An apparition of the dignified mores of another time, Mara's mantra, learned from the love of her life, her godmother Dezzie Ree Dew, goes:  "It doesn't matter how many people try and ruffle your feathers or throw dirt in your face, the most important thing is to stay in touch with the genuine soul that you are and remain a kind, spirited person." Mara grew up in Oakland, the daughter of a pilot dad and flight attendant mom, who, when combined, result in a rainbow of ethnicity (Czech, African American, German, Creole, and Cherokee), standing for equality and cultural awareness. Everything in Mara's life had a soundtrack -- Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone, Bill Withers. At an early age, she developed a strong identification with films from the 40s and 50s, which launched her love affair with the elegance of that time period, like 8 lb swing skirts, pin-up dresses, cashmere cardigans, and gloves.
Outed in high school for the singularity of her sophisticated tastes and an idiosyncratic identity, Mara, through she's been through a lot of darkness, derives power by wearing pieces from the glamour era. "I carry myself in a manner where it doesn't matter what the world has brought me," Mara remarked, regarding her leading lady wardrobe. "I'm together." Mara is together enough to escape an abusive boyfriend, which propelled her to her music, a form of expression that saved her life. "What is beautiful to one may not be beautiful to another," Mara states. "So getting comfortable in your own skin is beautiful and hard to achieve."

xo
Elisa and Lily

Mara's video was edited by Maximiliano Gaston Longo.
You can visit Mara's website here.