Viva La Fusta Handmade
Vintage Finds
Meet Natalia
I’m Natalia Garbu, a documentary photographer, filmmaker and the founder of Viva La Fusta and Mahala, based in Moldova.
My work moves between photographs, books, old textiles and a garden in Ivancea. Through Viva La Fusta, I bring together handmade clothing and vintage finds. Each item you buy funds a plant or tree in our garden.
Beyond clothing, I make books and collect stories through Mahala. You can explore some of that work below.
Our Growing Garden
Our garden grows beside our home in Ivancea, a village in Moldova, near the forest. There is a small woodland, a pond shared by fish and snakes, water lilies, flowers, vines, and an apple tree that is 90 years old.
Every item you buy from Viva La Fusta funds one plant or tree here. Your purchases have already helped us plant two fig trees and two paradise apple trees, alongside cherries, plums, quince and other trees.
We plant from late September through October, and again in spring. We share the planting and the garden’s progress on Instagram, so you can follow what grows.
Books & stories
Moldova.Lookbook
My documentary photography book about Moldova: its people, homes, landscapes and everyday life.
Elem and the Snowflake of Kindness
The real story behind Elem
Elem is my son. After treatment for retinoblastoma, he lost sight in one eye. His experience inspired me to write Elem and the Snowflake of Kindness.
In the book, Elem has two magical eyes: one sees the beauty of the world, and the other sees the kindness in people’s hearts. This was the message I wanted to give him.
My friend, Ukrainian artist Anna Provozin, created the illustrations and hand-drawn lettering.
For your own stories and sketches: explore Mahala notebooks.