The easiest way to explain what I do is by talking about what I love.
Since I was young I was a huge art lover. I enjoyed painting, and arts & crafts. When I started growing up I realized I was curious and passionate about fashion design. So basically what I do is combine these two disciplines and turn them into one by hand-painting clothes. Check out my line on Instagram @Tili.mx
When the time came for me to choose a career to study, I was REALLY confused. I honestly had no idea of what to do, even though I already knew what I was passionate about.
I signed up to study Textile Engineering. After 1.5 semesters of going every day to college, I was completely sure that wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
At the same time, I made a hand-painted sweatshirt for my best friend as a gift. I posted it on Facebook and started receiving requests to paint clothes for other friends. After this, I decided to open an Instagram account (@tili.mx), with my clothing, and that’s how Tili started.
Emeline is an entrepreneur from our ¨Colonía America¨ cohort. A high crime neighborhood in CDMX. Her mission is to empower others through self-expression. She designs personalized, hand-painted clothes.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
10 years from now I would love to have my own store located in Roma/Condesa, high end hipster neighborhoods in Mexico City. I’d also love to sell Tili in shops around the world.
I would sell hand-painted clothing and home decoration articles, such as furniture, paintings, cushions, tablecloths and more.
What tips would you give to women on how to express themselves better?
I would tell them to find the outlet they feel most comfortable with.
For example, I’m the type of person that isn’t that good at expressing through speaking, so I use clothing, writing, painting and drawing. The important thing is to let it out, no matter the outlet.
Fashion, for example, is an amazing way of doing it, since it’s something that reflects your personality, emotions and a lot of things inside you.
Nowadays people just follow trends and everyone dresses the same way. I think that should stop and start being something more personal. That’s my objective with Tili. By painting clothes and making unique pieces; I can make the same design twice but it will never be exactly the same since it’s hand-painted.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
Throughout these two years, I’ve been working on Tili, I learned that I’m not good at having a boss that tells me what to do. I know there are many women just like me. BUT! While I like doing things my way, I know how essential listening is to building great teams. By listening you can learn amazing things from others.
I’ve also learned to filter other opinions. There will always be people who support your project, and others will make you doubt.
And last but not least, I’ve learned how to be patient with results.
Where do you get your inspiration from daily?
Sometimes, I just start sketching whatever comes to my mind to have ideas start flowing.
I also love fashion videos and pictures. To be absolutely honest, Pinterest always helps. I think it’s a great way of inspiring myself since there are amazing images of Art and Fashion Design. While I love getting inspiration from others, it’s really important to never copy other’s work.
How do you stay motivated?
Fortunately, I’m around people that are also entrepreneurs. I’ve learned a lot from them, I’m always happy to see their work and it makes me want to work harder to achieve what I want with Tili.
Share us some tips for women who are in doubt of leaving their secure job and starting their own business.
Doubt and fear kill great things. If you are passionate about it, go for it.
I think that leaving a “secure” salary is the scariest part of starting your own business. I can honestly say that when you decide to do it, it becomes scarier. BUT! it’s totally worth it.
The best tip I received about this subject is, ¨If you believe in your talent, you’ll reflect that in what you do. Your effort and enthusiasm will make everything just flow. ¨
Who have been your own biggest mentors and what is the best advice they have ever given you?
So far I’ve had four amazing mentors.
- My brother (Yannick Alé, Mexican Magician), who is also an entrepreneur. He always shows me that when you are consistent with your work, you can have amazing results.
- Alejandra Zermeño (Mexican Sculptor). After listening to how miserable I was in my “secure job”, she invited me to her class on selling your own art. She taught me how our attitude and thoughts will always be reflected in our work. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will.
- Edna Garagui (Mexican Fashion Designer, and my ex teacher in college). She’s always supported my work and showed me how opinions aren’t that relevant.
- Ryden, she taught a course from La Chispa where I learned about business management. She’s always helping me to get Tili out there for others to see it. Her passion for what she does is contagious and you start doing it with your own work.
How do you empower women by hand-painted clothes? Or self-expression? How do you think this will empower women. Do you have any stories?
I know that clothing is something that empowers everyone. It might sound superficial or stupid, but when you love your outfit and how you look, you reflect it on your attitude.
That’s my objective with Tili. I sell my own designs, but I also do personalized clothing. That way women wear EXACTLY what they want and they will feel empowered.
I’ve seen this with girls that purchase the things I paint. They send me these amazing pictures wearing Tili and they look happy, secure and stunning.
![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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