Retail therapy: Bespoke tailor Maria Karimi launches her first ready-made collection

A custom wedding dress with silk organza flower appliqué by Maria Karimi.Handout

A bespoke tailor based in Montreal, Maria Karimi designs complete seasonal wardrobes for her clients, creating women’s wear, men’s wear and special event pieces. “When something is really made for you, it’s a whole process for the person who makes it for you. They think about everything – who you are, where you’re going to wear it, how many times you’re going to wear it and are you going to pass it on to someone else after,” she says. “The fit and the personality are really well thought out, so that every time you wear your piece, you love it.”

For Karimi, these made-to-measure garments go beyond one-of-a-kind style to include thoughtful sustainability considerations, from waste-reduction to supporting a local community. When sourcing her fabric from mills in England, Italy and France, Karimi is careful to find ways to use all of it. “If I have something left over, I always try to make something with it, a flower, a belt or sometimes I patchwork it.” Working with a small team out of her downtown Montreal atelier, she says it’s important for shoppers to consider the makers of their clothing. “Who are they, and how are you contributing to their lives?”

During the pandemic lockdown, Karimi found herself with the time to pursue the goal of launching her first ready-to-wear line. The spring 2021 collection includes genderless pieces in men’s and women’s sizing and shares the same sensibilities as her custom creations. “For my ready-to-wear collection, I try to keep all of those values even though I am making a small collection.”

Mar by Maria Karimi, 711-1117 St. Catherine St. W., 514-928-8365, mariakarimi.com.