Maqu is the Peruvian-German brand with a social, ecological and sustainable vision, which evolves like nature

Maqu is the firm based on nature established in Berlin and created by the Peruvian Marisa Fuentes Prado in 2016. The brand is an integrally sustainable proposal with initiatives in favor of the education of children in the Andes of Peru, the use of materials and high-quality organic products such as alpaca and certified recycled fibers, processes such as 3D design and natural dyeing with ingredients of Peruvian origin, in addition to plastic-free shipping via GoGreen, and a flagship store in Berlin that works exclusively with GreenPeace Energy.

The firm presents its new SS22 collection, "Fluxability" starring two Peruvian trans women and reusing looms from previous collections in which organic and pima cotton predominate.

Fashion, as well as nature, should be cyclical and aware of the planet, promoting regeneration and constant change. Conscious fashion that observes and learns from it. This kind of thinking led Peruvian Marisa Fuentes Prado to create Maqu, her own timeless sustainable design firm based in Berlin since 2016.

Maqu stems from Marisa's roots, being named after her childhood nickname. “From a very young age I had the idea of creating a project that would help me combine fashion with social issues. With this motivation, I have always committed to spreading the importance of caring and protecting our ecosystems and the people who inhabit them”, says the designer.

Thus, the design and functionality of the firm are combined with a social, ecological and sustainable vision. Maqu is classic, but at the same time experimental. It is a brand that, like its founder, is spiritually connected to nature. Therefore, it presents proposals that are constantly evolving, and without fear of change.

Sensory experience and commitment to sustainability

The firm proposes pieces that are not limited to the visual, but to a sensory experience through different textures. These textures are due to the touch of the different types of materials that Maqu uses, since, being a firm with an integrally sustainable approach, it is characterized by working with high-quality sustainable materials such as alpaca, in addition to the finest organic fibers certified and/or recycled.

The use of this type of raw material is also complemented by processes, such as 3D design, which helps them visualize ideas before creating prototypes, thus saving energy and transportation. Likewise, the firm also makes use of natural dyeing with ingredients of Peruvian origin such as beets, purple corn and eucalyptus. Regarding logistics, Maqu maintains its sustainable approach by shipping plastic-free through GoGreen, in order to offset CO2 transport emissions.

Likewise, and in accordance with the brand's philosophy, the Maqu store located in Berlin works exclusively with GreenPeace Energy.

Social responsibility

In addition to this, Maqu's commitment to social responsibility lies in the preservation of the traditional textile techniques of her country of origin, through fair work with producers and tailors whom she knows personally and with whom she continues to work since the launch of her first collection. “We pay great attention to the fact that our quality standards are met, and that working conditions and fair compensation for an adequate standard of living. To do this, we have taken into account the relationship between wages, working hours, time pressure and personal satisfaction”, she comments.

Maqu's goal is to raise awareness and develop products that further contribute to the awareness and development of vulnerable people through work and education. That is why they contribute to the education of children in the Andes of Peru, through a percentage of their sales. “Everything is born with our Arequipa sweater, for the sale of each of them, 5% of the cost of the piece is donated, thus collecting a significant amount that we donate to the children of a school on the outskirts of the city of Arequipa, Peru", she says.

The idea is that each year this project is improved, in order to generate more profits that contribute with children who do not have the same possibilities to study. “I believe that education is the most important thing in the development of a human being and I would like to be able to create more projects like this. I feel it is my duty. Over time, I feel more and more engaged, while the lack of educational development in Peru persists”, she adds.

SS22 Collection: “Fluxability”

Marisa believes that the spectrum of the genre is quite broad and that, just like nature, Maqu lets itself flow. For this reason, its new SS22 collection entitled Fluxability stars two trans women of Peruvian origin. “Flow describes any effect that appears to pass or travel –whether or not it actually moves– through a surface or substance, among other concepts. For us, it was the ability to be in constant movement and to let nature be, to let it flow”, she explains.

The new collection is characterized by its spontaneity, since most of the materials come from the stock of a loom workshop where its previous collections were made. “Fluxability leans towards a bright palette, which is completely different from what we were used to. It tells a story of reunions, of adaptation, of the way in which pieces that we had previously produced take on a new meaning by reusing them”, she adds.

Fluxability adapts the past with the present of the brand very easily. "We made a remake of past models, combining them with new fabrics in which organic and pima cotton predominate", she says. For this reason, the collection includes very basic garments with recycled fabrics, which play with gathers and ribbons; garments with cut outs woven on a manual machine, to openwork and zig zags on an industrial machine.

About MAQU

Maqu is the firm based on nature established in Berlin and created by the Peruvian Marisa Fuentes Prado in 2016. The brand is an integrally sustainable proposal with initiatives in favor of the education of children in the Andes of Peru, the use of materials and high-quality organic products such as alpaca and certified recycled fibers, processes such as 3D design and natural dyeing with ingredients of Peruvian origin, in addition to plastic-free shipping via GoGreen, and a flagship store in Berlin that works exclusively with GreenPeace Energy.