The 90s clubwear that Maria ke Fisherman is famous for is probably the last thing you would expect to see a convent of nuns wearing. But the Barefoot Carmelites, a monastic order founded in 1593, did play a huge role in the brand's most recent OC-exclusive collection––they're the ones who crocheted the halter tops, zip-up skirts, and body-con dresses currently on our racks.
Maria Lemus and Victor Alonso, the design duo from Spain, found the nuns through a family friend. Located in a town of 200 people in rural Andalusia, the cloister retains many ancient traditions: nuns wake up at 4 AM and spend their days praying, reading, and meditating, maintaining limited contact with the world outside. They take vows of poverty, supporting themselves by making candy and handcrafts to sell to locals in their town.
So was it hard to commission these women to sew clothes that look like they came out of the Spice Girls archive? "All nuns are traditional, but these nuns are super conservative," Maria said. "It was definitely difficult to convince them to make such suggestive garments. But my mother is also an older woman who is very open-minded. She helped us explain our collection to them in a way that wouldn't scare them off."
In many ways, the nuns are so cut off from the outside world that it would be impossible for them to grasp the myriad pop culture references and moments of 90s nostalgia that permeate Maria ke Fisherman collections. Founded in 2011 after the two designers met at a Madrid afterparty, the brand has since tried its hand at everything from futuristic Cyber-Rave wear in neon vinyl to snow-bunny sweats (always paired with amazing Buffalo-style platform shoes). The crochet capsule currently in stores is one of the brand's most wearable, though it hasn't sacrificed any sex appeal: "The nuns see it as type of undergarment, perhaps," Victor explained. Still, he acknowledged, they might be surprised to see their garments on say, Miley Cyrus, who wore the brand's see-through crochet dress with furry sleeves at a concert last year (black nipple pasties completed the look).
Of course, one thing Maria and Victor have in common with the nuns is an appreciation of craftsmanship. Like many women in southern Spain, the nuns have invaluable experience with traditional crocheting and knitting, if not the cuts and hemlines that Maria ke Fisherman uses. Many garments in the collection took nearly 100 hours to complete, and the nuns responded well to the quick deadlines and intensive workload. "It was huge for us [to find] people who know how to do this kind of work as well as they do, and who perfectly divide the work and schedule among themselves," Maria and Victor said. "We love our crochet team!"
Interview with Maria and Victor translated from Spanish by Abe Bernal
Shop all Maria ke Fisherman HERE
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Maria ke Fisherman for Opening Ceremony Crochet Tie Top in white/blue
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Maria Lemus and Victor Alonso, the design duo from Spain, found the nuns through a family friend. Located in a town of 200 people in rural Andalusia, the cloister retains many ancient traditions: nuns wake up at 4 AM and spend their days praying, reading, and meditating, maintaining limited contact with the world outside. They take vows of poverty, supporting themselves by making candy and handcrafts to sell to locals in their town.
So was it hard to commission these women to sew clothes that look like they came out of the Spice Girls archive? "All nuns are traditional, but these nuns are super conservative," Maria said. "It was definitely difficult to convince them to make such suggestive garments. But my mother is also an older woman who is very open-minded. She helped us explain our collection to them in a way that wouldn't scare them off."
In many ways, the nuns are so cut off from the outside world that it would be impossible for them to grasp the myriad pop culture references and moments of 90s nostalgia that permeate Maria ke Fisherman collections. Founded in 2011 after the two designers met at a Madrid afterparty, the brand has since tried its hand at everything from futuristic Cyber-Rave wear in neon vinyl to snow-bunny sweats (always paired with amazing Buffalo-style platform shoes). The crochet capsule currently in stores is one of the brand's most wearable, though it hasn't sacrificed any sex appeal: "The nuns see it as type of undergarment, perhaps," Victor explained. Still, he acknowledged, they might be surprised to see their garments on say, Miley Cyrus, who wore the brand's see-through crochet dress with furry sleeves at a concert last year (black nipple pasties completed the look).
Of course, one thing Maria and Victor have in common with the nuns is an appreciation of craftsmanship. Like many women in southern Spain, the nuns have invaluable experience with traditional crocheting and knitting, if not the cuts and hemlines that Maria ke Fisherman uses. Many garments in the collection took nearly 100 hours to complete, and the nuns responded well to the quick deadlines and intensive workload. "It was huge for us [to find] people who know how to do this kind of work as well as they do, and who perfectly divide the work and schedule among themselves," Maria and Victor said. "We love our crochet team!"
Interview with Maria and Victor translated from Spanish by Abe Bernal
Shop all Maria ke Fisherman HERE
Maria ke Fisherman for Opening Ceremony Crochet Tie Top in white/blue
