Marcia Arnsparger Santiago is the owner and designer behind KlosetSlayer, a fashion company for both men and women. The designs that she crafted in her home studio in Barnegat have landed on magazine covers, the runways of fashion week and on reality shows.
Santiago has worked with models and celebrities over the years. Since she founded KlosetSlayer in 2014, her clothes have been featured on the runway and on television. Several reality show stars wore her clothes on VH-1’s “Black Ink Crew.” Her clothes will be featured on another reality show that debuts on Netflix in January.
Today we had the opportunity to interview Marcia Arnsparger Santiago:
1 What was the thought process behind starting Klosetslayer?
I’ve always had a love for creating and found a way to express my fashion language to the world by creating a brand that offered widespread appeal to all while encouraging individuality and self-expression
2 How has the business grown?
When Klosetslayer was created in 2014 we started with Couture and Ready to wear collections. In 2015 we created Klosetslayer kids and our famous Klosetslayer loungewear which has been featured on reality tv shows appearing on VH1 and worn by multiple celebrities. In 2020 I also created a fitness brand WIO with my childhood friend Renita Taylor which has also turned out to be a favorite among reality tv stars like Richie Dollaz , Amina Buddafly , Former Atlanta housewife Claudia Jordan and even beauty queens like Mrs Arizona Jolene Goring. With all the success it was extremely important to me to give back to the community which is why we created the non-profit Klosetslayer organization, our nonprofit provides men & women’s shelters with needed clothing items and the proper attire for the job interviews.
3 A skill all women should learn?
I think all women should learn financial skills. Women need to be financially independent and learn to manage Their credit properly while understanding the importance of saving and the opportunities for investment
4 Your key to success?
I prioritize my goals and never stop until it’s accomplished. You have to set obtainable goals and for each one that’s accomplished you just keep aiming higher. I knew I wanted to see my brand on a Times Square billboard and I gave myself a 6 months time frame. I’m proud to say that everyone one of the Klosetslayer brands along with our fitness brand WIO has been on multiple billboards multiple times in Times Square shining bright on Broadway
5 What are your current areas of focus?
Currently, my childhood friend Renita Taylor the co-creator of our fitness brand WIO and I decided to create a campaign for diversity titled “diversity is our power” our campaign featuring all nationalities, sizes and gender identities quickly became recognizable being featured in multiple magazines along with a time square billboard to promote the powerful message fashionably. I am also preparing to release my new collection at NYFW this September with a star-studded celebrity model lineup
6 Who are your clients?
I am proud to say that my clients are so diverse. We range from dressing Claire Sulmers from fashion bomb daily to music artists like Lil Cease, Sheek Louch, Tony sunshine, Jerzey Devil, Pretty Lou to reality stars like miss Nikki Baby, Zell Swag, Mariah Lynn to our hometown fellow Barnegat baseball mothers… we are truly proud of our diverse supporters and it clearly shows I have succeeded in creating a brand that caters to all
7 Did you have any setbacks, challenges, or epiphanies along the way?
Over the last 7 years, my husband has been battling no Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The lymphoma turned into a blood cancer as he was receiving a trial drug. He just received the stem cell transplant last November and it has been a lot of unexpected hiccups in his recovery. Even though I was going to release my new collection last February at New York fashion week as a wife and mother I decided to cancel my show and take a break from the businesses to make sure my husband received the care he needed. Life is short and I learned always to take time for my family. It’s sad to say I was so consumed with working all the time I forgot about what was important and I will never make that mistake again. You can be successful and still have time for yourself and your loved ones
8 How do you balance your work life?
I am a wife and mother first and if I hard to work later to be at my son’s baseball game I will do that. You have to set boundaries with your employees and let them know when you are on vacation or having a day off like a boss you should only be reached unless it’s an emergency or serious situation. I am thankful that I have amazing employees and I give them the same respect I would never call them on a day off unless it was necessary. Having a good team behind you is always part of your success. It’s extremely important to treat your employees kindly and let them know that you appreciate them by rewarding them. I am thankful that I’ve had the same team since 2014 and they have been there every step with me along the way
9 What are you most proud of as an entrepreneur?
I am proud I turned a dream into reality. I did it on my own without any financing or help from anyone. Starting a brand is truly such an expensive venture because you’re investing so much into yourself based on a vision Only you can see. I believed in myself and never quit as tough and expensive as it was in the beginning. I knew being a designer was my calling
10 Tell us something about your background?
I went to a top 10 college and have multiple degrees ranging from business to biology. I worked as an EMT then pursued a surgical technician degree and worked in the operating room for 10 years before I decided to pursue my dream as a fashion designer
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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