Conversations with MariaLia Pacitto

Today we’d like to introduce you to MariaLia Pacitto

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is MariaLia (Lia for short) and I am a fashion designer, seamstress/tailor, and entrepreneur. I like to consider myself a multi-hyphenate fashion creative!

I have nearly 20 years of sewing and design experience under my belt and run my own private design studio in the South Bay area of Los Angeles where I design for my eponymous womenswear label, MARIALIA as well as operate my small development and production services company, XPNSV DSGNR.

I started my journey at a very young age, while I was still a sophomore in high school (believe it or not)! I like to think my love of fashion and sewing came from my late mom, who always nurtured a very creative and hands-on environment in our home. As an immigrant from a small town in Italy post WWll, she was quite “traditional” in the sense of being a homemaker and some of my earliest memories involve things like: shopping for fabrics together, sewing various projects together at home, learning the basics of a domestic sewing machine, and even other artisan crafts like crochet and something we call “Tombolo” in Italian, which is antique bobbin lace making.

As I got older my love of fashion and sewing only grew, so it was a brainless decision for me as a young and inexperienced 15 year old to say “this is what I am going to do for the rest of my life, no matter what- and at all costs.” I fell in love with the sparkly dream of being a successful fashion designer and absolutely nothing else interested me. I was very determined, a little stubborn, and fiercely naive- to say the least. Looking back, I believe those traits are what allowed me to really dive in head first with no prior experience or knowledge and learn first-hand from all my mistakes along the way. I did not have any formal training and never went to fashion or business school, so I take pride in all the accomplishments and having boot-strapped my way to where I am today… which is worth noting it is still nowhere near where I want to be!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not, haha! It’s challenging enough running a business, so imagine mixing something as fickle and capricious as fashion into it. It took me a really long time to learn and accept that the fashion industry is a huge umbrella with so many different and integral roles, so having your proverbial “fashion eggs” in many baskets is ultimately key.

Some early struggles I faced along the way were similar to those of many other entrepreneurs, which mostly include the idea of having to prove yourself. You will constantly have to prove your talent and your worth in fashion because the industry is always changing. You will constantly struggle between following your heart and following what’s “best for business”. You will constantly be learning and unlearning, and you will constantly need to remember that the most important person to prove yourself to at the end of all of this is not the customer, not your friends, not family, but rather yourself. The struggles of entrepreneurship will never end, but having a strong understanding of self and a strong understanding of your mission is the foundation that will help navigate you through all the ups and downs that make up that very road.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I wear many hats and I work in multiple aspects of the fashion industry. I’m exceptionally qualified in design, sewing, and production in nearly every genre (ready-to-wear, swimwear, kidswear, menswear, activewear, sportswear, couture, intimates, lingerie, bespoke, costume and more). As a designer, my eponymous label focuses on women’s ready-to-wear, special occasion, swimwear, and my favorite: bespoke. The label, ‘MARIALIA’ has been carried by major retailers such as Patricia Field, Karmaloop, and Dolls Kill, to name a few and has been worn by various notable people in the past such as: Lady Gaga, Bebe Rexha, Brenda Song, Chanel West Coast, Jenna Jameson, Kat Von D, Demi Lovato, and many more.

As a costume designer and tailor, I have also worked with many universally notable people such as Lizzo, Tara Reid, Lil Nas X, Pink, Mariah Carey, and more.

In 2021, after 8+ years of freelancing and producing for other brands and designers, I founded my apparel design services group called XPNSV DSGNR where I specialize in: pattern-making, tech pack creation, techincal/CAD design, sample development, cutting, sewing, new brand consulting, micro-scale production, and more. As a fashion entrepreneur, my focus is to service clients with whatever is needed to bring their design or idea to life, at whatever stage in the design process they’re at.

I also work as a merchandise director for various micro to small-scale clothing companies and have ample knowledge in all aspects of apparel merchandise development ranging from: screen printing, DTG printing, embroidery, graphic design, vector design, apparel sourcing, wholesale, and e-commerce.

In 2025, I am planning to make my return debut with my eponymous label MARIALIA.

As I said earlier: many hats, haha! I like to believe my versatility and wide range of skills is what sets me apart from others, and the thing I am most proud of is how far I’ve come in the last 20 years. I really look forward to the future and the endless possibilities and opportunities that one can create by working hard and staying focused.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe that being focused, patient, and always looking to learn new things while mastering the old ones is the path to success. It’s a daily struggle for anyone to make the right choices given all the distractions we have in life, but ultimately, I think it’s possessing those qualities that will lead you to results.

Contact Info:

• Website: marialia.com and xpnsvdsgnr.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/marialia
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/MARIALIA06