Personal Style: A Unique Expression of God's Heart
Interview with Veronica Marrinan
Part Three from our “Ethical and Dignified Fashion” Series
Photo by Hannah Busing
Interview with Veronica
Veronica Marrinan is one of the co-founders and designers of Litany, a New York-based clothing line focused on creating intentional and contemplative clothing for the modern woman. A graduate from FIT with degrees in fashion design and entrepreneurship, she is passionate about growing in understanding the sacramentality of our bodies and creating garments as the fruits of her and her co-designer Olivia Swinford’s contemplation of truth, beauty and goodness. She is an older sister, a Polly Pocket enthusiast, and dances like a very ambitious car wash noodle.
Describe the relationship between your faith and love for fashion. How do the two inform one another?
When I was 20, I had the opportunity to serve in the baths at Lourdes during Easter week. I had been studying fashion for about two years at the time, and really thought I had it figured out- modesty and all that. But I was taking classes on the philosophy of the human person and the sacraments around that time of serving. I found myself helping women get undressed and dressed, holding a curtain around them and then wrapping them in it, lowering them in, pulling them out, helping to put their bra back on, smoothing their collars and tying their shoes. It propped open the door to what the purpose of fashion was, in a sense. Modesty isn’t the end goal - the person is. And the person reveals a very specific aspect of the Heart of God that only that one person encapsulates in that unique way. Fashion is a way to express that in the most intimate way- by what we wrap our bodies in.
I thought about it a lot in college, [from] getting to know the (Dominicans) and watching their habits and watching father’s vestments move at mass. I didn’t realize it until I graduated, but the shapes that [the vestments] created informed my designs in school a LOT. I design best when I’m designing as an act of contemplation, my heart moving through my relationship with God and His people as it unfolds throughout my life. The world is going to get boring. You can only redesign the 70s so many times. But designing based on silhouettes and prints that express your prayer on the Incarnation or the Joyful Mysteries, well, you’ll never reach the bottom of it. Ever ancient ever new and all that jazz. You can’t get to the bottom of mysteries. You can get to the bottom of the 70s.
How do you see fashion related to the dignity of the person?
Our bodies are like a sacrament (an outward sign of a living reality- our bodies a sign of our souls). But it’s even deeper than that, which blew my mind! Our bodies and our souls are entirely intertwined, death isn’t the original plan - they aren’t meant to be separated.
When I was in Lourdes, we were trained to help cover the women at every moment, but it wasn’t because their bodies were bad or ugly. It’s because it was theirs. No one else has that body and no one else has that soul! Once I started to look at modesty as a [way] to express that person’s body and soul my work took on a freedom that I hadn’t experienced before. It wasn’t at odds with style, it works hand in hand to the end of expressing the person and upholding their dignity.
Tell us how you first started to cultivate your personal style
[It went] really badly. At 14, I would save up money from working all year and then take some of it on a shopping trip and buy stuff that I thought was so cool (news flash: it was horrible). But I think the fact that I thought it was great gave me the freedom to try it, which is key. Personal style isn’t something you can fill out a quiz for and get assigned a category in – because there are no categories! You are a particular glimmer of the Father’s heart, not a “rustic chic” girl. I sewed things for myself, looked horrible, and gradually grew a taste level that helped me look better. Part of that may or may not have been by looking at designer’s work consistently or traipsing to NYC for high school classes and seeing every possible kind of outfit. I learned slowly that if I felt confident, I was already pulling it off, and if I felt the need to “play a part” in an outfit it wasn’t reflective of me. Unless it’s a Meredith from The Office Halloween costume.
Looking back, have you seen any parallel between spiritual growth or trials in your life and your personal style?
Definitely. I have OCD tendencies and depression, and before being diagnosed I was in a relationship where I felt the need to play the part of “sweet supportive Catholic girl” and shrink the rest of my personality. That led me to shrinking myself before God in prayer, and ruminating on my prayer in a really unhealthy way because I didn’t understand why I just didn’t feel at peace! Years later, I’m in a much better place in my relationships with God and myself, and my style is much more indicative of my entire person. During that time I stuck to a lot of 50s style dresses (which are great, don’t get me wrong, but they were ALL I WORE) and cardigans. So. Many. Cardigans. Oh, and flats. It felt like I was playing a caricature of one part of myself. Now, I’ve managed to meld that classic look I like with different garments that make me happy. I don’t think about looking “feminine” enough anymore. I’m a woman, if it’s on me, it’s feminine. My confidence in who I am as a daughter of God and His love for me has really rid me of my preoccupation with getting style “right.”
How does your faith inform your commitment to ethical fashion?
Fashion is worn so close to us, so close to that unique expression of God’s heart, so we ought to make it immensely good, not only in style but also in what it’s made of (made with good materials, by people being paid well). I can’t claim to be wearing something that dignifies me, while it was made by (ignoring) another person’s dignity, or hurting the earth I have been charged with caring for. I try to shop second-hand and have begun renting some of my wardrobe from Rent the Runway (it’s like a library for clothes). It lets me try new things out, instead of committing to it before I’ve worn it with other clothes or out in my daily life - and it helps that I’m sharing the clothing with tons of other women with the same values.
What are some 1st steps you would advise for someone trying to cultivate a personal style/express their interior?
Take inventory of what you have. How do you feel in each outfit? Make three piles, from “super confident” to “meh” to “feeling a slow and creeping pit of despair that you can’t describe.” Take the super confident ones, and ask yourself what you like about them. Journal if you want! Then, take pics of yourself in those outfits (they come in handy when you’re shopping and thinking about what you already have). Look up some fashion-y women whose style you adore (I’d recommend Jenny Walton, Olivia Palermo, and designers Simone Rocha and Delpozo to start), and just make a few Pinterest boards of what you like. Think in staples and statement pieces. Think about your lifestyle and what’s expected… and go a step above that. Then, hit the stores or get together a few girlfriends for a clothing swap. Don’t be afraid to try out new things!
Vices like gluttony and vanity can often accompany a love for fashion and beauty. How do you ensure your love for fashion stays rooted in virtue?
I’d say, once you’ve taken your body type and cultural expectations of modesty into account (i.e. in India it’s sexy to show your knees but not your stomach, here it’s the opposite), make sure everything in your closet can easily be made modest. If you don’t have to think about it, it won’t preoccupy you. I’d say the same is true with style too. Have fun getting an outfit together, but once it’s on you, just go about your day. Preoccupation, at least for me, is where vanity sneaks in. Try to keep your mind from rooting in fashion as your “thing.” Being yourself is your thing. Showing (who you are) is what fashion is for. Once we can recognize it as a means to an end in a habitual way, the vanity will become something routinely recognizable that you can offer to God and move on from. Don’t be afraid of fashion because of this - we will always have the opportunity to be vain about something, whether it’s our intelligence, how great of a Catholic we are, or how kind we are to other people. The evil one comes after good things that are a reflection of God and tries to twist them. Untwisting them each night in an examination of conscience and asking God for help is something that helps a lot.
How do you think fashion can bring people together?
It tells someone something about you before you even speak! You can create a connecting point without even realizing it, and open the door to a great conversation. Sharing a smile on the subway with someone who’s wearing an awesome outfit is one of my favorite things. I think there’s also a great opportunity for people to come together to solve some of the problems the fashion industry has created- pollution, unfair wages and unsafe work environments, etc.
What is one of your go-to outfits and why?
I love this because the skirt belonged to my mom. It’s a bit less on the muted side, but that’s why it’s a go-to. I love that it’s got a mix of textures and can fit well in different situations. I found the coat for $15 at a thrift shop, and got the fur from a shop in the garment district for about $30. The collar I made is detachable, so the coat can be worn different ways - and the versatility is definitely a bonus. It’s elegant with a bit of a spunk- just like me.
This interview was compiled and edited by Amelia Arth.