Marcella Zigbuo Camara
Photo by Sunny Badd
Creative director Marcella Zigbuo Camara’s life is art. Everything around her, including herself, feels like an artistic statement. When we met at her home, we were immediately immersed in a 70s movie set ambiance, complete with horror film posters and a modern twist. Connecting with Mars is an unforgettable creative experience, and we had to share it with you:
What fashion trend has influenced politics and culture in the US the most?
I don’t think there is one trend that stands out to me, but it can’t be denied that Black people across the diaspora continue to be the blueprint in Western fashion and trends, whether we get credit for it or not.
In my late teens and early twenties, I witnessed a direct correlation between “hipster,” “indie,” and “artsy” aesthetics and young people expanding their sociopolitical perspectives. The rise of the Tumblr it-girl and online fashion magazines connected us to figures like Solange, Tavi Gevinson, Princess Nokia, Hari Nef, Rian Phin, Willow Smith, Zeba Blay, Janelle Monae, and Sara Nicole Francois. As creatives, these individuals explored intriguing, perhaps even niche, fashion choices inspired by artistic legacies, DIY culture, independent brands, and femme-centered politics, while also publicly engaging in feminism, Black liberation, gender identity, anti-capitalism, and environmentalism. They, along with many others, influenced my style and interests, helping me develop my fashion identity and radical ideology. In my opinion, there is a throughline between sociopolitical shifts and marginalized people on the internet expressing themselves through fashion. Black women and queer people buying Telfar bags while discussing the importance of breaking barriers in the fashion industry created a direct impact on the success of Telfar and other brands, while also encouraging analysis of the ills of fast fashion and overconsumption. So, word to the fashion girls up late on the internet—we definitely help architect this new world.
You’re honest about your relationship, often struggle, with your body. What do you find helpful in achieving balance?
Though I’m extremely stoic, I'm also a West African Gemini with lots of feelings—that type of raw emotion and confrontation of my reality is my only choice, lol.
I haven’t found that balance yet. That’s the journey. My self-portrait series, Love & Body Horror, has helped me process trauma, body acceptance, and body euphoria—a truly embodied and joyous relationship with my physical form. Honestly, accepting that feeling like a hottie is important to me and not some vapid pursuit has also created a shift. Beauty as an ideal is definitely violent in its own way, but when explored with intention, it can also be a tool for self-care and introspection. Asking yourself what makes you feel beautiful, sexy, or radiant shouldn’t be seen as a waste of time.
Taking care of my skin, doing my hair and nails, moving my body, and dressing in a way that makes me feel like art are all important parts of the process. I have one body, and my goal is to treat her right and have a harmonious relationship with her that isn’t about the consumption of my body by external forces. I’m trying to create a ritual around how I treat and think about my body, as well as document and analyze the process artistically. As I continue to do that, I think more balance will come.
The weirdest gift you’ve ever received?
My mom made me a lemon cake when I got my first period. Weird and funny at the time, but in retrospect, she was mothering with a capital M. Shoutout to her.
Family is _________.
The people you want to survive the end of the world with.
Final words on your death bed?
Speak my name, put brown lip liner, a French 75, a good book, and sunflowers on my grave every once in awhile, and remember that all of this was hard and terrifying, but also beautiful, and I survived till the end.
Photo of Marcella by Sunny Badd
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