“Even the sweetest flowers fade. This is a story of what lingers, in roots, in craft, in memory.”
Those words stayed with me after presenting Jasmine Is a Lie at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, as part of Selvedge Magazine’s London Textile Month and Open House London.
For a few quiet, generous days, the Institute became a space for storytelling rather than spectacle. Visitors were invited into the world of Jasmine Is a Lie, a ten-look capsule by Andra Clițan of MA RA MI, rooted in ancestral craft, memory, and an emotional approach to sustainability. The collection was made using Wovenbeyond yarns, developed to honour both material integrity and place.
The presentation took the form of a mini exhibition and live demonstration — not to perform fashion, but to reveal it. Sculptural garments sat alongside raw fibres, French Merino wool yarns, process sketches, embroidery, and decorative knots. Together, they traced a lineage: from land to fibre, from hand to garment, from heritage to contemporary expression.
As founder of Wovenbeyond, I shared the regenerative fibre journey behind the collection — offering not only natural yarns, but full supply-chain transparency and a clear understanding of the regenerative impact of fibre production. This openness formed a strong foundation for the collaboration, with both brands sharing a mirrored vision: one where craft, land stewardship, and cultural heritage are inseparable from contemporary design, enabling an impact that goes beyond sustainability.
What made the experience special was the intimacy of the conversation. We spoke about craft as ritual, memory as material, and the responsibility designers carry when bridging tradition with innovation. There was no rush, no noise, just attention, curiosity, and a shared sense that fashion can still be a place of meaning.
Jasmine Is a Lie continues its journey beyond the exhibition space. The collection is available through custom orders and for selected retail stores that embrace its timeless aesthetic, craft-led approach, and commitment to circular design. Created to be worn, lived with, and passed on, each piece reflects a shared belief that fashion rooted in integrity of material, process, and intention, can hold lasting relevance.
