Name of company: Macra Nodo
Type of business: Independent designer fashion brand
Location: Budapest, Hungary

How long has the company been running?

Macra Nodo has been operating since January 2025. Later that same year, I launched the brand’s own online store, making the collections directly available to customers internationally.

Where did the idea come from?

I had always wanted to create clothing, and macramé had already been part of my life for several years when I began to see a different possibility in the technique. I realised that a method traditionally associated with craft could become a powerful medium for fashion design.

That became the starting point of Macra Nodo. Rather than treating macramé simply as surface decoration, I began using hand-knotting as a method of construction — allowing the knots themselves to create silhouette, texture, negative space, proportion and movement.

My design process is also strongly intuitive when I develop new pieces and collections. I may begin with a sketch, a shape or a particular detail, but I allow the material and construction process to influence how the piece develops. Much of my work explores the relationship between the body and the knotted structure: how a garment moves, frames the body and changes through different proportions and tensions.

That dialogue between intention, material and intuition has become an important part of the Macra Nodo design language.

What are your company values?

Individuality, self-expression, craftsmanship and a personal approach to design are at the centre of Macra Nodo.

The brand is created for people who are drawn to clothing with a strong identity rather than pieces defined primarily by short-lived trends. Macra Nodo garments are hand-knotted and made to the client’s individual measurements, allowing the design to adapt to the wearer rather than requiring them to fit into standardised size categories.

For me, clothing should not define or disguise the person wearing it. It should become another form of self-expression — something with its own character that still leaves space for individuality.

A considered approach to production is equally important to me. Cotton cord is my primary material, sometimes combined with elements such as metal detailing or tulle when the design calls for it. Each piece is created individually and in limited quantities rather than through mass production, allowing me to avoid unnecessary overproduction while maintaining close control over quality and craftsmanship.

Currently, how many people work for the business?

Macra Nodo is currently a founder-led, one-person fashion business. I am responsible for the design, hand-knotting and creative direction of the brand, which keeps the concept and physical creation of each piece closely connected.

For campaigns, editorials and other creative projects, I collaborate with photographers, models, make-up artists and other creatives depending on the concept.

As Macra Nodo grows, I would eventually like to build a small specialist team around the brand while preserving the close connection between design, craftsmanship and the finished garment.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business?

Start before everything feels completely finished. Some of the most important decisions only become clear once you begin creating, testing your ideas and putting your work in front of real people.

I also believe it is important to give a business permission to evolve. Changing direction does not necessarily mean the original idea was wrong; sometimes it simply means that your vision has become clearer.

For creative businesses in particular, developing a recognisable point of view is essential. Products can change and trends will move on, but a clear identity gives people a reason to remember your work.

Where do you hope the company will be in 5 years’ time?

In five years, I would like Macra Nodo to be internationally recognised for its distinctive approach to macramé fashion, with a strong and recognisable identity across both its more sculptural statement pieces and its more wearable designs.

I would like to expand the brand’s physical presence through carefully selected boutiques, showrooms, fashion presentations and creative collaborations, while continuing to offer limited-edition, made-to-measure and bespoke pieces rather than moving towards mass production.

I also want to build further international editorial recognition and collaborate with creatives whose work connects naturally with the world of Macra Nodo.

My long-term vision includes establishing a Macra Nodo studio in Italy, where I can develop future collections while preserving the personal and hands-on nature of the brand.

Makeup Artist: Szente Niké
Models: Cintia Makár @makar.cintia, Kinga Őri @orikinga
Fashion Brand: Macra Nodo @macranodo
Fashion Designer/Creative Director/Brand Owner: Lilla Kis-Visi
Wardrobe Stylist/Model: Lilla Szmilkó @szmilkolilla
Photographer/Retoucher: Pljesovszki Gábor @plesi_photo