Whether you recognise the name from Instagram or a t-shirt you scrolled past on Depop, chances are if you are in the UK and a streetwear enthusiast, the name Marino Morwood is not unfamiliar to you. Since Marino no longer does PR or interviews, it is up to us to figure out who the hell he actually is.
Taking it back to spring 2016, a younger Marino living outside of London began selling bootleg 90s inspired tees under his own name, starting with a limited run of 8… shortly the initial 8 turned to 30, and what was a simple brand idea that stemmed from playing around on Photoshop soon saw co-signs from some of the biggest names in the music industry, including now father-to-be A$AP Rocky and Quavo.
Since then, Marino has continued to elevate his early naughties nostalgia through celebrating the icons of today with each design gaining more popularity than the last. In 2019, following the buzz of his own-named brand and having moved to London, Marino’s confidence grew stronger with his vision becoming clearer, and Cetra Visions was born.
For Marino, Cetra is the evolution of the rap tees – it has the same ethos of being loud and in your face like his ‘signature’ pieces whilst remaining beautiful, but is further developed to give the experience of a full outfit instead of just a standalone t-shirt.
Like most kids in the UK who are into the US music and streetwear culture, Marino was raised around his older brothers who heavily influenced his tastes, and this passion is what has allowed him to stay connected with his audience and the brand moves with the culture.
In 2021 Marino was quoted to say “Hip-hop just naturally became what I listened to from being exposed to it constantly, and when you get wrapped up in the music, you dive into the whole world. You watch the visuals, how people dress, the whole lifestyle that goes with the music… that played a part in shaping me. I wanted to get fly, have nice jewels, and drive nice cars like the people I was listening to and watching on TV.”
We see this lifestyle being sold through Cetra with campaigns being shot in LA and other parts of the globe, as well as it promoting exclusivity through it’s drop information and private Instagram account. Marino has always eluded to a if-you-didn’t-already-know-it-may-be-too-late approach to Cetra.
Although Marino never came from an artistic or design background, Cetra has definitely made waves in the fashion industry and most recently, to celebrate the launch of Kanye tees, Marino packed out an East London cinema for the screening of Kanye’s Jeen-Yuhs Netflix Documentary. This loyal cult following is the reason that Cetra remained so successful throughout a global pandemic – when many brands were struggling to not only sell but make clothes, Cetra was consistently selling out.
Marino once said he made clothes because it meant he could do what he wants when he wants, and nobody can tell him shit about it. The clothing is a trophy for living life on his own terms, and he hoped others felt the same way when they put on their Cetra pieces. So the question is, do you?
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