Monica Santos Quit A High Fashion Job To Make 100% Vegan Cactus Bags

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

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Written by Daniela Culinovic

Mónica Santos, the Industrial designer with a BA degree from Pratt Institute, finally made the leap. After having worked for well-known luxury and non-luxury fashion brands as an apparel and accessories designer, she witnessed first-hand the negative impact the fashion industry has on the environment and the people involved in it. 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

She faced a dilemma: does she quit fashion (which she enjoyed creatively) for good, or does she pursue it in her own way, which makes it better for the planet. She chose the second option, and Santos By Mónica was born: a fashion brand that produces 100% vegan handbags made from cactus fibers ethically sourced from Mexico. 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

Developed between New York City and Puerto Rico the brand fuses fashion, art, and design with sustainability. This interesting creative combo underlying Santos challenges the common (mis)conception of sustainable design. Namely that and although undoubtedly better for the planet, it is not as equally “desirable” or “good-looking” as fast fashion products. 

With the unembellished and functional geometric designs which remind of the classic appeal of some of the well-known luxury brands (for instance, Bottega Veneta), Mónica shows that a sustainably produced fashion product can be as aesthetically pleasing, desirable, and luxurious as any other, more traditionally regarded, “classic” pieces.

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

Yet, Mónica’s unique creative streak clearly shows in her designs. Santos by Mónica’s bags are playful, original and reveal a designer bent on inclusivity. 

I sat down in a virtual Zoom chat with Mónica Santos, the head designer of Santos By Mónica, and present, in the designer’s own words, her take on fashion, her brand’s vision, and what “sustainability” means to her as a fashion designer.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BRAND IN THREE WORDS?

Timeless, sustainable, and funky. Also, high-quality. It’s hard to pick three. 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

YOU HAVE JUST RELEASED YOUR FIRST BAG COLLECTION. CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH IT? 

The collection is inspired by geometric shapes, everyday shapes that people who commute can use on an everyday basis. I design each bag with a different personality in mind: the commuter, the grocery shopper, someone carrying two outfits, and needs to change in the middle of the day, someone going out for dinner. I have five different designs and each design is based on a different persona and has different functionality. 

I didn’t want to create something too embellished because it overshadows functionality. You’re probably not going to go grocery shopping with an embellished bag, but if you use one of my bags for grocery shopping you can reuse the same bag to go to dinner. I create with versatility in mind. I don’t want someone to buy my bag and use it once.

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

SINCE YOU ALREADY TOUCHED UPON IT, I WONDER, WHEN YOU DESIGN, IF YOU HAVE A TARGET POPULATION IN MIND.

I’d raise the conversation about sustainability with my co-workers while working in fast fashion. They’d say: “I’m all up for sustainability but it’s expensive and boring, without colors, dull.” When I design a product, I want to make sustainability look cool. I target people who would not normally buy into sustainability because they think it is dull. 

I bring in my creativity and try to make these people interested, and also educate them about sustainability. Maybe their interest would be sparked by a cool handbag design.  

WHAT IS ONE POSITIVE LESSON YOU HAVE LEARNED BY WORKING IN THE (NON) SUSTAINABLE FASHION INDUSTRY THAT MAYBE AFFECTS YOUR WORK?

Fast fashion creates a lot of products constantly that they are trying to sell and have a very fast turnaround of new products made every three months. I learned to take time to create a product that people need: something that has functionality and something long-lasting. Fast fashion bags have lower price points, and they break easily.

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

LET’S DIVE DEEPER INTO SUSTAINABILITY. IT IS, WITHOUT DOUBT, A COMPLEX AND HOTLY DEBATED CONCEPT. WHAT DOES THE WORD MEAN IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR BRAND?

The easiest way to talk about sustainability is through my story. I worked for a bunch of fast fashion and luxury brands, where we used polyurethane (PU) and leather, both horrible for the environment. After working for these companies, I wanted to find a way for me to slow down the process and enjoy what I am doing.  

I’ve made it my mission to create handbags slowly, to handmake them myself, in my studio. That’s one way that makes my brand sustainable: I am not producing them in a factory with garment workers, I make them myself. 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

The second thing that makes my brand sustainable is material sourcing. I have sourced material made from cactus because I know how much water, not only how much water but also chemicals, leather, and PU use. There are vegan options, but they are not good for the environment since they use plastic.  

The bag lining I make is made from recycled water bottles, and I only use 100% organic cotton on the threads. Hand tags and tissue paper are made from 100% recycled materials. 

I try to find everything locally. Apart from cacti fibers which are sourced from Mexico, everything else I either source locally or make myself. Finally, the third thing which makes my brand sustainable is a collaboration with One Tree Planted (https://onetreeplanted.org). For every bag sold, this organization plants a tree.  

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

HOW DID YOU THOUGHT OF USING CACTUS AS A LEATHER ALTERNATIVE?

I’ve been looking for leather alternatives for a long time. I looked at pineapple leather, apple leather. There are so many options. I ordered swatches from all these different companies. The pineapple was amazing but it didn’t have all the properties that made it feel like real leather.  

Cactus was beautiful, smooth and it feels like real leather. I came across cactus leather on Instagram and the Mexican farmers who make it in Mexico. The process is very clean and uses very little water. Some people don’t even believe it is not real leather when I show them the bags. 

AS A DESIGNER, HOW MUCH ARE YOU INFORMED ABOUT THE PROCESS OF FARMING CACTI? 

I want to give credit to the cactus leather supplier, Desserto and tell you a bit more about their process. The cactus is grown in Mexico and only the mature leaves of the plant are cut (without damaging the cactus or cutting the tree itself). The cactus plantation is perennial and fully organic, meaning there are no herbicides or pesticides used and any remaining organic cactus not used in the process is sold nationally in the food industry.  

Importantly, no harm is done to the biodiversity that lives in the area. The cactus in this plantation grows purely on rainwater and no irrigation is applied.

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica

YOU MENTIONED THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL MISSION OF YOUR BRAND IS TO PLANT MORE TREES. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT SPECIFIC PURPOSE?

I lived in California for three years, and fires affected me. The Amazon [Forest] in Brazil was also affecting me. It’s a topic that makes me very emotional and deeply rooted. And then knowing I am using cactus to make a product I want to find a way to give back to the environment. Although I am not growing cactus, I believe that planting a tree is a good start. Although my main goal is to be 100% vegan and cruelty-free, there’s still a lot I want to do. 

AS, FOR INSTANCE…?

I am still figuring out my brand's place in empowering, us women. For instance, seven out of eight people that I've worked with so far have been women (photographers, models, etc.). Although our products aim to be inclusive and are designed for everyone, they are mainly designed with women's needs in mind, and I eventually would love to be able to support organizations with missions to help, inspire and fight for women's rights.

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

IS YOUR BRAND FOCUSING ONLY ON BAGS?

I made masks because this is what people were asking about. They were made from the leftover material used for bag lining and recycled water bottles. Also, I made T-shirts. I started handmaking them myself by screen printing and eventually found someone locally who made them with water-based techniques, and I decided to hand them over to them. 

Eventually, I’d love to expand but it is something so delicate to me because I don’t want to make something people don’t need. If I decide to add a product, it will be something I feel people need. I always felt I was adding trash to the world and I don’t want to do that with my brand. 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

MOVING ON TO YOUR BRAND’S VISUAL IDENTITY WHICH I FIND VERY INTERESTING. IS THERE A STORY BEHIND YOUR BRAND’S AESTHETICS?

Yes, a hundred percent. I am very inspired by vintage and retro vibes. Throughout my corporate career, it was hard to be creative, since most of the work you do is not original. I’ve been seeing the same thing over and over again because brands are just copying one from another. 

Retro design and architecture felt so pure and different to me. Not something I’d see every day.

TALKING ABOUT ART, ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR ARTISTS THAT INSPIRE YOU? 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

Yes, a lot of art and a lot of artists inspire me. How do I even go about this? First, there’s architecture. I love Barragán. I visited his house in Mexico, and my cacti are from Mexico, so it is a nice coincidence. Second, there are paintings. I love Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Picasso because they use a lot of colors. I love color! 

It’s very hard to bring color to my bags because they are for everyday use, so lots of them are black and white or green because cactus is green. Then, there are a lot of musicians too, with mostly retro vibes, such as Bridget Bardot, and Cher, and finally Kubric films.

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica

MOVING TO REALITY OF RUNNING A SUSTAINABLE FASHION BUSINESS. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT AN EMERGING SUSTAINABLE BRAND FACES? 

Money. It is expensive to get all these materials. I was planning it for a year, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I had all the money to purchase the materials, and to have the prototype. While in quarantine, I had a full-time job in New York, and I used up all my paycheck to fund my brand. 

Sustainability is expensive and I had to go through all the companies and swatches. I was lucky enough to have financed it all myself. 

Photo courtesy of Santos by Monica, Agency: Amapolia

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A DESIGNER WHO WANTS TO START A SUSTAINABLE FASHION BRAND? 

I had this idea to start my own business. I never made it happen until it got to the point that I had to do it. It’s either I quit fashion, or I do something different. You just have to try it. I regret not starting earlier. I feel I am starting too late! Trust yourself and do it. It’s a lot of work but, it’s worth it.

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