METSA designer Markus Uran knows what he likes. It’s simple, really.

And, his sportswear is just that. Simple. Perfectly simple. Perfect.

METSA is a collection of easy pieces that are entirely functional in their minimalistic splendor.  There are no bells and whistles. Just great quality, great looking pieces of clothing. The fabrics are incredibly soft, the buttons are made from goat bone or recycled wood and the earrings are made of cement!

It’s pretty hard not to like anything he’s made. If you’re searching for the perfect gift for that man in your life, go METSA. I promise, it’ll go over well - and I'd know. (But, if it doesn’t, you can just wear it yourself.)

METSA is not just a brand, it’s a lifestyle. It doesn’t try too hard. It’s relaxed. It’s comfortable. Oh, and it’s made in Canada. WOMAN.ca got to sit down with Markus and learn about the METSA philosophy, why it’s important and why we need it all.

Tell WOMAN.ca a little bit about METSA.
I’m super into functionality. I hate superfluous details. If it doesn’t need to be there, I don’t want it there. I’m really into flipping things, using things in ways they haven’t necessarily been used before. But still basic. For example, last year I used mother of pearl buttons. Classic shirting buttons. But the back of these buttons are really beautiful and textured so this year I used them backwards. Pretty basic but still great. It’s got to be timeless. If it’s simple, it’s going to last. METSA is just that.

How did METSA come to be?
It started as my thesis at OCAD. I was studying graphic design. A couple of years earlier, I went to George Brown for Fashion Design. Since I took fashion I always wanted to get back into making clothes so I sort of took the thesis as an opportunity to build up a brand that could later turn into something outside of school. I wanted to mix the two fields. I started by making these three finger rings. I was having so much fun and they were pretty successful. I was making decent money off of them. So that’s when I decided to do it for my thesis. I wanted to brand myself and make myself a company. I didn’t want my thesis to be made up and then disappear after I graduated. I wanted it to mean something. It just came about pretty organically. I was always making things. I have only been out of school for two years now. This is only the second season.

When you were describing the METSA philosophy, I couldn’t help but think about Muji. Do you like Muji? What’s inspired the line?
Muji is amazing. I mean, it’s a huge company but everything they do is like, “this is box. Box doesn’t need to be anything more than just box.” The graphic designer for Muji is this guy named Kenya Hara. Mindblowing. I’m going to geek out really hard and show you his books. He’s into little details that are just so simple and smart. And everything is for a reason. For example, he does these tea bags. The tea bag comes with a red ring around it. The idea is that the colour of the ring is his ideal cup of tea so when serving it, your guest can ask for their tea to be steeped darker or lighter than the red ring. It looks great wrapped around the tea bag but it also serves a functional purpose. Everything for a reason. I’m big into that. For me, I just want to reduce and reduce to what’s necessary in an interesting way. And call attention to little details and different parts.
Lately I’ve been inspired by movies and photography. Sometimes when I’m watching old movies I just pick up on a certain mood or something that affects what I want to do. But usually, it’s graphic design stuff that inspires me. I guess it’s because I spend the majority of my day as a graphic designer but it really gives me a good perspective on things and helps me think about things in different ways.

What, in your opinion is METSA doing differently than all of the other emerging designers right now? What makes METSA important and unique in the marketplace today?
There’s a lot of excess out there today. I am really interested in eliminating. I think it also helps that I love design and that I’ve studied it. I nerd out to this stuff everyday. It’s not so much a process of me looking at a blog or what’s trendy now. A lot of people are so inspired by work that someone else has already done pretty much the exact same way. I want to be doing something interesting that I know I have come up with. I’m also not into making something that everyone loves once, right now. At this point, I’m not concerned with being in big stores necessarily, I am more concerned with having a person look at what I’ve done and say, “oh, I agree with that. I like that. I understand what you did that”. Something that sets METSA apart is attention to detail. I am super meticulous. I am also hungry for doing something different. Not seeing what I want in the market and making it.

According to your website, part of what makes METSA so special is how your pieces are “created from high-quality, well considered materials”. What makes a material or fabric good enough for METSA? Why do you choose the fabrics you choose?
I found a company in Japan that I really like working with. It really comes down to the feel of the fabric. I mean, I’m also concerned with if it pills or if it’s too loose of a weave. But this company is amazing. I don’t go to anyone else. They have the best materials. I never have to put their fabric through rigorous tests to see if it will last, it’s always great. I have a great relationship with them.

Your Spring/Summer collection is made up of simple, lightweight pieces that have an androgynous feel and can easily be worn by both men and women – is androgyny something that you are going for with every season?
Yeah. It’s another design challenge. "Can I make this and will it still look great on a girl?" Unisex pieces are just something I’m interested in. It works. There is just something about it I like. It’s simple. Last year I actually used a female model for all of the menswear. I have some pieces directed at women specifically, however, they’re literally smaller men’s shirts with a bit of a bust dart.
In general, women’s wear is getting more masculine and men’s wear is getting more feminine. Men’s wear is moving really quickly now and women are just wearing their boyfriend’s stuff. The two are just sort of unintentionally combining.

Though the clothing is definitely unisex, what you do have exclusively for women right now are the cement and porcelain stud earrings. Your cement pearls are stunning. Do you plan on producing more jewelry?
For sure. I’m interested in doing it. If it comes naturally. The earrings were almost a happy accident. I was at Active Surplus on Queen Street and just came across these ball bearings and thought they’d be cool to do something with. So I cast them in cement and the earrings just kind of happened. Jewelry is definitely easier to sell. So I mean, if it happens naturally I’m not going to ignore it.

Have you thought of doing other accessories? I can picture a great, androgynous, multifunctional bag…
Definitely. I have the fabric I want to make a bag out of. I just want to think about it a bit more. So many people are doing totes and duffel bags and I just want it to be cool. And METSA-y. I don’t want to just follow the template of tote or duffel. I’d love to make a bag but I don’t know what it is yet. This summer I’m going to make a hat.

What are you wearing when not wearing METSA?
I just wear what I like. So usually it’s something that I’ve made. But Muji is great. There’s an amazing company in Japan called Beams, oh and there’s 45 RPM. I also wear a lot of Wings and Horns – they’re Canadian and killing it. Junya Watanabe also kills it. Then there’s Margaret Howell.

I ask because it’s Toronto Fashion Week – Do you ever plan on having a formal presentation of your line?
At some point. I don’t think a traditional fashion show is really my kind of thing. Especially because METSA is all about the detail. I’d much rather have an intimate showing where people can touch and feel the pieces. Maybe work with an installation artist that sort of thinks the same way. Some kind of off-beat way of presenting it.

Check out www.metsadesign.com for Markus’ current collection and info on how/where to buy.

Hayley Brehl
		About the author:
		Hayley Brehl obtained her BA in English and Creative Writing at Concordia University in Montreal. Living there she met designer, Andy The-Anh and assisted him on her days off from poetry class.  That’s when everything changed. She moved back to Toronto and began pursuing a career in fashion. Her favorite things are wedge heels, Indian take-out and her Persian kitten, Moe.
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