Our Story

Hello, I am Marcela, founder of Fashion Design Play.

I grew up in a house filled with music, homemade food that took all day to make and so many people. My father used to run a production company in Colombia with his brothers and I remember always playing on their sets with my sister and cousins. When he wasn't working, my father would take us to see performances at the theater, or would be playing the guitar, perhaps serenading my mama by the fireplace. My mother has always been resourceful. If we were missing a part of anything, she could come up with a solution on the spot. One day you could find her painting the walls just because it was Tuesday, or gracefully sitting down on the floor for hours cutting tiny pieces of paper helping my sister and I with school projects. Her style has always been timeless, and her meals were (and still are) a work of art. My little sister had towers upon towers of books in her room, and when she wasn't lost in a magical world of stories, you could find her singing throughout our home.

This environment made me who I am today, expressive, curious and in love with creating. I had the space and time to play and explore. I made dresses out of beautiful handmade napkins when I was six. I could always find something to drape with, something to paint, a space to make things. I had a sacred childhood.

This early creative family life brought me to a path where I would study a BFA in Fashion Design and Textiles at SCAD The University for Creative Careers, which is where I met my lovely and talented husband who was studying Film and Television at the time. Since then, I built a career in the Fashion Design industry that lasted for over a decade. I worked with couture designers, small designer brands, global lifestyle brands, and got to collaborate with so many other artists including my husband.

However, the best thing I was ever part in creating were my two magical children. Becoming their mother has led me to a life of presence and gratitude. I have been given the opportunity to pause, observe and learn from them. We entered the journey of homeschooling, and they have reminded me of why I love making things. Now, life is a bit messy, and we enjoy simple things. I also found myself working at night to receive my Nature-Based Education Certification from ANBE. While I complete this, we move slowly through the seasons, make art out of unexpected materials, appreciate every flower, bake the best we can, learn together and from our beautiful community. Best of all, we learn from nature.

My hope is to create a space where children and their families can slow down together. As we play with this diverse and magical world of wild fashion and textiles, I wish to foster a love for self-expression, create a deep relationship to nature, connect with community, and preserve the magic of childhood.

Let’s get together and play!