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Maru Batista is a Brazilian fashion designer, textile artist and creative director whose journey began in 2013, driven by a deep fascination with craftsmanship, textile arts and the enduring elegance of handmade creation.

Her path led her to Italy, where she immersed herself in the traditions of couture, pattern making and textile design. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Couture Fashion Design from the Accademia Internazionale d’Alta Moda e d’Arte del Costume KOEFIA in Rome, one of Italy’s most respected institutions dedicated to the preservation and evolution of artisanal garment-making.

Seeking a broader understanding of textile expression, she specialized in Textile Design at the Scuola delle Arti Ornamentali in Rome, where she explored the relationship between material, texture and artistic research. Her studies continued in Florence at the Fondazione Arte della Seta Lisio, where she trained in traditional hand weaving, deepening her connection to heritage textile techniques and the language of woven structures.

Alongside her creative education, Maru holds a degree in Business Administration from UniChristus in Brazil. This combination of artistic sensitivity and strategic thinking informs her multidisciplinary approach to design and creative practice.

Beyond fashion and textiles, Maru is also an amateur equestrian athlete. Her lifelong connection with horses has profoundly shaped her creative vision, inspiring an appreciation for movement, balance, discipline and the quiet dialogue between humans and nature. This passion ultimately led to the creation of Casa Maru within a rural setting dedicated to the principles of Paddock Paradise, where horses live in an environment designed to encourage freedom, wellbeing and natural behaviour.

Today, Casa Maru serves as a creative studio where fashion, textile arts, craftsmanship and the natural world converge. Drawing inspiration from Italian savoir-faire, Scandinavian weaving traditions and the equestrian spirit, Maru creates work that reflects authenticity, beauty and thoughtful design.

Each piece, textile and project emerges from a dialogue between tradition and innovation — carrying not only technical excellence, but also a story, a sense of place and a commitment to meaningful craftsmanship.