Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marise Plummer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marise, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Growing up, I have always been more of a risk taker. Whether that be me forcing myself to do skateboard tricks that were way too advanced for my level, me wearing a brightly colored/unique outfit that I know will make me stand out in high school, or me taking on the challenge of sewing my own prom dress a month before prom despite not having any previous sewing experience.

I would say that my first big jump that helped land me where I am right now was when I decided to move to Paris, France for fashion design in 2018 right after high school. My first reason was that I didn’t want to go into debt since I couldn’t afford to pay for the fashion design program at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) out of pocket. My second reason was that I wanted to experience another culture and learn French while doing so. Part of me always knew that to really appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of growing up black in Atlanta I needed to leave for a little while. What I never knew was that “little while” would turn in to me still being here 6 years later!

Through the 6 years I have spent living in Paris, I have grown immensely. Not only as a person, but also in my creative endeavors. I started my brand, MarXen World, back in Atlanta in 2020 as a styling agency, and it officially evolved into the low-waste clothing/accessory brand you know today in September of 2022.

Since launching in 2022, we have accomplished several incredible feats! Such as, being published in our first fashion magazine, Useless Fighters. You can find several of our MarXen hats in the Parisian concept store, Jah Jah Studio. We met and sold several hats to the famous Atlanta rapper, Young Nudy. Lastly, we have done over 10 popups between Atlanta and Paris since our conception.

With it only being 2 years since I took the risk to launch MarXen World as a fashion brand, I am very excited for what is in store for us as we look towards our bright future.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Marise Plummer, and I am 24 years young. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia as a first-generation American with two Jamaican parents. I have always had a passion for fashion and styling from since I was a young child and I think a lot of that came from admiring my mother’s style. For example, I can vividly remember trying on this beautiful, dark green velvet dress from my mom’s closet that was way to big for me, with one of her big church hats as I was prancing around doing my version of a ‘fashion show’ for her.

After graduating high school when I was 18, I decided to move to Paris, France to pursue a degree in fashion design at International Fashion Academy Paris. Through those three years I learned most of the technical skills I know today from pattern making, various haute couture sewing techniques, and almost the entire adobe suite. It was in my last year of school where I was finally able to let go of a previous limiting belief, I was holding on to “not being creative enough” and decided to take the leap to start my brand.

So naturally the next question that came to me was, “What would I sell?” This is where the idea of The MarXen hat organically came into play. I made the first prototype for myself out of sheer need for a hat that could fit my voluminous locs and still look stylish, while protecting it from friction with satin lining. As MarXen World grew I started to see that many other, often black people, were having the same issue of needing a stylish, colorful hat that could fit their voluminous hairstyles while protecting it with satin lining!

One of the things I enjoy most to this day is when I am doing a pop-up, and I get to see someone interact and genuinely fall in love with the MarXen hat. Then when I show them how the hat can be worn in 3 different ways depending on your outfit, I can see them planning out outfits in their head as they beam with excitement. That’s honestly one of my favorite things that add to the charm, because much like your outfit, your MarXen hat can be as versatile as YOU!

Lastly, I would love for people to know that MarXen is all about being effortlessly unique in whatever way you choose to show up. It’s no so much about a specific garment or accessory from the brand, it’s about choosing a piece that allows your unique self to shine through.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative is the gift of being able to create art as a byproduct of my self expression. It’s so rewarding every time to see the physical manifestation of something that was just an idea in my head, then to be able to share it with others.

The second most rewarding aspect is having my creations be well received by those I love and respect.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

An important lesson I had to unlearn was letting go of the notion that I had to follow someone else’s path to achieve my personal definition of success.

My path is so unique in the sense of how and where I was raised in contrast to where I am currently living and the career path in fashion that I am currently pursuing.

I really had to realize that there is no precise roadmap for me to follow and it’s more so about me listening to my intuition and trusting that God will always put the right door in front of me when I am ready to open it…not one moment sooner or later. Now I move in Divine timing and I am significantly less stressed on the exact steps I need to take, and more focused on my end goal along with everything that I am meant to learn along my path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marxenworld.com/
• Instagram: My personal instagram is: @xen.onn | My Brand Instagram: @marxen.world
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marise-plummer-7580b61b0/?locale=fr_FR
• Other: My personal tiktok is: @xen_onn

Image Credits
Photographers: – Sofian Rançon | Rebecca Rowe | Christney Desir | Emelyene Spencer | Leonard Vernhet | Rakeem Burrell | Marilyne Mwangi Models: – Liyah Doung | Marise Plummer | Aniyah Cotton | Mona Obomeghie | Camille Harvey | Daquisiline Gomis | Tayah Powell