Meet the Irish designer reinterpreting heritage craftsmanship through a queer contemporary lens
Mihai Mar founded Mar Knitwear with a clear mission in mind: to celebrate identity and storytelling through sustainable design. Having just unveiled his latest collection at Dublin Independent Fashion Week and created knits for Wednesday Season 2, Mihai is the name to know in Irish knitwear.
I’m Mihai Mar, founder of Mar Knitwear and project manager for Dublin Independent Fashion Week. Mar Knitwear is an independent, queer-led fashion label based in Dublin that blends story-driven design, refined craftsmanship, and thoughtful sustainability. Each piece is made in-house using traditional knitting techniques and ethically sourced materials, creating bold, expressive collections that blur the line between fashion, art, and heritage. Alongside that, my work with Dublin Independent Fashion Week is about building a new fashion week designed by designers for designers and rooted in creativity, collaboration, and community.
The ethos
At its heart, Mar Knitwear is about celebrating identity and storytelling through sustainable design. By reinterpreting heritage craftsmanship through a queer contemporary lens, the brand aims to shape a new vision of modern luxury rooted in authenticity.
I make knitted jumpers, vests, cardigans, and accessories. The brand is especially known for pictorial motifs created with a knitting technique called intarsia, so each collection you can expect a playful, illustrative design. Everything is also made in-house on domestic knitting machines and produced to order.
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a designer. I wasn’t the kid who grew up with a ‘passion for fashion’. What I did love was making things with my hands. In school art classes, I was obsessed with puppetry projects, that’s really where my love for creating story-driven characters began. At NCAD, a tutor pointed out how tactile my work was and suggested the textiles department. That’s when it all clicked. From then on, I realised that making things with my hands wasn’t just something I loved, it was my purpose.
The logistics
Funding was definitely a concern starting out. Starting a fashion label in Ireland is tough because fashion isn’t recognised as an artform, so you’re excluded from a lot of arts funding. It’s frustrating because craft has such a rich history here, and with the textile industry not being what it once was, it feels even more important to preserve and support it. I’ve even been rejected from art studios because my practice was considered “commercial,” which makes me wonder—doesn’t a painter also create work to sell?
Some of my bespoke jumpers take up to 40 hours to produce, so I’d absolutely classify them as art pieces. There are business grants available, but most require you to reach a certain financial threshold first. Part of my mission, through both my brand and Dublin Independent Fashion Week, is to push for fashion and textiles to be recognised as an artform in Ireland.
The best advice I’ve ever received, both in business and in life, is: “Put your own mask on first.” Like on a flight, the idea is to prioritise yourself and what’s best for you or your brand. I’m still learning to say no, and I think that’s something a lot of emerging creatives struggle with, we’re taught to take every opportunity, but not all of them are right. Trusting your instincts and having the audacity to back your craft is so important.
I named my brand Mar Knitwear because “mar” means to ruin or diminish perfection. It’s a reminder to myself that things don’t have to be perfect, and that learning comes from doing. Perfectionism is such an easy trap for artists to fall into, but I’ve learned that showing up with something imperfect is always better than not showing up at all.
The brands and designers to know
Some of the brands and items I’m loving at the moment include Henrik Vibskov’s Kelly Shoes in brown, Simone Rocha’s Long Faux Fur Hare Scarf, and Shinzo’s Canvas Clasp Jacket. There are so many great Irish designers, but if I could upgrade my wardrobe today, I’d love pieces from The Zero Waster, Ríon Hannora, and Conor O’Brien. I really admire their design philosophies.
On a trip to Taiwan, I discovered Professor E. and fell in love with their craftsmanship. I bought a pair of trousers that at first glance look simple, but up close you notice the refined embroidery, clever panelling with button details, and playful adjustable shaping. Every time I wear them, I notice something new. The craftsmanship is just incredible.
On Instagram, there are two standout accounts that I love following. Ura.219 is the café account run by Taiwanese label Professor E. I love how they blend contemporary and traditional elements, showcasing fashion, homeware, nature, and their unique café desserts. It’s a lifestyle account as much as a brand, and I’d love to one day open a Mar Knitwear store/café inspired by their approach to running a brand.
Gentle Monster is a South Korean sunglasses brand. When I lived in Korea in 2019, their stores blew my mind! Massive art installations and sunglass designs unlike anything I’d seen before. They’ve since become a global phenomenon, but they still surprise me with each new campaign. Recent collaborations include Tilda Swinton and Bratz — totally unexpected but they always work.
The legacy
Proudest moment so far was without a doubt, creating knitwear for Wednesday Season 2 on Netflix. Crafting Pugsley’s iconic jumper was one of the most challenging but most rewarding experiences of my knitting career thus far. It meant a lot to be trusted with such an important piece. Growing up, I loved watching the special behind-the-scenes features on my favourite DVDs, totally mesmerised by the craftsmanship behind the film industry. So having one of my knits immortalised on screen is really special. I’d love to keep working on projects like this.
I want my brand to be remembered for storytelling and for pushing the boundaries of knitwear design. Each collection starts with a story, and I design garments for the characters within that world. Beyond the knitwear, I direct the photography, sets, styling, and everything in between. That approach lets me expand on the narrative I want to tell, and I hope Mar Knitwear will always be remembered for weaving imaginative stories with refined craftsmanship.
It would be a dream to create custom knits for the K-pop girl group Red Velvet. They were such a huge visual inspiration to me when I was younger—their shifting concepts, extravagant music videos, and overall creativity always kept me guessing and utterly inspired. I think it would be a slight departure from my current aesthetic, but I’d love to create fuzzy pastel knits with kooky cats and playful beading for a music video for them. It feels like a collaboration I could have so much fun with.
DIFW photography by Amber O’Shea
Also Read
