MEET MIRA

I am Mira, the designer and founder of CRUBA. I live in Mitte here in Berlin with my husband (and business partner) Erimar and the youngest two of our five kids. We just moved to Mitte and are thrilled to be living now in the exact middle of this exciting city where east and west meet and melt together. There’s even one bridge we cross daily from the former East into the former West. Everyday we are astonished by how well one can live in Berlin. As a close friend put it: we can only work the way we do in this city. Having lived so long in the US (out "West"), I find the East exotic and full of secrets. Women in the East were – and are – so much more emancipated.

I try to be a storyteller through my work. That is probably what got me into fashion in the first place. I love watching people. I remember as a kid looking at women’s shoes peeking out from under the doors of public bathroom stalls and trying to imagine/design the outfits that could match them.Part of my brain tells stories through my designs. I have always liked waiting in long lines for the people-watching opportunities it provides. My work brings me closer to people, closer to the world, and I have a lot of fun with it.

My family and I are constantly racing against time. I always run late and only plan tomorrow. Years ago I traded in the evening drink with a close friend for a coffee in the morning. And I’m a runner. When my kids hit puberty, I felt so much frustration and anger that I wanted to start boxing, but that wasn’t an option. I took up jogging instead, even though I had always hated it. The irony of running to relax from all the running around isn’t lost on me.

CRUBA was born in Berlin, but I studied fashion at Parsons in NY and Paris. When I started CRUBA in 2009 I had last worked with Zero Maria Cornejo and didn’t really know the German market. I was out of touch after a long baby break, so I decided to start my own company (design brand) – as if that’s easier than looking for a job. I was clueless about how fashion works here in Germany. I felt like an industry outsider and sometimes even like an alien, missing the latest fads but at the same time being passionate about the sensual work of sculpting fabric.

I had always dreamt of my own brand, and now I’m living that dream.  Some days it feels dreamy and other days, like a struggle.  In a world where everything is fast-paced and companies are measured by their short-term success, it’s challenging to forge a way that is slower, that allows for family and friends and reflection. At the same time, I do believe that “slow” is our future in this industry. Creating clothes that ease the way we inhabit our skin inspires me everyday.