Today we’d like to introduce you to Martine.
Hi Martine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a designer, artist, business owner, and creative operations expert. My personal and professional life has been devoted to creative pursuits—particularly the design and development of 3D products and spaces. I’m passionate about how people interact with objects and environments in the physical world, and I explore these interactions on a global scale. While this focus contrasts with the increasingly digital ways we engage with our surroundings, it also informs and enhances the design of digital products.
As a sustainable designer, I lead Temescal Creative, a sustainable design firm that ideates and conceptualizes new products, physical spaces, and even business systems. We develop these ideas thoughtfully and, most importantly, support each one through to its launch in the real world.
One of my earliest memories is bedazzling our home phone at age four—much to my parents’ mix of horror and amusement—marking the start of a lifelong need for creative expression. I later attended Cranbrook Kingwood, an Arts & Crafts-inspired school designed by Eliel Saarinen, where I was immersed in art and design from an early age.
At 19, I launched my first business, La Mer Collections—a watch brand that sparked an incredible entrepreneurial journey. This venture led to my first job out of university and became the foundation of my design career. While managing my brand La Mer at night, I worked by day as a timepiece designer and merchandiser for many licensed brands in New York City.
My path eventually took me to Boulder, Colorado, where I worked for an interior design firm, before settling in Los Angeles to earn a degree from FIDM in apparel manufacturing and product development. I then spent several years designing accessories in the Surf/Skate industry at Vans. In 2009, following the economic downturn, I took a leap of faith—leaving my full-time role to focus fully on growing La Mer Collections as an independent timepiece and jewelry brand.
Those early years building and designing La Mer were the most valuable education I could have imagined. On a lean budget, I quickly learned what it truly takes to bring a design from concept to completion. At the same time, I gained firsthand experience in inspiring, motivating, and collaborating with a team of over 50 employees and vendors to manage production and distribution effectively.
I worked closely with sales teams, suppliers, and manufacturers across the globe—including Japan, Europe, Indonesia, and China—traveling to each location to gain a hands-on understanding of how to bring our designs to life. The brand grew rapidly and achieved several milestones, including the only dedicated watch collaboration with all Target stores, as well as a partnership with Anthropologie. These collections blended global manufacturing, U.S. production, and artistic sensibility with feminine style and the technical precision of watch design for women.
In 2016, one of my longtime U.S.-based leather suppliers—a family-run factory founded in the 1940s—was preparing to close as the owners approached retirement. Rather than lose this invaluable partnership, I acquired the leather binding facility and transformed my timepiece and jewelry business into a vertically integrated design and manufacturing operation. That factory is now known as American Lacing, which I continue to operate today.
What began as a way to preserve a key supplier, evolved into my deep passion for supporting other brands. I fell in love with the diversity of products and creative challenges—handbags, shoes, belts, car interiors, jewelry, pet goods, furniture, and more. American Lacing became a collaborative hub for crafting components across a wide range of industries.
It was at this time, I had a key realization: the amount of leather waste generated by our clients was too significant to ignore. To keep this material out of landfills, we developed a system to repurpose it—partnering with Michaels craft stores to package and sell the remnants, giving the leather a second life. This was my first large-scale sustainable supply chain initiative, and it marked a turning point: sustainability would become central to all my design work.
At the same time, I struggled to find hands-on, operational support for executing other sustainable design projects—most experts offered only data, research, or theory. That gap led me to create and launch the ‘Temescal Creative Sustainable Design Agency’—a firm built to provide the practical, experienced support needed to turn sustainable concepts into reality.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a business owner is rarely a smooth journey—but that’s part of the excitement and the magnetic pull of running your own operation. I’ve encountered my share of challenges, some incredibly difficult, but each one has brought invaluable lessons, meaningful connections, and a profound sense of accomplishment. Overcoming obstacles has a snowball effect: each success builds momentum, opening the door to new opportunities. Often, the only way forward is through.
One of the most significant and humbling challenges I’ve faced was during the pandemic, when U.S.-based factories were hit especially hard. Working closely with factory owners and their incredible hands-on teams, they quickly retooled manufacturing floors to produce critical medical supplies. The factories designed, developed PPE, and I personally helped distribute millions of units of these masks, gowns, and more—across the United States at both state and federal levels. That experience not only saved lives, most importantly, but additionally kept those factories in business and employed thousands of people across the USA. It was a powerful reminder of how essential adaptability is in times of crisis.
Other, less pressing challenges have proven equally valuable in what they’ve taught me. During my time running my first company—La Mer Collections—I experienced a holiday season I’ll never forget. We were featured in a major editorial piece, and overnight, orders flooded in. Our online store crashed, inventory sold out in a day, and our infrastructure simply wasn’t ready for the surge. We scrambled to expedite production, begged suppliers to rush materials, and our small team worked tirelessly to fulfill every order. That overwhelming moment became the turning point that pushed the company to scale, improve systems, and prepare for future growth in a sustainable, organized way. I will be forever grateful for those who worked at and with the company during those early years to keep the company in motion and grow into its next level with their dedication and focus.
Every challenge, whether a crisis or a growth opportunity, has shaped the way I approach business: with flexibility, grit, and a deep appreciation for the teams and partnerships that make it all possible.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am currently the Principal designer at the Temescal Creative Sustainable Design Agency. We specialize in sustainable product and accessory development, interior design, and upcycling production waste into beautiful, functional items. From concept to execution, we focus on thoughtful material choices and innovative systems that reduce environmental impact while enhancing design integrity.
I am incredibly proud of what Temescal Creative has accomplished over the past six years. We now partner with clients globally to create bespoke designed spaces and products rooted in sustainable principles; Prioritizing eco-friendly raw materials, designing for a functional and thoughtful end-of-life, sourcing locally when possible, and helping brands recover lost revenue from production waste by turning it into new, profitable products.
Some of our most meaningful projects include:
La Lune
A vintage-inspired women’s timepiece and jewelry collection, which I personally design and lead as Executive Creative Director. Named after the French word for “the moon,” La Lune celebrates timeless elegance and the energy of celestial connection. Each piece is made with recycled stainless steel, lab-grown gems, and recyclable packaging. These watches are designed to be passed down through generations—Mother to Daughter, Sister to Sister, Friend to Friend – these pieces are intended to be worn for lifetimes.
Twin Sustainable Treehouses
In partnership with architects and contractors committed to healthier built environments, we recently designed and built sustainable treehouses. Every component was either reclaimed from local architectural salvage or chosen for its recyclability, creating inspiring, low-impact structures.
Temescal Furniture
A bespoke line of sustainably made tables and stools. Each piece is crafted from carefully selected reclaimed materials—such as dead-stock tiles, reclaimed woods, and surplus leather hides from U.S. tanneries—ensuring that the materials’ embodied energy and stories are preserved rather than discarded.
Madewell’s Upcycled Tote
In collaboration with J.Crew Group’s Madewell brand, we designed and produced their first-ever limited-edition patchwork leather tote bags—made entirely in the U.S. from Madewell’s scrap leather. The collection sold out within an hour, proving the power and demand for sustainable, high-quality design at scale.
At Temescal, we believe sustainable design starts with considering a product or space’s end of life—from the very first sketch. This mindset changes everything: the materials we choose, how we build, and the impact we leave behind. We approach every project with strategy, creativity, and care, bringing better-quality solutions to life through design that’s both beautiful and responsible.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’ve always had a love for all things vintage! This love inspired a passion project of mine called Vintage Sweatshirt—where I upcycle and resell curated vintage pieces.
https://vintagesweatshirt.com/
http://instagram.com/vintage_sweatshirt
Pricing:
- La Lune’s signature 1886 Eclipse watch is $98
- La Lune’s signature Galaxy Charms range from $20 – $48
- Temescal’s Upcycled Tables are $1400
- Vintage Sweatshirts range from $38 – $150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.temescalcreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temescal_creative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TemescalCreativeDesign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martineilana/
- Other: https://lalunelove.com/
