Little forest Wear - Thoughtfully made clothes, from a quiet kind of courage
When Roxana Pădure left a decade-long career in advertising, she didn’t know she’d end up in a sewing studio surrounded by bolts of cotton and shell buttons. She just knew she needed a shift—a real one.
That pivot became Little forest Wear, one of Ce Fain!’s featured brands at the upcoming October 17 launch event, and a name that’s quietly gaining ground in Romania’s emerging slow fashion scene. Today, it stands for calm, grounded design—100% cotton garments in earthy tones, designed and produced locally, with care and restraint.
But it didn’t start with a five-year plan. It started with a dress.
Chapter One: A Dress for Her Niece
In 2022, after leading marketing for an international startup and years of high-intensity roles in digital media, Roxana decided to take a break. Her “summer vacation,” as she calls it, was a deliberate pause. No career moves, no new titles—just space.
Then came her niece’s birthday.
Roxana saw a sweet cotton dress online and nearly ordered it. But instead of clicking “buy,” she clicked into a new version of herself. She sketched the dress, sourced the fabric, and cut the pattern—shaping it by hand before passing it to a professional seamstress to sew. That first piece became the seed of Little forest Wear.
“It wasn’t just about the dress,” she reflects. “It was about the idea that I could materialize imagination into something real—and wearable.”
A New Path, Made from Scratch
Roxana didn’t have a fashion background. What she had was curiosity, creative grit, and a strong sense of visual identity—honed from years of building brands from the inside. She studied pattern-making on her own, watching videos, reading guides, and sketching late into the night.
She also partnered with an experienced seamstress—a collaborator with over 20 years of tailoring under her belt—who helped bring structure and precision to the process. Roxana kept learning, stitching, refining. “I loved the science of it,” she says. “The geometry of a good cut, the elegance of making something that fits beautifully without shouting.”
The result: a slow fashion label that feels steady, intelligent, and refreshingly grounded.
The Little forest Aesthetic
Little forest is driven by one principle: make what’s missing. Not from the market necessarily—but from the feeling of everyday clothes. What Roxana designs are pieces she herself wants to wear: practical, clean-lined, tactile, unbranded but full of identity.
The vibe? Relaxed silhouettes that move easily with the body, solid colors pulled from nature—mustard, slate, clay, moss, 100% cotton, no synthetics, small runs, no mass production, shell buttons, and visible stitching as subtle statements.
There are no gimmicks. Nothing feels performative. The brand isn’t trying to go viral—it’s trying to feel right.
What People Say
It didn’t take long for word to spread. What started with friends and family quickly moved into wider circles—people looking for well-made, honest clothing they could live in.
People weren’t just buying a shirt or a skirt—they were responding to the clarity behind the label. That’s the Little forest signature: calm confidence. Pieces that look and feel like home, without any of the usual retail noise.
A Story Told in Fabric
Each garment carries a quiet story. Take the Poesia Shirt, a customer favorite that became a kind of personal symbol for Roxana. It’s a clean, bohemian-cut blouse with simple lines and a soft volume. “It started with a basic idea,” she says, “but it evolved into something symbolic—about seeing yourself as you are, and being okay with that.”
Then there’s the Mara Dress, the original niece-gift, now reimagined as a core piece in the collection. Or the Earth Dress, from the Fall 2024 collection, inspired by—what else?—the groundedness that comes after uncertainty.
Each piece is tested, worn, refined. Nothing is rushed.
Not Just Style—Substance
For Ce Fain!, Little forest is a natural fit. It ticks all the right boxes—sustainable materials, local production, limited runs, culturally rooted. But it also offers something deeper: a creator who’s not afraid to speak honestly about the process, the limits, the learning curve.
Roxana doesn’t pretend to be a fashion insider or a creative genius. She’s candid about the hard parts, like the financial risk of switching careers, the challenge of scaling without sacrificing intention, and the real need to balance creative flow with structure.
In interviews, she’s transparent and self-aware. “I don’t call myself an artist,” she says. “I’m more of a modern artisan. I take joy in the details. I do a lot of research, but I also step back and listen to my own ideas.”
That kind of clarity—balanced between confidence and humility—is rare. And it shows in the work.
Creating Space, Not Just Clothes
Little forest isn’t trying to reinvent fashion. It’s trying to slow it down, just enough to remember what we actually want to wear—and how we want to feel in it. The clothes are intentionally designed without overstatement. You’ll see no logos, no aggressive branding, no viral campaigns.
Instead, you’ll find quiet strength. Pieces that stand on their own, speak softly, and leave room for the wearer to bring their own story.
“Comfort, naturalness, and simplicity,” Roxana says. “That’s the design brief every time.”
Looking Ahead
While 2023–2024 was about building the foundation, 2025 marks a turning point. There’s more structure behind the business now. More clarity on direction. New pieces are in development—some homewear, some deco, all with the same careful DNA.
There’s also a sharper focus on scaling without compromising quality. And maybe, just maybe, more people to help carry the workload. “I’ve learned a lot about what I can and can’t do alone,” Roxana laughs. “Now I’m learning how to grow without losing the essence.”
October 17: The Launch
We’re thrilled to feature Little forest Wear at the Ce Fain! launch on October 17. Expect to see a curated selection of Roxana’s key pieces: crisp shirts, simple dresses, and versatile layers. All in those signature tones, with textures you want to touch.
This won’t be a loud display—it’s not meant to be. Just timeless, honest design made to live with you, not just be looked at.
Roxana won’t be at the event in person, but her presence is stitched into every piece. From the first button to the last fold, Little forest Wear brings her perspective to life—one that values process, patience, and quiet beauty.
Because that’s what Little forest is all about: enough is enough—when it’s done well.
