Marmalade-shop by Magdalena Sokolowska (MsMs)
Magdalena is a Polish-Canadian fashion designer who launched her first collection of clothing under the name of Marmalade in 2001, after completing her studies in business in the United Kingdom and returning to Canada to open a vintage boutique of the same name in Toronto’s Kensington Market.
In 2007, Magdalena returned to Europe to firmly establish the brand Marmalade-shop as a label synonymous with vintage aesthetics and traditional European craftsmanship. Working with classically trained pattern makers and seamstresses, she has implemented a non-compromised commitment to producing high-quality, long-lasting, fair-trade clothing. The preference to maintain small production also allows for a made-on-demand, direct-to-consumer business model that produces meticulously tailored garments to the liking of the client and accommodates in-house alterations at the time of sale to ensure garments are exactly to the buyer's preference.
In 2024, after an introduction to an exciting and progressive young startup in Vietnam, MsMs began making inroads into partial production of collections in Asia, emulating the same successful strategies of only working with seasoned personnel on small-run production to ensure the continuation of exceptional quality garments and uncompromised fair-trade practices while adopting some technological advances in the design process. Magdalena remains the sole designer of her entire line, and she and her business partner divide their time away from North America, overseeing the company's interests in Europe and Asia, allowing them to personally oversee all sampling and the first run of production with a hands-on approach onsite.
A commitment to high-quality, uniquely cool, and reassuringly fair-trade garments is the bedrock mandate for an independent brand now nearing its silver anniversary—a rare milestone in the ever-increasing complexity of independent trading. All fabrics and finishings used are sourced from European Union mills that cater to the luxury consumer, and they personally ensure these same qualities and standards are continued with their partners in Asia.
In 2014, collaborations with creative teams in Kyiv, Ukraine, became twice-yearly commitments. MsMs continues to maintain this commitment, and although inevitably, some members of the original team in Ukraine have dispersed, creative productions remain possible due to the steadfast and admirable resilience of friends who continue to ply their trades throughout the unjust uncertainty they face. Slava Ukraine.