HOUSE OF CURATED HANGOUTS SESSION 07: MARTA MSO

Welcome to Hangouts Session 07 with Marta MSO!

Marta is the creative visionary and founder behind the vibrant beachwear brand 38 Graus. With bold colors and simple yet striking designs, Marta's creations embody confidence and personality.

You can find 38 Graus flagship store right across the street from House of Curated in Lisbon. And also, this Summer, we are very proud to present 38 Graus beachwear at our Casa Reia beach location!

 

Marta is wearing Perigo Multicolour Mesh Top and Trousers.

 

HOC: Describe a typical day in your life:

Marta: There’s no typical day for me. I usually work from home where I usually spend a lot of time and it’s a place where I find a lot of peace. However, having my own business gives me the freedom to plan every day differently between work, workout and meet some friends. This means I’m always moving around.

 

HOC: What are you currently fascinated by?

Marta: I’ve never been a sporty girl, in fact I've always hated all kind of sports, but unfortunately our healthy and beautiful bodies don’t last forever… I was looking for something fun when I discovered Cycling at Amplify and now i’m addicted to it.  I’m just starting but I already feel complete there, I know I’m moving my body and I feel that my mind needs that moment to drop everything off. It became an everyday therapy!

 

HOC: Can you share a fun fact about you?

Marta: I have banana fobia.

 

HOC: How do you describe your personal style?

Marta: I like colours, if you look at 38 Graus you can see that :) every single piece of my closet has a vibrant colour, even for Winter. I spend a lot of time on Vinted trying to find different and really cheap pieces, it’s not an easy task but it’s a very relaxing and exciting moment for me.

 

HOC: Name three must-have items in your wardrobe:

Marta: Low-waist jeans, black platforms, colourful dress.

 

 

 

HOC: What inspired you to start 38 Graus? Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked the idea?

Marta: Yes, moving to Rio de Janeiro was for sure the starting point. Living there inspired me a lot and I knew I would like to focus my creativity on swimwear.

In 2017, when I was back in Portugal, I understood there was an opportunity to bring something different to the swimwear market, by adding more colour and patterns hand-designed by me, and thus creating bikinis for women eager to feel fashion on beach days.

 

HOC: How do you approach the design process for your bikinis? Where do you draw inspiration from, and what factors do you prioritize when creating new designs?

Marta: My inspiration comes from everything I see on Instagram and Pinterest so you can imagine I spend A LOT of time on these platforms, we never know when you’ll come across something that will set the tone of your next collection.

I also get some inspiration from trips I usually do, where I try to get to know different places and cultures - this year I went for a 2 week jeep expedition around Africa with my family, definitely brought from this a lot of new ideas. 

Something I always make sure I have in every collection is 3 to 4 statement pieces. Pieces you know that are not commercial but that always give personality to your brand.

 

HOC: What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced since the start of your own brand?

Marta: Finding the right manufacturer, one that we can trust, suitable for our quantities and that can respond to our timings - since we are a seasonal business, delivery on the right timming is crucial. After 7 years we are still trying to find the perfect one hahaha!

 

HOC: Can you share with us something special about the new 38 Graus collection?

Marta: This year we are allowing clients to mix and match, people can choose any bottom of our collection and match it with any top. The same with the sizes: no need to buy the same size for tops and bottoms anymore. This is a special move because now we are including every body type and no women is left behind. 

 

HOC: What goals are you looking forward to achieving? (professional and personally)

Marta: With 38 Graus my goal is to try to beat seasonality, a very big problem in swimwear. This means having a strong communication in countries like Brasil, Australia, Indonesia.

Personally, I want to be able to be free and seize life as I want, by having my own business and being able to keep choosing how I want to spend time every day between work, friends and travels. This is the richest one can get.

 

HOC: As you know, at HOC we only have small and independent designers/brands. Are there any emerging designers or brands that you are keeping an eye on?

Marta: Caro Luna, Carmen Says, Sabi the Label, Rat and Boa, Planet Nusa, Cult Form.

You can follow Marta (@marta__mso) and 38Graus (@38_graus) on Instagram.

Visit 38 Graus Studio at Rua do Poço dos Negros 124, 1200-350 Lisboa, or find their new collection at our Summer store in Casa Reia at Praia da Cabana do Pescador in Costa da Caparica.

All photos and videos were shot by Tiago Pestana. Follow him on Instagram @tiagobpestana.

Stay tuned for more hangouts with very special guests soon.