Name of company: MAD (@______.mad.______)

Type of business: Independent Contemporary Womenswear Label

Location: London, UK

How long has the company been running? 1 Year

Where did the idea come from? MAD was born from the need to show people what it meant to live in different places at the same time. At the time I was studying in Milan and travelling every month to London to see my boyfriend, and to my hometown Jesi, in the centre of Italy, to see my family. My nomad way of living is very usual for my generation and I thought that many others could share the feelings of positive chaos. This chaos, or instability sometimes, has made me realise how every place I lived belonged to me, but on the other hand, I have never belonged to any of them. I was part of all of them at the same time and the cultures and traditions of each place made the person that I am now, I really feel lucky and enriched by it.

Currently, how many people work for the business? It’s just me at the moment, I am hoping to grow and get more talented and exciting people on board soon.

What are your company values? The main value is respect of your roots and of the cultures that you embrace during your life, translating them into wearable stories. Most of the garments are no-size and reversible, made with stretchy fabrics that can fit different people, with pleated materials, adjustable strings, or elasticated details.

I am driven by an ethical approach, destroying the idea of fast fashion and mass production, rejecting waste and unethical worker conditions. I collaborated with fabric mills or shops to use leftovers and I recycled, bleached, and manipulated my grandma’s old furs to mix vintage and contemporary style.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business? Just go for it. Things will adjust with time and with the right customer target and market position. Until you try, you will never know if it’s the right thing to do.

Where do you hope the company will be in 5 years time? I hope I will be able to make this idea into a real business. The customers are the main focus and my dream is to take care of them, working together to achieve the perfect garment, highlighting their story and letting them feel part of a family. Inclusivity is all we need in these strange times.