No industry

We were working in the sports industry, designing for established brands, and quickly realized how much of the market was driven by speed and profit. Fast products. Surface-level storytelling. Minimal depth. As designers, that felt wrong. We wanted to create something that was intentional. Something built with care. Something that wasn’t just another logo on another product. So we started small. We designed our own graphics. Sketched our first logo ideas. Built the corporate identity from scratch. Late nights, endless drafts, trial and error.

The Resurrection Collection

Instead of producing new blank garments, we went to second-hand stores. We created small upcycled micro collections from pre-existing pieces. We screen printed our graphics by hand - in an attic in Bayreuth, Germany. That first collection became the “Resurrection Collection.” Not just because of the upcycling concept - but because it symbolized revival. A different way of creating. We experimented with patches. Military surplus shoulder bags reworked with custom labels. Everything hands-on. Everything small. Everything real.

The next chapter

Being deeply rooted in the inline skating community gave us our first ecosystem. Skaters, designers, free thinkers - a growing circle of people who resonated with the idea. At the same time, the idea of designing our own bags and backpacks started to grow. Then one of the Michaels moved to Switzerland. Before working at SCOTT, early prototypes were sewn at home - simple functional mockups to test construction and concept. Later, during years as a bag and backpack designer and developer at SCOTT Sports, working across bike, ski, travel and moto categories, the technical foundation matured. From sketch to final production, full-cycle development became part of the process.

After that, it was clear: SOMA was ready to build its own products - not as merchandise, but as designed tools. And that’s where the next chapter began.

Written by Michael Maier · Published in February 2026