Natalie Santini is a college student and entrepreneur from New York City. Owning two businesses, a fashion brand, The Santini, and working as a freelance business consultant helping other businesses with their online marketing, content strategy, and creative direction. This innovative, social-savvy, and fashion entrepreneur is both ambitious and action-taking. In just one year, she has grown her e-commerce slow fashion brand where she designs and makes all modern-day statement pieces herself with a sewing machine.
Being self-taught at just 19 years of age Natalie has gained extensive knowledge of what it is like to be a business owner and building your skill and mindset to achieve your ultimate career goals.
During the early months of COVID-19, her hometown of NYC was heavily impacted by high cases and lack of PPE. Natalie took this initiative to sew masks named “Style & Protect” a fashionable and breathable cloth mask. Meant for the consumer to look good while staying safe. It became a best seller and allowed the philanthropist business owner to donate a portion of sales to a COVID-19 relief fund supporting resilient non-profit organizations helping low-income new yorkers in the neighboring boroughs, becoming one of her most remarkable achievements.
Tell us about who you are and what you do.
My name is Natalie Santini. I’m a 20-year-old college student and entrepreneur born and raised in The Bronx, NY. I’m a student at St. John’s University in Queens, NY majoring in Communication Arts with a focus in media management. Outside of school, I am a business owner and designer to The Santini and freelance consultant at Nat San Media. Over time, I have learned that I love the field of working behind the scenes, creating, and analyzing strategies for businesses so I am very involved in marketing, creative direction, and content on social media.
Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.
I created my brand in summer 2019 where I had nothing to do, but let my mind wander. At the time I had already been focusing and applying my passion for fashion, music, art, pop culture, and community to my digital magazine, 8coast. As a college student, I’ve always been one to never wait until after I graduate to start my career journey longing for something to fulfill my creativity and innovation. My thoughts were of starting a business but had no idea what to base it on or how to even start one. Spending all my days writing in a notebook and on my laptop watching videos and reading articles. I love conducting research especially on topics that interest me. Ironically it all took me back to a place of my childhood. Fashion has always been a part of me since I could remember. Being a young girl I would watch shows like Project Runway, Rachel Zoe, and sketch out outfits. I wanted to create a brand where I am the designer behind all of the unique pieces, so I took time out to figure out what was my desirable style and brand message to focus on. I also conducted research in the world of e-commerce and social media today and how it will grow for the next decade and decided “Yes. This is where I want to be.”
Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective.
‘The Santini’ is a contemporary brand by myself Natalie Santini.
The brand represents the individual with an extreme personality that is daring, bold, and marked by originality. It is designed uniquely for compelling creative direction and the modern-day statement piece. Slow fashion becomes our priority as our items are all handmade. Designs are created in house and reflected in the quality.
Our pieces are all limited edition and exclusive and we are proudly Latina owned. It has a heavy New York lifestyle influence and has a consistent brand message of stepping out of your comfort zone in who you are and what you wear. I see the designs I create as something my highest self would be wearing and you should too.
What is your giveaway idea through this interview? Highlight something that may interest the readers on a one to one basis.
You can start with no background in anything. Business is something that was intimated to by because I had a perception you needed professional knowledge and lots of money to start. You can start with what you have and invest in growth. Dedication and truly seeing yourself obtain that potential is key.
Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?
Owning a fashion business comes with many challenges. I decided early on the type of clothing brand I’d like to have. You can either pivot into wholesale or create the products yourself. The slow fashion ethical movement is something that is growing daily and in awareness. I had my unique ideas that I truly wanted to stick to, so designing and creating these pieces myself brings so much joy and has a backstory for customers to understand and value. Since I am self-taught and never attended fashion school, my creations don’t often match up to my extreme designs, but giving up is never an option. I usually almost always take a break and go back to learn and practice what was done wrong to fix it. Now in a year in business, I’ve learned so many skill sets that are useful in creating clothing. I look forward to now having a more clothing based catalog in 2021.
How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?
I like to set my prices at a range that is reasonable for my target audience and myself as a designer and business owner. As a handmade clothing brand, you’re paying for time and resources spent on designing, research, production, and packaging.
Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?
I have so many big goals for my business. Over the past year I’ve been in business I truly found out that this is what I’m meant to do as my career in life and not just anything temporary. It’ll eventually allow me to branch out and give back to my community, family, and have new experiences for myself. I’d love to have a celebrity such as Bella Hadid, Rosalia, Snoh Aalegra, Kylie Jenner and so many more female figures wear my pieces. Have my brand reach consumers internationally to expand and grow recognition. Taking it to the next level for me would be becoming a known name as a businesswoman and designer, but also a tremendous public figure.
What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?
To anyone who would love to start a business or passion project, I say go for it. It is going to take a lot of time for building, but truly use that time to find out in what areas you’d like to be different, knowing your target audience, and how you will present yourself and get your business out there. There are times where you feel like time moves slow, but that’s where the growth is. Everyone’s journey is different, but dedication and believing in yourself is what gets you ahead.