How my small fashion brand started (plus my astro placements)
La Manteca Studio's birth story
Did you know La Manteca means “butter” in Spanish? Did you know I named my brand after a dog I met? Her name was La Manteca and she made a strong impression on me. She is my muse.
What is La Manteca?
La Manteca Studio is my knitwear brand. I make one-of-a-kind, handmade clothing and accessories—pieces that blur the line between art and fashion. It’s about touch, texture, color, and shape. I want every piece to feel like a little sensory world of its own. A moment in time.
(Saturn in Pisces in the 1st–I dream of (artistic) labor).
The La Manteca Universe consists of : made-to-order pieces (my baby is the Astro Sweater), patterns for crafty babes, an interview series for what I call “wearable art makers”, and Knotty Club events for other fiber art peeps to meet up!
Okay but—how did it actually start?
Like many things, it began when things fell apart a little. My hours kept getting cut more and more at my office-y job. If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be doing that kind of work, I probably would’ve believed you—but only because I’ve done so many different jobs at this point that nothing surprises me anymore. The pay was good, though, so I stuck with it. Eventually, that trickle dried up completely.
Thankfully, I had some savings and was able to start La Manteca. I did try to apply for other jobs, honestly—but I just couldn’t give it my full attention. Applying is a full-time job in itself, especially when it’s for something you don’t even want.
In March 2023, I decided to go to fashion school. I lasted a month. It moved way too slowly. We were still doing figure drawing, which I’d done plenty of times with my fine arts background. I wanted to start making things already.
Luckily, Argentinians are eternal students—both formally (shoutout to FADU, where I studied Communication Design Theory) and informally. If you want to learn oil painting, Russian, DJing, or how to translate texts, there’s someone teaching it from their living room. Everyone I know is always taking a class or taller. It’s one of the things I love most about being here—learning doesn’t belong to institutions.
(Jupiter and Pluto on the MC in Sagittarius — philosopher or cult leader, take your pick)
I found a fashion business mentor, Romi Siri, and we got to work. It was a big decision—the time (that I should have been using to find a “real” job), the money (my stash was shrinking), and no steady income in sight.
(Moon in Taurus and the focus of a T-square — so I really can’t trust my feelings of insecurity if they’re always there no matter what)
Romi helped me name what I was dreaming of. She gave the project structure. It was a new kind of business for her too, since my model is just me and my two hands—nothing scaled, nothing mass-produced. She helped me create a vision, a mission, a reason for existing.
(Venus in Capricorn — daddy’s favorite words)
Working solo can be so isolating, which led me to work with another mentor, Gisele. Again, I’ve gotta be real about the money stress—but it’s true what they say: only take advice from someone whose life you’d actually want. I knew that connecting with her, learning from her, and in turn learning about myself, would give me the kind of grounded inner knowing I needed. I wanted La Manteca to grow and shift with me—to be part of my life, not something separate from it.
The lessons I’ve learned from her become clearer with every changing season. Conversations we had months ago will suddenly echo in my head like a doorbell, giving me clarity on how to move forward or make a decision that feels truly aligned.
I came to every session with a new plan, strategy, or offering. I felt so excited, I could see my vision becoming tangible. And even when it felt like there was still so much to do sharing the process with someone helped me see just how much I was actually building.
Trying to be everything—marketing, sales, production, admin, strategy—all at once can feel like an insurmountable mountain. It helped so much just to be witnessed.
(Mars in Leo in the 7th — I need a mirror to shine)
What originally drew me to Gisele was her voice on social media. She’s a natural educator, but never preachy—just genuinely curious, and it’s infectious. I wanted some of that for La Manteca, so I started posting almost every day on Instagram and TikTok.
Eventually, though, I decided not to continue using social media as my main marketing tool. The reasons? fatigue, comparison, hyper-capitalism, and oh censorship. I’ll write more about that soon, because stepping away has actually been so good for my well-being and for my business. Plus, I’ve connected with others doing the same.
Also, I love arguing with people who say “you can’t have a business without social media.” To which I say: watch me. And if you consider a cost-benefit analysis of the time spent…(descends into monologue).
(Aquarius Sun, Mercury, and Rising — triple rebel energy)
So what’s happening now?
We’re moving! My partner and I are heading to Australia to work and travel for a year, and we’re so excited to experience a new place. But that means one big thing: everything has to go.
All of my stock is on sale. These aren’t just clothes—they’re time capsules. Long evenings. Quiet mornings. Shaping something out of nothing.
I made them with so much love. And it means a lot to send them off to people who value artistry and expression the way I do.
What’s next?
An “Oz Collection” is already in the works. I’m testing patterns, looking for local yarn, and dreaming up a tiny traveling shop—probably set up outside the camper van we’ll be living in. I can already see a La Manteca banner flapping in the wind.
Thanks for being here and for learning what La Manteca is all about.
Besitos! 🧈💕🐇
-Margaux