger, I used to collect scraps and things other people would throw away to make artwork. Finding possibilities in what’s already around me has always been part of how I create. Now, I often start by looking at what a material already offers: its print, texture, shape or an existing detail. I absolutely love mixing unexpected colours and prints, so combining different textiles and building up layers is really exciting to me. I like to bridge the gap between art, textile art and fashion design.
Working with limited quantities makes the process very responsive. I might have an idea, but the amount or shape of the fabric means I have to rethink everything. Those decisions can lead to combinations I wouldn’t have planned otherwise, and I enjoy that challenge. I want to show how expressive and surprising reclaimed materials can be, and how much possibility there is in things we already have.
FW: Your work brings together bold colour, experimental textiles, innovative pattern cutting and playful maximalism. How do you want people to feel when they encounter your designs?
MG: I want people to feel curious, excited and free to express themselves. I love the idea of someone noticing a piece from a distance but then discovering more as they get closer: a texture, an unexpected detail or the way something has been constructed.
There’s a sense of stepping into an alternate universe that I’m interested in creating through clothes. My work can be playful and strange, and I hope it gives people space to explore different versions of themselves. I’d love someone wearing my designs to feel bold, confident and comfortable taking up space.
FW: The editorial brings together a team of emerging creatives across photography, styling, makeup and modelling. What did collaborating with other creatives at a similar stage in their careers bring to the project, and why do you think supporting one another is so important when starting out?
MG: I absolutely love collaborating and try to do it as much as I can. What I value about collaboration is how other people have different interpretations of my creative ideas. Everyone brings their own perspective, and through photography, styling, makeup and movement, the collection becomes part of a wider world. These contributions push the ideas forward in unexpected ways. It’s exciting to see something you’ve made develop beyond what you initially imagined.
When you’re starting out, you’re also figuring out so much at once. Meeting other creatives means sharing knowledge, making introductions and creating opportunities together and for each other. You need people around you from time to time who understand what you’re trying to do and can see your creative vision and you can see theirs. I’d love to collaborate with artists, musicians, creatives from any discipline. That is something that really excites me.
FW: Graduating from Central Saint Martins is a huge achievement, but the pressure to establish yourself in the industry afterwards can be daunting. What has been the biggest challenge or surprise about life after graduation so far, and what advice would you give to someone trying to build a creative career without a safety net?
MG: The biggest challenge has been realising how much work goes into creating the conditions to design and do any work. You’re organising shoots, making a website, pricing pieces, answering emails, applying to all the opportunities you see and trying to earn enough to support yourself whilst still designing and making all on your own. One surprise has been realising how much someone’s progress can depend on resources or support that aren’t always visible. It can be difficult to see other people doing things much faster and more easily than you. But you cannot choose where you come from, so all you can do is do your best with what you have.
I’m still figuring everything out, but my advice would be to start now, at whatever point you are. You can easily get stuck thinking, ‘I don't have the right fabric’ or , ‘I need to wait until I get paid to buy this’. Those limitations are real, but sometimes starting or forcing yourself even to work with what you have can help you find creative solutions.
FW: ANOTHER marks the beginning of your independent label. What would you love to explore next, and what does the future look like for Maria Goundry as a designer?
MG: I want to keep developing the relationship between print, textiles, silhouette, art and fashion. I would love to keep pushing the experimental side of my work while also creating pieces people can bring into their own wardrobes. I’m interested in how the same visual world can exist across a dramatic garment, a reconstructed shirt, a bag or a piece of jewellery.
I’d love to explore installations and create more immersive environments around the clothes. Collaboration with musicians, artists and other designers is something I’m excited to develop too.
Ultimately, I want to build a label with a recognisable identity and community around it. I want to build a sustainable way of working, creatively, environmentally and financially. A space where I can keep experimenting, make thoughtful pieces and gradually build a community around the work.
FW: And finally, our favourite question: what’s your favourite F Word?
MG: Freedom. The freedom to experiment and to express yourself. That’s what I want for myself as a designer, and what I hope people feel when they wear my work.
