HOBOKEN — Marija Curic said after she and her twin sister, Ivana, finished law school back home in Croatia, they wanted to study for a year in the U.S. But as Marija pursued a degree in design and Ivana studied for her master’s in intellectual property law, the two dreamed of doing more.
Marija and Ivana, both 38, have been running Curic&Curic, their eco-friendly clothing line, out of Hoboken since 2017. Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the identical twins have created their own studio in their Hoboken apartment.
“Now it’s really made in Hoboken, and I think Hoboken people are really proud,” Marija said.
The sisters’ official Instagram account, @curicandcuric, has 13,000 followers. The two showcase their latest designs, custom orders and more on the social media platform.
One of their latest pieces include their eco-friendly hand-painted “BFF” jackets. Two weeks ago, famous American actress Halle Berry — who starred in films like “X-Men” — donned the twins’ creation on her health and wellness website, respin, with her very own BFF and style director, Lindsay Flores.
“I almost lost it,” Marija said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Halle Berry, she’s so amazing, and now she’s wearing it?’ I felt really great.”
Ivana was in contact with Flores and Marija said she didn’t believe it until she saw the Instagram post. In the clothing line, Marija is the designer and Ivana is more business oriented, Marija said.
Curic&Curic was born in 2017. Marija said while she studied design in The New School, she took a class about sustainability in fashion and learned that the industry causes a chunk of the world’s pollution, which resonated with her.
After Marija talked with her sister and applied what she learned from previous internships at fashion companies, the two decided to revive vintage pieces by using it as their canvas.
Marija will make a design and Ivana helps fine tune it. Marija said she does more bohemian designs like her piece of renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Meanwhile, Ivana is more classic and simpler; she suggested creating the “BFF” jacket.
“I’m so happy (to work with Ivana). This is our dream,” Marija said. “I never thought this would happen… We are very family-oriented so, for us, this is great.”
Aside from products sold on their website, Marija said they also accept custom orders through their website, email or Instagram direct messages.
The twins have been living together in Hoboken for about 13 years. They stumbled upon the city when a close friend of theirs invited them to a party there.
“(Hoboken) feels like home,” Marija said. “People say hello, your neighbors know you – it seems like the sense of the community.”
Before the pandemic, Curic&Curic was made in a shared studio in New York. But now, Marija said they made some space for a home studio. Here, they said they’ll continue creating sustainable fashion and “something meaningful.”
Handbags will be the next product added to their line. This year, the twins were given the Bella Magazine’s Independent Handbag Designer Award.