Margarita, who was born in Colombia, also describes herself as a ‘yerbatera de aprendizajes cotidianos’, which translates to a ‘herbalist’ who has gained her knowledge of herbs and medicinal plants through experience and daily practice. Her small project, ‘Mar Herbal’, brings together her passion for textiles and the natural world.
Margarita’s Colombian roots are certainly linked to the inception of Mar Herbal. “The heart and soul of Mar Herbal were born in the Colombian Andes, but my ideas continued to develop and took shape in Amsterdam. While growing up, my mother (along with the generation of women in the family) worked extensively with textiles at home, and I always enjoyed assisting and designing alongside them. This had a significant influence on me. The use of plants for medicinal purposes was also consistently present in my family and the popular culture of the region. As a result, from a young age, I had an interest in exploring the beneficial aspects of plants, which over time led to experimenting with natural dyes.”
Margarita applied for a space in the Central Market Hall to initiate her project and connect with other creatives. Living nearby in the Staatsliedenbuurt, she shares a special connection with Amsterdam-West and wanted to be part of something sustainable and enduring in this neighborhood.
She shares the studio at number 84 on the second floor with four other creatives. “We each have our own independent projects, which we hope to bring together in various ways over time based on our shared passions for creative design, ecological sustainability, collective living, and progressive human development.”

Margarita Maria Garcia Jimenez
Founder of Mar Herbal
instagram: @mar.herbal