Over the past decade, Marina Cortbawi has quietly built Merlette into one of fashion’s distinctive independent brands, reimagining modern dressing through beautifully crafted pieces designed to move effortlessly through both place and time.

​

Conceived with travel in mind, the brand reflects Marina’s belief that clothing should adapt to the lives women actually lead - versatile, enduring, and easy to wear. Much of that perspective comes from the way she moves through the world herself. Rather than following an itinerary, she’s more likely to wander until she stumbles upon a neighborhood café, a quiet beach, or a place that never made the guidebook. It’s this instinct to look beyond the obvious, that informs both her design process and the life she’s built around it.

 

Her curation brings together the pieces, places, and rituals she returns to time and again, offering a glimpse into the perspective behind the brand.