Check out our interview with fashion and lifestyle blogger Maria Molino.
Hi Maria, please tell us a little about you.
Born in Brooklyn, raised between BK and the NJ suburb of Navesink, NJ, I was exposed to the best of both the simple suburban life and the fast paced city lifestyle of NYC. My heart is that of a loyal New Yorker. It’s the lifestyle I most identify with even as my husband and I now raise our children a town away from the home I grew up in here in NJ. I love being able to walk out into a bustling community with eateries, and shopping right on front of me. It’s this ingrained desire for the city life that drew me to opening my boutique in Red Bank, NJ in the first place. A town, not a city, but with character and a fun upbeat community.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 got the best of retail in my town, and by extension my boutique, The Haute Maven, closed its doors permanently. However, I’m determined to not allow that setback to define my future. I’m moving in with my side project, THM Social (a social media management agency) and with my blog “Simply Maria”.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Amiable, Insatiable & Fashionable
Name one of your strengths?
Infallible Determination
Who is your biggest supporter?
My biggest and greatest supporter is and always has been my Grandmother, Concetta. She’s been there to guide me and support me through the biggest ups and downs.
Best advice ever given?
My friend Lisa said early on in my career, “never be afraid to fail. Failure makes you stronger and builds your character. If you can fail and keep going, then you will succeed!”
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
For me, what I wanted to be when I grew up was a loaded question. I started out wanting to be an Egyptologist. I had a crazy obsession with Cleopatra and King Tut. As I became more interested in what I wore and what I read, my interests went to Costume Designer it Journalist. I’m sort of on the edges of both those atm. I have been a costume designer for a pilot tv show, and designed pieces for my own clothing line (launching sometime next year), and the blogging sort of fulfills my desires to write.
What has been the greatest pinch-me moment in your career?
I was at the Gucci Wooster opening party. I was invited as a client/influencer and I wore a velvet Gucci pajama set with rhinestone detailing and a Gucci belt bag. I was walking around and stopped to talk to Jared Leto and received a compliment on my outfit from Alessandro Michele and Marco Bizzari. It was so cool!
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
Not to base my worth off of my accomplishments but off my failures because it was my failures that drove me to my successes. My biggest failure led me to discover my greatest strength.
Now tell us about any current projects you are working on.
Currently I’m working on designing a few pieces for my own clothing line. While my boutique was still open, my best sellers were pieces from my own collection. So my next project will focus on bringing my designs to life.
What is your favorite quote?
“Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.” – Jane Austen I always wonder why people, especially in this time of social media, harp on the negative. You will never know my mood by what I write or post. My miseries are my own. If you are looking for misery and guilt, you can find it somewhere else.
To what do you attribute your current success?
Determination! The closure of my boutique I took as an opportunity rather than a setback. I saw an opening for my creativity to be pushed beyond selling other people’s clothes and into the realm.
What is your favorite healthy food?
I love steamed artichokes! I can eat them all day, everyday! Of course I love artichokes prepared any which way imaginable, but healthy I go for steamed.
And your favorite cheat food?
I’m weak when it comes to cupcakes. Especially if it’s peanut butter and jelly flavored. When I was pregnant with my son, I pretty much lived off of PB&J cupcakes.
What do you think of Social Media?
Love & Hate relationship. I am obviously addicted to Instagram, and I love it as a platform for sharing ideas, style, fashion, recipes, and even just jokes. It’s a wonderful vehicle for marketing and business as well. What I am less than in love with is the impact it can have on personal relationships and the mindsets of the younger generation. I feel as if younger people who have grown up knowing nothing else of life before social media put too much stock in what those likes mean to their lives.
Where our readers can follow you?
They can follow me on Instagram @mariamolino or on my blog simplymaria.com
