Who we are
THE DESIGNER
INNOVATIVE MATERIALS
HAUTE PARFUMERIE
The story of a family and its dedicated women
Mariela Schwarz Montiel, originally from Paraguay and French by adoption, is at the heart of this ambitious project, launched in 2019. The multitalented designer with boundless dreams has brilliantly combined her family heritage with the French art of living. Her muse? Carlotha Despierre de Montiel, Mariela's grandmother, an inspiring humanist who dedicated her life to the Paraguayan community through the education of young girls, and the preservation of our planet via reforestation projects. Her unfailing commitment has become an integral part of Carlotha Ray’s DNA and the very essence of our House, which today bears the name of this fundamental pillar in Mariela's life.
A sustainable solution…
Fashion is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, and plastic flip-flops are notorious offenders. Every year, some three billion pairs are produced worldwide, far too many of which end up abandoned on our beaches, in turn polluting our oceans and seas.
Dismayed by this environmental disaster, Mariela Schwarz Montiel has designed sustainable, luxurious and durable flip-flops in harmony with nature.
Her project was made possible by bringing together the best Italian
master artisans allied with the expert sourcing of local organic materials, including natural latex, which comprises 60 percent of our shoes’ soles, combined with eggshells from organic waste production to reinforce the latex structure.
…thanks to locally sourced and natural materials
We use exclusively eco-responsible fabrics, such as a locally sourced Italian linen and an Ecovero GOTS-certified bio-satin, as well as dyes created with natural plant pigments, including flowers, pomace, almond husk, as well as soil and vegetable charcoal.
The Carlotha Ray brand is also committed to promoting fair trade and equal opportunity, and offers career opportunities to people with disabilities.
Infusing beauty and poetry into daily life
Carlotha Ray and designer Mariela Schwarz Montiel stand by their promise to transport you to a dreamlike universe that celebrates the splendor of nature by designing beautiful shoes that fully respect people and our planet.
A true devotee of the French art of living, Schwarz Montiel draws her inspiration from both her Latin American roots and the aesthetics of the French lifestyle. Schwarz Montiel breathes into every one of her creations the delicacy of perforated porcelain, the beauty of a countryside stroll, and the classicism of French châteaux and gardens for a feminine collection suffused with poetry.
Sustainable luxury and the French high perfumery tradition
In 2021, Carlotha Ray embarked on a new chapter. In homage to her unique, delicately scented sandal collection, perfumed with the natural essences of rose and lily of the valley, Schwarz Montiel designed a line of perfumes faithful to the house values with the ultimate dream of "Inviting ourselves into every woman's handbag via an object reminiscent of the ultra-sleek compacts of 1930s!"
Eco-friendly vegan fragrances with “Cuir de fleur” notes
Mariela Schwarz Montiel's dream became a reality when she joined
forces with perfumer-designer Jean-Michel Duriez, the creator behind fragrances for Patou, Rochas, Dolce & Gabbana, Lacoste and others. Their first three perfumes were imagined from three moments in Schwarz Montiel's day, and the two Winter Collection fragrances were inspired by places dear to her heart. The fragrances can be worn alone or layered like bracelets accumulated on a wrist. This fresh and luminous collection of perfumes has the “Cuir de fleur” olfactory signature, an exclusive accord that combines maté, oak moss, vegetable leather and osmanthus flowers.
Ever mindful of our health and environment, each perfume is made with eco-friendly, vegan raw materials, such as organic vegetable alcohol, and is completely free of controversial ingredients like preservatives and coloring. The bottles are refillable and made with 40 percent recycled glass.
Consciously conceived to respect
people and the planet
