In New York City she met her first mentor who would introduce her to the millinery world. By acquiring one of her first hats she would delight in realizing how she could wear it for hours on end and forget it was on her head. Struck by the quality of craftsmanship in the creation of hats, she spent the whole summer shadowing the process of making these pieces. This experience taught her the lesson that has accompanied her to this day –the underlying principle that no detail is too small to achieve the absolute comfort of a hat. 

In 2016, Mariela went to Los Angeles to work with designer Gladys Tamez at Gladys Tamez Millinery immersing herself in the makeup of a business surrounding hats. She got to experience the process behind collaborating with major brands and celebrities such as Lady Gaga. 

Returning to her home country, Mexico, Mariela began to work with another one of her mentors to make endless hats for herself and for friends who would ask for her work. In a small workshop in downtown Monterrey, she created her first collection that would go on to win the Arts of Fashion Foundation International Competition in 2017. The success of this collection gave her the opportunity to attend a Haute Couture Masterclass in Paris where she worked alongside fashion houses like Maison Lesage and Maison Lemarié. 

Once again, an unwavering sense for craftsmanship, detail and quality compelled her to pursue her calling for hat-making. Combining process, memory, and material, Mains De Vapeur was born as a homage to the act of hand molding through steam.