Mirror Palais: The Brand that Commits to Everything and Nothing
By Daniella Haghani
Growing popularity on social media, Mirror Palais (mee-rr pal-ay) is an up-and-coming brand designed and owned by Marcelo Gaia. The Queens-born designer draws inspiration from several women, but his ultimate muse is his mother. Born from Brazilian immigrant parents, Gaia combines multiple mediums of inspiration into a conservative yet provocative, vintage yet modern, old-fashioned yet playful style.
Beyond his mother, Gaia is influenced by other feminine fashionistas, such as women walking in the streets of New York and Fran Fine from The Nanny. He also draws inspiration from vintage Playboy fashion and 1900s fashion. Through vintage shopping, Gaia collects and recreates timeless pieces, like a 1910s Edwardian blouse or a 1940s girdle.
Although many small businesses struggled during the pandemic, Mirror Palais became one of the most desired Internet brands. The two-year-old brand currently has 288K followers on Instagram. Several influencers and models, including Emily Ratajowski, Barbie Ferreira, Jen Caballos, Kylie Jenner, and Dua Lipa, have publicly worn Mirror Palais.
The underwire bra is the style that projected Mirror Palais to popularity. One of the prominent designs is a long-sleeve, button-down sheer yellow top supported by an underwire bra, illustrating a paradox between formal and sensual. Pictures of young women wearing this casual chic top circulated all over Instagram and Pinterest, making this style a trend. Unfortunately, fast-fashion brands stole and capitalized on the underwire bra.
Gaia explains his personal experience with fast-fashion brands stealing from and taking credit for his designs: “I work with a team of immigrants who are trying to make a career for themselves and so when any of my designs are ripped off, it affects them too.”
In an age of overconsumption, fast fashion brands profit from the designs of talented, hard-working small designers. Gaia believes that one way to combat overconsumption is by “treating fashion as an investment rather than something that is disposable” —that is, controlling the urge to comply with a consumerist mindset is an effective way to practice eco-consciousness and purchase quality, long-lasting items.
For many people, purchasing from Mirror Palais is not economically ideal, as the brand’s pieces range from $295 to $750. Nevertheless, there are other ways consumers can contribute and participate in the revival of slow fashion beyond monetary support, such as following small designers on social media, telling people about their brands, and minimizing our use of fast fashion.
Gaia commits to an eco-friendly manner of production by recycling and reusing vintage prints, converting them into something feminine, delicate, and playful. As a kid, Gaia would sneak into his mother’s closet and try on a bunch of her vintage pieces. Not having enough money to shop in stores, he wore his mom’s blazers, band tees, and colorful knitwear. Today, Gaia reinterprets his mother’s style to produce pieces for Mirror Palais.
Gaia’s floral bikinis are inspired by the swimwear his mother wore during the late 80s in Rio (below is an image of her bikini bottoms surrounded by Gaia’s bikini collection). By showing pride in his Brazilian heritage while producing a classic American 90s bikini, Gaia situates vintage aesthetics within a contemporary, trans-global context.
One of the 90’s bustiers is a funky floral print. Other prints are neutrals, such as white and black, which elevates the classiness of the bustier.
Gaia’s new bridal collection incorporates themes of Catholicism and Edwardian fashion. The “Maria” is an off-white, tight dress with embroidered floral patterns that can also be interpreted as crosses. While we can see the silhouette of the model’s figure, the dress still evokes the idea of purity. Gaia says that the dress reminds him of Brazil, his family, religion, God, the countryside, and forbidden romance. Again, he combines the traditional with the modern, producing a rustic-chic aesthetic.
Through producing something personal and true to himself, Gaia creates time-honored, one-of-a-kind pieces for all to appreciate. Combining tropical Brazilian aesthetics with Edwardian silhouettes or vintage bikinis, Gaia formulates a “third space,” something uniquely individual on its own. He reconstructs the conservative, reinstates vintage wear through a contemporary style, and blurs the binary between Brazilian and American. He commits to everything and nothing.
Beyond his mother, Gaia is influenced by other feminine fashionistas, such as women walking in the streets of New York and Fran Fine from The Nanny. He also draws inspiration from vintage Playboy fashion and 1900s fashion. Through vintage shopping, Gaia collects and recreates timeless pieces, like a 1910s Edwardian blouse or a 1940s girdle.
Although many small businesses struggled during the pandemic, Mirror Palais became one of the most desired Internet brands. The two-year-old brand currently has 288K followers on Instagram. Several influencers and models, including Emily Ratajowski, Barbie Ferreira, Jen Caballos, Kylie Jenner, and Dua Lipa, have publicly worn Mirror Palais.
The underwire bra is the style that projected Mirror Palais to popularity. One of the prominent designs is a long-sleeve, button-down sheer yellow top supported by an underwire bra, illustrating a paradox between formal and sensual. Pictures of young women wearing this casual chic top circulated all over Instagram and Pinterest, making this style a trend. Unfortunately, fast-fashion brands stole and capitalized on the underwire bra.
Gaia explains his personal experience with fast-fashion brands stealing from and taking credit for his designs: “I work with a team of immigrants who are trying to make a career for themselves and so when any of my designs are ripped off, it affects them too.”
In an age of overconsumption, fast fashion brands profit from the designs of talented, hard-working small designers. Gaia believes that one way to combat overconsumption is by “treating fashion as an investment rather than something that is disposable” —that is, controlling the urge to comply with a consumerist mindset is an effective way to practice eco-consciousness and purchase quality, long-lasting items.
For many people, purchasing from Mirror Palais is not economically ideal, as the brand’s pieces range from $295 to $750. Nevertheless, there are other ways consumers can contribute and participate in the revival of slow fashion beyond monetary support, such as following small designers on social media, telling people about their brands, and minimizing our use of fast fashion.
Gaia commits to an eco-friendly manner of production by recycling and reusing vintage prints, converting them into something feminine, delicate, and playful. As a kid, Gaia would sneak into his mother’s closet and try on a bunch of her vintage pieces. Not having enough money to shop in stores, he wore his mom’s blazers, band tees, and colorful knitwear. Today, Gaia reinterprets his mother’s style to produce pieces for Mirror Palais.
Gaia’s floral bikinis are inspired by the swimwear his mother wore during the late 80s in Rio (below is an image of her bikini bottoms surrounded by Gaia’s bikini collection). By showing pride in his Brazilian heritage while producing a classic American 90s bikini, Gaia situates vintage aesthetics within a contemporary, trans-global context.
One of the 90’s bustiers is a funky floral print. Other prints are neutrals, such as white and black, which elevates the classiness of the bustier.
Gaia’s new bridal collection incorporates themes of Catholicism and Edwardian fashion. The “Maria” is an off-white, tight dress with embroidered floral patterns that can also be interpreted as crosses. While we can see the silhouette of the model’s figure, the dress still evokes the idea of purity. Gaia says that the dress reminds him of Brazil, his family, religion, God, the countryside, and forbidden romance. Again, he combines the traditional with the modern, producing a rustic-chic aesthetic.
Through producing something personal and true to himself, Gaia creates time-honored, one-of-a-kind pieces for all to appreciate. Combining tropical Brazilian aesthetics with Edwardian silhouettes or vintage bikinis, Gaia formulates a “third space,” something uniquely individual on its own. He reconstructs the conservative, reinstates vintage wear through a contemporary style, and blurs the binary between Brazilian and American. He commits to everything and nothing.