Rediscovering beauty through sustainability: start-up founder Carla Martinesi’s journey with Chanel Sublimage

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.”

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.

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/