What Montserrat Alvarez Is Buying Now: Jacquemus Bodysuits, Dior Lip Balm, and Cocoon Armchairs

glamour.com:

, the designer and founder of , an accessories brand known for its colorful, hand-woven bags that put you in a happy-go-lucky mood no matter the season.

Vibrant and adorned with porcelain charms intended to help you manifest your deepest desires, Alvarez's creations don't look anything like the overflowing with baguettes and peonies—nor do they resemble the typical .

They are pure magic.Alvarez, who was raised in a small fisherman town in Galicia, Spain, first moved to Rome when she was 18 to study art history.

After graduating, she left Italy for Paris to work with brothers , an award-winning design duo. Alvarez tells Glamour it was here where she found herself “surrounded by all these creative spirits who were interested in crafts but also had a very contemporary point of view.” But it wasn't until a breakup that Alvarez decided to create something of her own.“I first discovered these basket bags in Portugal that are very specific to the area, and then found a woman there who could make one for me.” Looking to bridge tradition with modern touches, she asked for the bag to be multicolored—and because she loves to collect little charms and fetishes, she decided to attach some to the front to help her find new love. “I've always loved objects because they make me feel safe and remind me of a moment, a feeling, of travel,” she says.Alvarez, who doesn't come from a traditional fashion background, was simply following her instincts when she first launched the brand in 2016—something she still does to this day.