EVERY DALB WOMAN HAS A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL
SUCCESS, CHALLENGES AND STYLE FROM REMARKABLE WOMEN
Honest, confident, yet fragile at the same time, Mara Coman is a fantastic woman. Change did not come easy but doing what she loves and relaxes her is paramount. Enjoy this short trip into the bits and pieces of her experience as journalist, former editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar & Marie Claire and now digital creator.
''I love my freedom.''
ON HER CAREER CHOICE AND HOW IT ALL STARTED
I decided I want to be a journalist when I graduated from high school. Before that I had all the common and uncommon ideas, from astrologist to lawyer.
I started to write when I was a child. I kept a diary for many years, but I think it was a kind of therapy – I was a lonely child. Then, in high school, I noticed I can write something let’s say “decent” on any subject. I used to exercise this skill at every test I didn’t learn enough for. In university, I even passed some exams using this “technique”.
But the journalism seed was planted in my last year of high school when I published a short story in a local newspaper. Then I moved to Bucharest to continue my studies and, instead of being a lawyer (I graduated from Law school), I found my first job at a magazine.
ON WHAT SHE LOVES MOST ABOUT HER WORK TODAY AND HER PROJECTS
I love my freedom.
Being on your own and working for yourself might be understood as something easy-breezy, but it’s not at all like that. By the end of last year I was so tired, you can’t imagine. I didn’t even see it coming. But I had become so exhausted that I really felt I must stop and take a real break.
So, I do work a lot. But I don’t have to report to anyone else, I don’t have to ask permission, I don’t have to take projects I don’t believe in. All these mean freedom to me. And it’s priceless.
Moreover, I love the fact that I can say, and actually mean it, that my work is my passion. I don’t have that stomachache when I wake up in the morning, thinking about my to do list. This is priceless as well.
And I have to say that am proud to be part of some projects I love, to partner with brands I appreciate and respect sincerely. I had the chance to interview some beautiful minds, to be present in places where only a few journalists worldwide have ever stepped in.
And I can go on and on.
THE BEST CAREER ADVICE SHE EVER RECEIVED
Do what you love as long as you love it.
''Creativity is killed when you stop learning something new. ''
ON HER TOGHEST ENEMY IN TERMS OF PRODUCTIVITY AND CREATIVITY
In terms of productivity, my toughest enemy is discipline. I am not a disciplined person; I keep on fighting with this issue.
Creativity is killed when you stop learning something new.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be something in your field of work. It can be anything you’ve ever wanted to learn: to cook, to ride a bike, to swim, to improve a foreign language. But that learning should feed your soul, your passion.
Other enemies might be the pressure of time – any kind of pressure, in fact -, very strict rules, and having no meaning. Wow, I kept that for the end, but lack of meaning really kills creativity. And joy.
ON HER LIFE-WORK BALANCE
I am so bad at this.
I could make a whole list of tips I read about, but I don’t manage to put into practice. What I do is getting enough sleep, otherwise the next day would be compromised. I’ve also planned not to work during weekends in 2023, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my promise.
ON WHAT MAKES HER FOLLOW A BRAND: aesthetic, message, responsibility, uniqueness?
A mix of all these. I think the aesthetic and the message of a brand are the first we notice. Then comes the responsibility, the respect they show to their potential clients, the authenticity.
This being said, yes, the aesthetic is something that really catches my eye in the first place.
ON THE TYPE OF VISUAL INFORMATION THAT SHE FINDS VALUABLE
I can’t see my work separated from visual information. Words with no graphics, no photos, no video sometimes are not appealing as long I’m not writing a book – and it is not the case.
I tend to love photography more because it was part of my job from the very beginning. I like images that can “talk”, those that have a certain mood, those that are powerful enough to make you feel something.
I also like videos when they are well done and have a message, even a very direct one. But please don’t ask me to watch “a dance” on Tik-Tok (if it’s not performed by a professional dancer or so). OK, we could technically call that content too, but I refuse :).
''I’ve learnt to buy less and better.''
ON HOW HER PERSONAL STYLE WAS INFLUENCED BY THE LONG TIME SPENT AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF WELL-KNOWN FASHION MAGAZINES
It was influenced a lot. I was 21 years old when I started working for fashion magazines, so I’ve spent half of my life in this field. I knew nothing about fashion at 21, I was just a student who owned two pairs of jeans and one pair of shoes for each season. And I didn’t feel the need for more.
This doesn’t mean that the years spent in the fashion magazines field thought me about quantity, on the contrary. I’ve learnt to buy less and better, to search for pieces that will pass the test of time, to question the quality of a fabric. But probably the most important lesson is to wear what I love and feel comfortable in. It should be and it sounds like a basic rule, but it takes time to own it.
ON HER TRAVELLING WARDROBE
It very much depends on the destination. My wardrobe is also different when I travel for business because I might need some (more or less) formal outfits.
Otherwise, I tend to pack comfy items, maybe some non-ironing pieces.
ON HOW SHE DESCRIBES FEMININITY TODAY
Having your own voice and being heard. Defining your own rules, setting limits and making them clear to everybody. But we should not forget about the grace and the sensitivity that we are lucky to possess. We should be proud of these attributes, and we shouldn’t be afraid to show them.
ON HER ADVICE FOR WOMEN, FOR STRENGTHENING THEIR UNIQUE SELF
Learn something new. I am going back to this learning stuff, but with a reason: it brings joy and a self-esteem boost.
Also, therapy was the best investment I’ve made for myself. It’s like a gym for the mind, an exercise that keeps you down to earth and helps you not under or overestimate yourself. It helps you being aware of who you really are – stronger than you’d have thought.
ON PODCASTS OR BOOKS THAT HAVE MADE AN IMPRESSION ON HER LATELY
Podcasts haven’t really conquered my heart yet, so I’ll stay on the book side.
“The center cannot hold. My journey through madness” – Eryn R. Sacks
“A Little Life” – Hanya Yanagihara
“Wintering” – Kathrine May
“Between Them: Remembering My Parents” – Richard Ford
“The Corrections” – Jonathan Franzen
Check Mara's blog for lovely lifestyle insights:
PHOTO: MIHAI GHIDUC
STYLE INSPIRATION