ANDREEA BĂDALĂ, AFTER 15 YEARS OF MURMUR
What did you tell yourself when you decided to start your own brand? Was MURMUR your first brand, or had you tried other projects before?
I started MURMUR at the age of 27, without much prior experience. At the time, I saw that as a major disadvantage because I had to figure many things out on my own and had very little to compare my journey to. I studied in London and completed several internships, and I also created a few collections under my own name to build a portfolio, but MURMUR is my first brand. Because it was my first, I think I have a certain innocence and affection towards it. It has accompanied me throughout my journey as a woman and helped me answer questions about my identity, my relationship with my body, and even my relationship with love.
If you could choose one defining memory from these past 15 years, what would it be?
I think it would be the very beginning. I love beginnings. In 2010, I returned from London, where I was interning at Alexander McQueen Menswear and had been offered the opportunity to stay. Instead, I spent a year working from the basement of my parents' house, building MURMUR's first collection and creating the brand's identity. In 2011, I exhibited in Paris for the first time and received my first international orders. It was a pivotal moment that gave me confidence through the appreciation I received, while also showing me how complex the entire process truly was. To this day, I believe the first MURMUR collection was a strong one. It laid the foundations of the brand's identity and includes pieces that remain just as wearable and original today.
What do you think it says about a woman when she chooses to wear MURMUR?
It says that she wants to embrace her femininity. That she already has the courage to be seen exactly as she is: unique. That she doesn't compare herself to others. That she finds joy in herself, in her creativity, in her imagination, and that she turns everyday moments into something poetic. Because that is her ultimate luxury. Every piece she wears becomes part of the memories she creates, moments shared with herself, with a loved one, or with others. Women who wear MURMUR enter the brand's world and appreciate its universe and design, but I believe what they value most is how it makes them feel. They build an emotional relationship with the brand because it helps them discover something beautiful within themselves.
When you see a MURMUR piece, you recognize it instantly. How did you build such a distinctive product?
I strongly believe in consistency, and there have been signature shapes within the brand since the very first collection: shapes that I have continued to refine and develop over the years. The repetition of an idea and its continuous evolution are essential when communicating a message to both current and future clients. I believe that only through repetition and constant development can you truly make an idea your own and have it become naturally associated with your brand.
Sculpt Corset
Zest Corset
Zest Dress
What have you learned about yourself during these years of building the brand?
Through the brand, I have learned about my own femininity, about emotion, and about this body I was given and have learned to listen to, because it is often more honest than the mind itself. It is a beautiful process, and each stage reveals a new kind of beauty, more subtle and deeper than the one before. Femininity, and the way it is expressed through MURMUR, is a balance between emotion, mind, and body. That harmony can be seen in the way you move, speak, and dress. In the way you are present and, sometimes, in the preciousness of your absence.
What has it meant for the brand to have so many years of collaborations with international celebrities?
We started dressing celebrities very early on, and the first was Beyoncé in 2013. It brought us tremendous visibility at a time when we were still at the beginning of our journey. Our credibility grew, and we made great efforts to become more accessible to our clients as well. Personally, I love custom projects for celebrities. We work from creative directions or mood boards provided by their teams. Over time, I realized that MURMUR was more recognized and appreciated within the celebrity world than I had imagined. Madonna specifically requested the brand for her tour, and Beyoncé's team returned to us multiple times with custom projects created especially for them. For me, the fact that these women choose MURMUR when they could choose any brand in the world is a powerful confirmation of how special what we create truly is.
What are your five favorite MURMUR pieces right now?
The Zest Corset is, in my opinion, the most spectacular MURMUR corset. Paired with the black Snap Trousers, it makes you feel like a rockstar.
The Ivy Dress remains my favorite black MURMUR dress. It is classic and timeless, yet distinguished by a remarkable detail: the gold-plated garter suspender clips, reimagined in a completely unexpected context.
The Zest Long Dress makes you look like a sculpture. I see it as a harmonious interplay between confidence and fragility. It is a piece that will never go unnoticed and gives you the extra courage to feel untouchable, because you are aware of your own strength while embracing the beauty of your vulnerability.
The Zest Sheer Corset is the most beautiful synthesis I have created so far. It is a sketch of our signature shapes, distilled into delicate black tulle lines. It is also incredibly versatile: it can be styled over a nude bra, a crisp white shirt, or a simple white T-shirt, and when paired with tailored masculine trousers, it creates a look that feels effortlessly cool and contemporary.
How do you see MURMUR in another 15 years?
I know that in another 15 years MURMUR will still be an international brand, far more developed, present in stores across the world, with the Signature and Essentials lines continuing season after season. At the same time, I see it expanding into an artisanal line, alongside art objects and events that will further extend the universe of the brand. I would like to thank every woman who chooses to express and celebrate her femininity through MURMUR. Together, we are telling a story about strength: one that began with a single whisper.
- Andreea Bădală
Designer and Founder MURMUR