Mariza Joana Gomes Rodrigues Bets On Herself
- Savannah Bradley
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
The Mobular founder talks architecture, Margiela, and challenging overconsumption through functional jewelry and homeware design.
CONCRETE. SLAB. STONE. BLISS. The first time I laid my eyes on Mobular — the hybrid 3D-tech and craft studio based in Le Marais, Paris — I was ensorcelled by Franco-Portuguese founder Mariza Joana Gomes Rodrigues’ ability to provoke rich emotion via rigid geometry. Borne from Rodrigues’ desire to “merge minimalism with the cosmic vastness of space,” Mobular counts homeware and jewelry among its spate of offerings, from brutalist ashtrays and spherical candles to bangles, earrings, and rings that jut over the body like cubic halos.
This past January, I sat down with Rodrigues to discuss Mobular’s design ethos, playing The Sims, and what comes next for the emerging brand.
This interview has been edited for grammar and clarity.
SAVANNAH EDEN BRADLEY: I’m curious about the genesis of Mobular — as well as your personal genesis as a creative director. Take me to the beginning.
MARIZA JOANA GOMES RODRIGUES: I've always been this creative child. I played instruments, liked to draw, [and] liked to create homes on The Sims, but never really played afterwards. I was basically super interested in creating singular universes in general. I think I was born with this creative energy in me. Growing up, I found a big interest in graphic design, without knowing it was graphic design at the time. I liked to create beautiful layouts for school [and] for my personal interests in general. I always loved to curate a beautiful Instagram feed, and my friends used to give me a lot of compliments about my vision of aesthetics and harmony.
I knew that, at some point, I would have to take this seriously and initiate my own creative project, but I never knew what and when exactly. I tried different things, helped friends with their own projects, [and] helped family decorate their homes. At around 18 years old, I started to be really interested in interior design and architecture, but didn't [study] at all. I went straight to work after a few months of studying foreign languages. So I documented myself a lot, visited a lot — living in Northern France gives me the opportunity to explore a lot of different countries and environments that literally are pioneers in terms of design, like Belgium, for example.
I curated some inspiration pages on Instagram about fashion, design, [and] architecture. And then all this knowledge kind of intertwined perfectly with my intuitive insights. I woke up one day in 2023, after a solo trip to Lisbon, [which] inspired me a lot — being a mixed Franco-Portuguese child — and [I] was like, “OK, I'm gonna design rings that can also be used for homeware and furniture.” This is how I created Mobular [...] the brand name came naturally, too.
SEB: One of the things that struck me about your work is how it coalesces classic brutalist forms with organic textures — these pieces don’t feel cold or stark, but instead pleasing and warm, made to be cherished. What goes into the design of every Mobular piece? How does the process differ between homeware and jewelry?
MJGR: Working with bio-sourced material was super important to me. As an immense Earth lover, I wanted to create objects that wouldn't hurt our environment. After long research, I found that organic polymer looked like the perfect compromise. I think that their matte and soft texture gives this “second skin” feeling, and we have to cherish our skin, right?
I started to draw the first three rings in 2023; they were inspired by furniture at first sight. Then I introduced myself to 3D design. I am 100% self-taught in [all of this]. So, I decided to [model] and print them in this organic polymer. Thanks to 3D printing, this process also gave me the chance to be fully independent in the production process. Every other piece unfolded intuitively and naturally from one another. I play a lot with 3D design to envision my different works, and the whole collection is the perfect ecosystem to me; [all the] pieces are relatives.
What differs from jewelry to homeware is the material and scale choices. When you design homeware pieces, you have to make sure that they are solid, practical, and safe to use for their different purposes. As a brutalist lover, I always wanted to work with concrete. This is how I also introduced myself to molding and casting techniques.
SEB: You’ve described your work as “the new ornamentals.” What does that mean to you, and how do you see ornamentation evolving in design today?
MJGR: I aim to transcend the law of “form and function” through my designs. I wanted to break the rules of aesthetics in terms of jewelry, getting out of this “elegance must be delicate” law. We are able to create chunky pieces that are very elegant and delicate, too.
I also want to invite people to expand their vision of an object being stuck into one exclusive function. I find this so reductive. In our era, to escape this overconsumption society, we need to create designs that are versatile. For me, versatility is timelessness and longevity. For example, the Dome earrings can transform into the Dome Incense Holder, playing with its scale and material.
SEB: How is your own style reflected in the work that you’re doing? What inspires you?
MJGR: The biggest inspiration I have is all these [timeless] references we know today, whether from fashion like the Martin Margiela years, sculptors like Brâncuşi or Noguchi, or, of course, architecture. I really appreciate the minimalism of John Pawson or Álvaro Siza, a Portuguese modern architect who excels in perspectives and proportions.
I love how strong simplicity can be so efficiently drawn in different fields. Finding the way to express strong simplicity is a holy grail to me. This is how society can save itself from overconsumption. I like to play around with my style, of course, as a fashion lover, but I tend to buy less, stay away from temporary trends, and work on building a timeless capsule wardrobe year after year.
SEB: We often associate 3D printing with functionality over beauty — Mobular seems to subvert that expectation. How do you approach making technology feel deeply human?
MJGR: Very true. At its essence, 3D printing was created to compensate for production shortages in the mechanical engineering industry. It's still very young compared to traditional savoir-faire. I think that Mobular subverts that expectation thanks to my desire to share the whole human scale process behind it and how I handle this creative project by myself, as an independent self-taught woman. People can resonate with it, [and] it feels more natural and reachable in a way. You can buy your own 3D printer nowadays and play with it at home, [and] make your own creations tangible if you're familiar with 3D modeling. And that's fantastic.
SEB: What’s next for Mobular? Are there specific scales, mediums, or ideas you’re excited to explore in the future?
MJGR: As I introduced the homeware scale lately, working for the first time with concrete, I'm looking forward to [expanding] the collection with more pieces and [transforming] more jewelry designs into homeware ornaments. The Dome Incense Holder [has been] a success, and I am so grateful for that. I already have ideas on how to transform this particular design into a bigger scale. A sink that works like a fountain, for example. I also envisioned one of the rings as a beautiful bedside lamp. So many ideas [are] popping in — honestly, I can't wait to be able to work with bigger resources.
I am also currently working with a 3D architect to create beautiful immersive renderings of my pieces in [curated] environments. I would love to expand Mobular as a creative studio that works with different mediums and with different creatives of their own or on collaborative projects. Saint Heron by Solange is the perfect example to me.
SEB: What advice would you give to yourself one year ago?
MJGR: What I would say to myself is: always trust in a good and healthy process, don't try to be overproductive, don't be scared of voids, and embrace those contemplative moments without feeling guilty — because they feed your mind and body with space to receive tons of new ideas and inspirations. Don't doubt too much; actions always lead to a new level of creative expansion. I would like to give this advice to any creative reading these words. Owning and running a creative project is such a blessing — don't let those negative thoughts ruin the whole process behind it. It is a catharsis before becoming a potential full-time job. 🌀
Savannah Eden Bradley is a writer, fashion editor, gallerina, Gnostic scholar, reformed It Girl, and future beautiful ghost from the Carolina coast. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the fashion magazine HALOSCOPE. You can stalk her everywhere online @savbrads.
