Online store in Bizkaia María, the lawyer from Getxo who triumphs with her online store of low-cost accessories

Posting a photo of the famous 'influencer' Leandra Medine, alias Man Repeller, wearing one of your iconic garments on your social network can only be synonymous with success. A striking pure cotton vest made in the Jaipur area of ​​India was what caught the attention of the rebellious writer. But 'Les Cactus Uniques' has much more to offer than meets the eye. This small brand of accessories with online sales, which is continually renewed with the most varied products, has only just begun to take off.

María Fika has always been seduced and attracted by the attractive world of fashion, since she was very little. And it is that she has come to live it, between testers and boxes of clothes, very closely. Her paternal grandmother opened a sewing workshop and, more than 25 years ago, her mother and her aunt started a successful children's fashion business, well known and visited in the town of Portugalete. It was called Polenzi and it was a multi-brand store for children that merged very modern brands between the ages of 2 and 16, such as Kenzo, Cacharel, Roxy, Chipie, Lois, Armani Jr. and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, among others. I myself crossed the iconic Hanging Bridge and visited the place with my mother, always ready to get hold of the latest news.

She of caste she comes to the greyhound. With this background, it is not surprising that in May 2018, when, once she had finished her law degree and was about to immerse herself fully in the frenetic and stressful world of work in the legal profession, Fika created her charming online store, named after the curious and random name of 'Les Cactus Uniques'. In its beginnings, it began as, as its 27-year-old founder explains, "a hobby, an escape route from my work, driven by the need to find beautiful things that went with my style." And it still is today, as it allows him to explore her creativity and unleash her exquisite tastes in her spare time.

'Les Cactus Uniques' is a brand aimed at today's modern woman. «The idea was born wanting to offer accessories following the trends of the moment at an affordable price. We live in a time when trends are constantly changing, and what you buy one summer for the next is no longer worn. Therefore, my idea was to offer some low-cost accessories that you can combine with Slow Fashion garments and thus follow current fashion », she explains. No sooner said than done. A careful selection, perfect, for example, for occasions such as invisible friends, in which you will find very special and different products that range from earrings, rings and necklaces to original textile garments such as bags, vests and pajamas.

María is quick to detect trends and it didn't take her long to glimpse one of them, very naïve, that she was here to stay: earrings. Together with her family, of whom she is very proud and grateful, she was initially in charge of carrying out the entire creative process, from product selection and brand design to photo shoots and sending of orders. Today, her business and product offerings have been growing exponentially, and she combines her work in an office in the city with her more personal project. The store began selling everything from ceramic mugs specially brought from Portugal to hair clips and bags with a recognized vintage aesthetic.

Precisely, it can boast of having two star products on its website, such as floral liberty-style pajamas and vests. Both are made in Asia using the 'block printed' technique, which consists of making metal stamps on pieces of wood and stamping cotton fabrics with them using natural dyes, all with great delicacy. “Choosing fabrics is always chaos, there are many options that are offered to me with infinite combinations and color changes, but I almost always opt for cheerful colors or with a groovy style. From here I make the first design, I share it with the team I work with there and they are in charge of making the garments with the fabrics that I have chosen or designed”, clarifies the entrepreneur.

Browsing the Instagram of 'Les Cactus Uniques' puts one in a good mood, it's a breath of fresh air, a true delight. Immersing yourself in a selection of meticulously detailed photographs only makes one want to buy. On this platform she closes many of her orders, increasingly from Europe and abroad. She will continue to sell online, although she does not rule out eventually being present in a Pop Up Store, as she did this past Christmas in one of the old Bilbao area.

"The whole world is a cactus", prayed the song Les Cactus by The Last Shadow Puppets, the cause of all this creative uproar that, for the time being, will continue to bring news and delight its most loyal clients while collaborating with photographers, models and professionals from the world of design in Bilbao.