About Us
Kula is a sustainable clothing brand, created by local fashion designer, Stephanie Fuentes. She was born in San Juan, and raised in the northwest coast of PR. At a very young age, Stephanie was attracted to all things fashion, nature and art. Due to the lack of resources, it wasn’t till she finished her MS as a Plant Pathologist, and started working as a scientist for USDA, that she was able to afford the cost of fashion design studies. Once graduated from “Centro Moda”, Lisa Thon School of Design, in 2020, she created Kula. In 2021, she quit her career as a scientist working for the federal government, to dedicate her time and passion for Kula.
“As a nature lover, it was impossible for me to create a brand that it was going to contribute to more pollution and harm not only for the environment, but for our health. So I decided to create an ethically made clothing brand, handmade in our little paradise Puerto Rico, using only natural fabrics such as; organic cotton, European linen, silk, among others. We are a small brand, so most of our pieces are statements for the ones who carry them, since they will not be mass produced.
I’ve discovered the word Kula and it’s meaning while getting certified as a yoga teacher in Costa Rica, and I have carry it within me since then. While figuring out the name I wanted for my brand I collected a lot of ideas. I wanted it to represent the free spirited, culture lovers, people who have a connection with mother nature, who follow their hearts, and their dreams. People who come together with intention, based on energetic connection and essence. So I decided that Kula gather all of those characteristics with a simple meaning, Spiritual Community.”
I hope you feel the connection!
With love, Stephanie Fuentes-Aponte