How Marina Merchant Dest Created The Finiti Shopping For Ethical Fashion
Founder Marina Merchant-Dest wearing the Simona top
In 2020, Marina Merchant-Dest launched The Finiti – a small fashion brand created with care and intention. She knew almost nothing about starting a business, but knew there was something magical about the way a piece of clothing could make you feel. Everything, from how soft and luxurious the fabric feels, down to each seam’s placement, can make an item of clothing inspire you to feel like a true goddess.
“I found that what I really wanted was a staple piece that I could wear over and over. One made ethically and eco-friendly,”
Merchant-Dest says.
“After years of searching, I decided it would just be best to create my own.”
The Finiti
Four timeless staples were born: the sofia, the eliska, the simona, and the milena. Each is buttery soft, made with sustainable Tencel fabric, and crafted for every size by her own hands.
“I chose Tencel because of its circular life, and honestly, the hype around it,”
Merchant-Dest admits.
She gets her fabric from another small business based out of L.A. The fabric moves with you, is some of the softest material created, and at the end of its life, is biodegradable.
When you purchase a shirt, or from the curated vintage jewelry, you have the option to ship carbon neutral. Then, the packaging is compostable. The info cards still have a handwritten note on them, even as the Finiti grows in size.
Featured products include the Sofia top, Ariadne headband, and curated vintage earrings
Just a year earlier, Merchant-Dest had flown home from a six-month solo trip to New Zealand. Her heart was telling her it was time to go home, but there was a fear of going back and getting stuck in the routine of jobs, and college, and things that weren’t her dream.
“I was feeling broke, confused, and misdirected,”
Merchant-Dest says.
“I was desperate to find the next step in feeling connected.”
Even launch day was less than exciting.
“All I heard were crickets. I spent three days crying on the floor feeling like nobody cared,”
Merchant-Dest says.
“You have to trust the process.”
The Finiti
The Finiti was about more than just the shirts. It was about more than just the sales. She’d created the brand to inspire empowerment and help people become what she calls “the inner goddess.”
She kept posting daily affirmations about confidence and creating a dream life on the company’s Instagram page. Then, she posted a video on how to charge a shirt with intention.
Simply placing a hand on an item of clothing, closing your eyes, and telling yourself “I will be feel confident in this shirt” can be a powerful ritual that changes your relationship with your clothing. Instead of just a piece of fabric, it becomes a tool to better yourself.
“Wearing clothing is more of an internal experience than it is external,”
Merchant-Dest says.
The Finiti makes sure that no matter size or shape, these timeless shirts look and feel great on everyone.
Four months later her orders had tripled, and a community was forming. Merchant-Dest’s unique perspective of clothing and fashion had brought together a group of people who wanted more out of their closet.
For some, simply buying one of the Finti’s shirts became the first step to changing their lives. Wearing a shirt they felt good in inspired them to make other changes to propel them into their dream realities.
That’s why The Finiti is powerful: it’s not just about the planet, or the fashion. It’s about the goddesses who buy the clothes.
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