Made by Marlo, Episode 1: The Announcement!
Made by Marlo is a behind-the-scenes diary of how we’re building our first brand from scratch. 🤝 If you’re into design, branding, building and launching… follow along. 🚀
You guessed it… we’re launching a matcha brand. 🍵😭
Yes! An actual product brand. Our studio’s first-ever in‑house product. After designing over 100 brands for clients, we’re finally creating one of our own, combining our two big passions: matcha & design.
We’ve been running our little studio for almost three years now, and starting a product business is… completely different to say the least. It’s exciting, yes — but also daunting, confusing, and full of unexpected curveballs. As brand designers and marketers, we’re used to telling other people’s origin stories. Now it’s our turn, and we thought it might be interesting (and maybe a little cathartic) to share the founder-side perspective.
That’s how Made by Marlo was born, a behind-the-scenes diary capturing the weeks and months leading up to launch.
As you might already know, we’re sisters, but right now we live on opposite sides of the world. Freya’s in Tokyo, Jasmine’s in the UK. So when it came to deciding where to launch, the choice was obvious: Japan and the UK. Japan, because it’s home to the farmers and traditions that make matcha so special. The UK, because it’s home to… well, one of us right now, and also an audience we know is eager to explore authentic, beautifully presented matcha.
Right now, we’re deep in launch-prep mode — obsessing over packaging details, finalising production timelines, and crossing our fingers for a UK debut this September. Every day feels like a mix of creative highs and logistical plot twists.
Over the next few instalments of Made by Marlo, we’ll rewind to the very beginning: how the idea started, what we’ve learned so far, and why we think this little green powder has such big potential. And then we’ll bring you right back to the chaos and excitement of the present day.
Stay tuned! The best things are shared.
