Gerda Mi shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Gerda, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
My new intention is to help people feel deeply connected—to themselves and to nature. Through the upcoming Makara Wear retreat, we’re creating a space where transformation happens in motion: freediving into stillness, riding horses with presence, practicing yoga in rhythm with the earth. It’s an invitation to rediscover your inner strength, soften into your truth, and experience nature not just as a backdrop, but as a guide and mirror for your own becoming.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Gerda, and I’m the founder and designer behind Makara Wear, a sustainable swimwear and activewear brand rooted in minimalism, functionality, and feminine strength. I started Makara out of a deep desire to create pieces that support women not just physically, but emotionally—clothing that feels like an extension of who you truly are when you’re at your most free, confident, and grounded.
Makara is inspired by the raw power of nature and the quiet resilience of women. Our designs are made to move with you—whether you’re diving into the ocean, flowing through a yoga practice, or simply reclaiming your space in the world. Everything is produced with care, using high-quality, eco-conscious materials like ECONYL® and organic cotton, with a focus on timeless cuts over fast trends.
Right now, I’m working on a new project that’s very close to my heart: a retreat experience under the Makara Wear philosophy. We’re bringing women together in wild, beautiful places to reconnect—with themselves, with nature, and with their own inner rhythm. The retreat will combine freediving, horse riding, and yoga—three practices that i recently found, except yoga. It’s about coming home to yourself, through movement, stillness, and deep presence.
Makara is more than just a brand—it’s a living expression of transformation, freedom, and feminine depth. And I’m excited to keep evolving it, one breath, one wave, one woman at a time.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
Definitely my dad. He instilled in me a strong work ethic from an early age—showing up, staying committed, and doing things with intention. But when it comes to style and aesthetics, I owe a lot to my grandmother, my mom, and my stepdad. My grandmother had this effortless elegance, my mom a natural sense for bold simplicity, and my stepdad was almost obsessively precise—he taught me the value of detail and quality, sometimes to an extreme! That blend of discipline, precision, and artistic instinct has shaped both how I work and how I design.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. After four years of pouring everything into Makara Wear—my time, my energy, my savings—it still wasn’t paying the bills. It was growing, but so slowly that it felt like I was constantly giving more than I was getting back. Then I broke my leg, and around the same time, my marketing partner left. That moment hit hard. I was physically and emotionally drained, and I did give up—for a while. I stepped away, questioning if it was really worth it.
But sometimes, stepping away gives you clarity. I realized that Makara wasn’t just a business—it was an extension of who I am. And that’s what brought me back, but with a new kind of strength: more grounded, more intentional, and more aligned with why I started in the first place.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
For me, it really matters to connect and to be present. My friends often say I’m always confident in what I do — and maybe that’s 80% true. But the other 20% is doubt, disbelief, those quiet moments where I question myself.
And then I remind myself: who really cares? The truth is, nobody does — except me. Every effort, every gesture, every bit of progress is really about how I feel in the process. Yes, it might affect the people around me, but the most important question is always: Do I believe in this? Do I feel true to myself when I’m doing it?
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
Nothing. I love my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.makarawear.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makarawear/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerda-mi-128183148/?originalSubdomain=sg
- Twitter: https://x.com/Makarawear
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makarawear/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MakaraWearOfficial
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/makarawear/
Image Credits
Dominiquw Di Crisci – @dominiquedicrisci
