Rediscovering beauty through sustainability: start-up founder Carla Martinesi’s journey with Chanel Sublimage
Chanel’s vision of integrative beauty emphasises caring for ourselves, our communities and the world we share. Guided by a deep commitment to sustainability, the house thoughtfully sources natural ingredients and nurtures them responsibly to preserve their purity and efficacy.
This philosophy is embodied in its Sublimage range, which promises rejuvenating skincare through the luxurious silk-like texture of its products and the exceptional power of Vanilla Planifolia extract. Besides its refillable pods and recyclable components, the line reflects Chanel’s broader approach to social responsibility.
Through its Open-Sky Laboratories—centres for botanical cultivation, research and experimentation that support the creation of its cosmetic ingredients—and an education centre in Madagascar for the children of local harvesters, the house supports the people and places behind its most precious materials.
Set within an intimate suite overlooking Victoria Harbour at The Peninsula Hong Kong, guests at an exclusive Chanel Sublimage event explored this world of mindful craftsmanship through sensory experiences, including hand massages and singing bowls. Chanel’s perspective on sustainability was further highlighted in a fireside chat with Carla Martinesi, founder and CEO of an innovative food-saving platform in Hong Kong, who shared how conscious living shapes her sense of beauty and identity.
Start-up founder Martinesi explores how sustainability and beauty intertwine (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Martinesi stands next to a Chanel logo statue on a balcony at The Peninsula Hong Kong, overlooking Victoria Harbour (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
For Martinesi, beauty begins with intention. Her philosophy—and the business she built around it—stems from the quiet power of conscious choices: what we consume, whom we support and how we carry ourselves.
“Food has always been my love language,” she said. Growing up between different places such as France, Italy and Switzerland, it was food that connected her to others across cultures. When she and her family met new people, it was usually over a shared meal, creating an atmosphere for connection and conversation. Her passion for sustainability took root during her formative years in Switzerland, where her family composted and recycled food extensively.
The start-up founder uses Sublimage L’Extrait, Chanel’s skin-repair serum for sensitive skin, as a daily ritual amid a hectic schedule (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
As an entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry, Martinesi built her inner strength by staying grounded in her purpose and community (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
After moving to Hong Kong and witnessing how the city can better utilise food resources, she launched an app that connects residents with more than 250 partner food establishments offering discounted overstocked food in 2021. “Addressing food surplus is our mission, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s really about promoting sustainability and showing people there’s another way: there is beauty in what would otherwise be tossed away.”
A sustainable lifestyle can start with small, deliberate habits, such as choosing reusable kitchen towels over tissues and buying from eco-conscious brands. “You may have to commit to a higher price tag initially, but these are small, simple steps that might even save you money in the long run,” she says. These choices cultivate what she calls timeless beauty: one that endures as we invest in well-made and ethical creations. “Sustainability is a long-term commitment; it can’t be a quick fix.”
We have to ensure that our purchases are benefiting causes we believe in
By - Carla Martinesi
As Gabrielle Chanel, founder of Chanel, once said, “Beauty should begin in the heart and soul.” This sentiment resonates with Martinesi, whose entrepreneurial journey has revealed to her another layer of beauty—her inner strength. As a female tech entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry, she has often been underestimated, with some doubting whether she was the actual founder and investors barely engaging with her pitch. “When you’re shown the door so many times, you almost start to lose confidence,” she said. But grounded in her purpose and community, she persisted with the same fearlessness that defined Chanel herself.
Sublimage L’Extrait, Chanel’s rejuvenating serum, aims to revive and restore the skin’s appearance (Photo: Chanel)
Vanilla Planifolia was identified and chosen by Chanel from more than 117 species of vanilla (Photo: Chanel)
In her daily routine, she uses Sublimage L’Extrait, Chanel’s skin-repair serum designed for sensitive skin, as a ritual that helps her pause, stay centred and invest in herself amid a hectic schedule. She believes beauty extends beyond appearance—it also stems from small but meaningful gestures, like remembering details from past conversations, which she thinks can change how people perceive you.
Looking back, the start-up founder feels time has rewarded her—she has expanded her team and secured larger partnerships. “I have met many more people who understood what I was doing; they became my circle of friends and eventually a community,” she said. Her journey mirrors Chanel’s belief that when we nurture both the planet and ourselves, beauty becomes enduring, purposeful and transformative.
Explore the La Fascia De Chanel. An exceptional rejuvenating and repairing treatment that acts on the look of all the skin’s youth parameters, enhanced by the signature La Fascia De Chanel massage. Contact a CHANEL Client Care Advisor to book an appointment by phone: +852 3622 5281, for more information: https://www.chanel.com/hk-en/skincare/les-soins-fascia-de-chanel/