"My brain is working 24/7, and very often an idea for a special cut or design just pops up in my mind."

small-shops: Hi, Marco! You opened your shop in 2017. What motivated you to start your own brand 6 years ago?

Marco Scaiano: Actually I started my brand in 2017 without having a shop. I lived in a one-room apartment in Berlin, which was my home studio, showroom, and place for small events at the same time. It helped a lot because I started my brand with a budget of 600 euros. With time, my business was growing and I had the chance to move into a three -room apartment. There I did the same thing with work and living space.

In January 2022 I finally moved into my own studio/shop/showroom. You can visit the shop by appointment.

small-shops: The Real Estate Market in Berlin was and still is very complicated. How did you manage to find a store in the prime location you currently have?

Marco Scaiano: I was lucky that in the same building where I live, a roofer with his studio moved out, and I contacted my landlord immediately and had the chance to get it.

small-shops: In the meantime, many chaotic things have happened in the world. How where you able to handle crisis like covid-lockdowns and price inflation?

Marco Scaiano: Unfortunately, I was also struggling to keep my business going when the pandemic started, especially because I put my focus on offline shops before. With the first lockdown, I reactivated my online shop and put some effort into recreating it. So in the end, I was just lucky that my customers supported me and that I had the chance to reach some new ones as well.

small-shops: Now let’s talk more about your designs, who often are very unconventional. How do you get inspired for these great creations?

Marco Scaiano: It’s very difficult for me to answer. There are no special moments or places I go to get inspired. My brain is working 24/7, and very often an idea for a special cut or design just pops up in my mind. It’s just there. I usually have a little notebook with me, where I write down an idea or make a little sketch. But after, it’s always a long process until the final product, and along the way, the design changes a lot.

small-shops: All of your pieces are handmade in Berlin to “maintain the constant control over quality and sustainability.” Can you please share a little bit more about your production process?

Marco Scaiano: At the moment, not everything is handmade in Berlin anymore. We outsourced parts of the production to a little company in Poland. But a lot of items are still handmade in Berlin. Especially the leather products are all handmade at our studio.

small-shops: The materials you use come from all over Europe. How do you ensure that they are always eco-friendly with a high quality?

Marco Scaiano: In the last few years, I have created a trusting partnership with different textile agencies that sell sustainable materials. And I’m always on the hunt to learn more about upcoming sustainable materials and to try them out.

small-shops: Your brand seems like a great success. What advice would you give to young emerging designers in Berlin, to get to a similar point?

Marco Scaiano: It sounds cheesy, but don’t listen to all the people out there who don’t believe in a young fashion brand. If you have the dream, follow! But it's a lot of work, and instead of celebrating your life from Friday to Sunday in Berghain, celebrate it with building up your business. :)

small-shops: If you could change one little thing in the world, what would it be?

Marco Scaiano: Unfortunately, I would like to change several things. One of the first things would be stopping toxic masculinity. As it is responsible for a lot of things that went and still go wrong in this world.