MARS THE LABEL BY ARIANNA AJTAR

 In Bolton, inside the headquarters of Mars The Label, there’s a calm, yet assured energy that feels immediately inviting. Rails of sculpted silhouettes line the high whitewashed walls, and the team - warm and welcoming from the day’s first “hellos” – work alongside each other with an easy synergy. A decade in, the brand has grown far beyond its origins, but its roots remain firmly planted here.

For founder Arianna Ajtar, the geography matters. Born and bred in the region, Arianna launched Mars The Label from her family home in Manchester in 2016. She was just 19 at the time.

 “My life looked very different to now,” she says. “I was very much the party girl – going to raves every week or festivals, and always looking forward to my next night out.”

 The inspiration for Mars came directly from that chapter. Arianna wanted clothes that felt different to what everyone else was wearing – pieces that stood out in a crowd, that felt considered and entirely unique. At 19, confidence didn’t always come naturally. Designing her own wardrobe became a way of building it.

“I was quite insecure, and Mars really helped bring that confidence to me – and eventually a lot of other people too.”

The name itself symbolises that boldness. Mars evokes something powerful and unapologetic – a fitting identity for a brand built on main-character energy from day one. What began as designing outfits for nights out quickly evolved into something more resonant: a label that made women feel like the best version of themselves.

In the early years, Mars existed largely on Instagram. Drops were reactive, instinctive: a passion project in the truest sense. But it wasn’t until the business was nearly lost that its potential became truly undeniable.

“It actually took almost losing the company during COVID for me to grow up and realise I was building something with real potential. We were filling a massive gap in the market.”

Lockdown was a defining test. Mars had been rooted in festival and going-out culture – a space that disappeared seemingly overnight. But instead of retreating, Arianna recalibrated. She used the slower period to educate herself, to speak to mentors, to understand how to transform a fledgling brand into a structured business. It marked the shift from creative hustle to long-term vision.

That evolution is reflected in how Mars now defines itself within the fashion landscape. The phrase affordable luxury is often overused, but for Arianna it has a clear and essential meaning.

“Affordable luxury to me means offering really strong quality – well-structured pieces and thoughtfully planned collections – while keeping the price accessible.”

That evolution is reflected in how Mars now defines itself within the fashion landscape. The phrase affordable luxury is often overused, but for Arianna it has a clear and essential meaning.

“Affordable luxury to me means offering really strong quality – well-structured pieces and thoughtfully planned collections – while keeping the price accessible.”

Mars occupies that unique space with intention. Pieces are designed to kept, re-worn and revisited – always elevated yet rooted in reality. The foundation of that philosophy lies in silhouette. “If you look closely at our bestsellers and core pieces, they’re often quite simple at first glance,” Arianna explains. “But structurally or in shape they’re not what you’d typically see in the everyday market.”

Shape is everything. Cinched waists. The brand’s original bestseller, the Fishtail Swimsuit - available at FLANNELS - laid the groundwork a decade ago. Since then, dresses like the Sandra mini and Scoop Maxi have become modern signatures. Even in their simplicity, there’s an intentionality to the cut that enhances rather than restricts.

“Our aim is always to make a woman feel like the best version of herself,” Arianna confirms.

That ethos has resonated far beyond the Northwest. Mars has built an international following, with celebrity moments accelerating its credibility in new markets. One standout came when Megan Thee Stallion wore the brand on Love Island USA, propelling visibility across the US. More recently, names including Mariah the Scientist have stepped out in Mars - each co-sign expanding the brand’s cultural reach.

But while celebrity visibility brings scale, community remains the brand’s heartbeat. Arianna describes the Mars girl not as a look, but as an aura. “It’s that feeling of confidence, being unapologetically yourself, and knowing you’re the main character. The girls that get it, get it.”

From the beginning, she cultivated direct relationships with customers: meeting them on holidays, filming content together, building loyalty through accessibility. That intimacy has grown with the business. Last year, Mars took a group of customers to Morocco, strengthening the sense that the brand is as much about belonging as it is about product.

Inside the Bolton HQ, that same energy carries internally. The team is predominantly female, and culture is something Arianna protects carefully. “It’s really important to me that people enjoy coming to work and feel supported,” she says.

As this feature coincides with International Women’s Day, the significance of that sentiment feels heightened. Supporting women at Mars isn’t confined to campaigns or captions - it’s embedded in how the company operates day to day. Entrepreneurship, however, hasn’t been without strain.

“Every new level brings new challenges,” Arianna admits. Lockdown tested resilience. Scaling tested systems. International expansion tested confidence.

One of the most empowering milestones came with the brand’s first Miami Swim Week show - a moment that signalled Mars’ entry into the American market not just as a social-first brand, but as a serious player. Seeing women wearing and celebrating the designs in that arena marked a shift in perception.

Success, too, has evolved.

“In the early years I was happy just designing collections for nights out and selling them,” she says. “Later, success looked like hitting revenue targets.”

Now, it’s different. “Success looks like having a strong, happy team who feel fulfilled in what they do, and continuing to grow the business in a positive direction.”

Mars has expanded far beyond its swim and occasionwear roots into a broader lifestyle proposition; a shift shaped by Arianna’s own growth and by constant dialogue with her community. Feedback informs collections. Customers influence direction. Evolution is organic.

The partnership with FLANNELS - the brand’s first retail partner - marks another chapter in that growth, with exclusives already established and more planned throughout the year.

For women watching her journey and considering starting something of their own, Arianna’s advice is refreshingly direct.

“Try not to listen too much to outside noise. It’s easy to get wrapped up in opinions; you really have to stay focused on your own journey, remember why you started, and stay true to that.”

Ten years ago, Mars The Label was a 19-year-old’s solution to not feeling confident enough in someone else’s clothes. Today, it’s an internationally recognised label built on structure, self-assurance and Northern graft. It’s a movement centred on the belief that when a woman feels confident in what she’s wearing, she moves through the world differently.

And that belief, a decade in, still feels as powerful as ever.