Maruja Pain to Power tour merchandise capsule design
Ella Fradgley
Published
Last year, I had the joy and privilege of designing the merchandise for Maruja’s Pain to Power tour (which is currently ongoing!) ☆
When it came to expanding the visual storytelling of Pain to Power into merchandising, I continued the research-led design approach I brought to the album. Where the album included motifs from medieval illuminated manuscripts, the merch was conceptually rooted in the role self-adornment played in medieval Britain.
In 1363, Edward III’s sumptuary law strictly forbade embroidery on clothing for anyone below the level of esquire unless they had an income 5 times that of an esquire, making at least £100 a year. The adornment of the body by those not in the upper classes was an act of rebellion, an embracing of beauty and a defiance of expectations - all themes present in Maruja’s music.
It was also essential that the merch capsule fused these ornate design elements with the kinds of merch designs that fans would expect at shows.
One example of this is the traditional band hoodie, which carries the secret message of an illustrated angel placed above the cuff, referencing medieval practices of embroidering figures of faith, protection and communication. It also uses the body as a canvas, encouraging the wearer to turn their hands outward to see the full image, revealing a secret and opening their palms in a pose of offering and vulnerability.
As with all my work with Maruja, this process was incredibly collaborative, fulfilling and an absolute pleasure and privilege to be a part of!