how it started

MARIE MARIE Amsterdam started in 2022. Not with a big plan, but with a bag. Our founder, Marthe de Groot, was 29 at the time. She bought that bag at a small local art and craft market, organised by her grandmother's crochet club.

It made her wonder: why do we see so little of this kind of craftsmanship in fashion? Why does something made with so much care feel so rare?

After studying at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and working in digital advertising for a few years, Marthe felt something was missing. She loved fashion, but wanted it to stand for something positive. To bring people together, rather than just being produced.

Inspired by her grandmother's crochet club and the idea that fashion can be a force for good, she decided to do things differently.

And that's how MARIE MARIE was born.

made by our community

Every bag is crocheted by hand by our community. No anonymous production, but
craftsmanship by women with a name, a story, and a place within the MARIE
community.
Because in the end, it’s about people.
In the early years, we worked exclusively with volunteer crocheters in the Netherlands.
From living rooms, kitchen tables and crochet hubs across the country, our first collections slowly came to life. Sometimes with deadlines that were, in hindsight, a
little optimistic — but always made with care and enthusiasm.
As the brand began to grow (and yes, maybe a little faster than we expected), a new
question came up: how do we keep growing without losing what makes it special?
Since the end of 2025, we’ve started working with Sector7, an organisation supporting
female refugees in Turkey. And with Drishti Lifestyle, working with women’s
communities in India. Two partners who share the same belief: craftsmanship, fair
opportunities and economic independence go hand in hand.
We learn as we go. Sometimes things go exactly as planned — more often they don’t.
But our starting point stays the same: our community comes first.
As MARIE MARIE continues to grow — in the Netherlands and beyond — the
foundation remains unchanged. A brand that started with a handmade bag, a group of
enthusiastic crocheters, and the idea that fashion can bring people a little closer
together.
Stitch by stitch.