2017 marked a before and after for Puerto Ricans, it was a mandatory pause, remembers Christie Milagros Sánchez. But while a lot can be said of the challenges faced during that time, for others it was a new opportunity.
Having an interest in all forms of art, Christie Milagros Sánchez took a leap when, after 18 years of working for Puerto Rico’s Department of Education, launched her own sunglass brand, Bori.
Thus emerged a new style of wood-based sunglasses and accessories. Committed to the environment, Christie aimed to bring novel eco friendly and accessible shades to the Puerto Rican market. Walking away from traditional heavy frames, she started looking for more lightweight options such as bamboo -which is water resistant and floats- and wood from old skateboards.
At the beginning her sunglasses were made from the materials she would find around her, but as demand and production increased she had to find other ways to do it faster and make it more affordable.
“I decided to focus on design and work alongside suppliers to help with the manufacturing,” explained Christie. “This allowed me to offer affordable prices. Sometimes you would look for polarized sunglasses and they were very expensive. I wanted everybody to have the opportunity to have their Boris”.
Each one of the lenses are regulated and approved by the FDA and each goes through a series of quality tests. While people may think it´s an easy process, the frames are also tested to ensure they are impact-resistant.
Throughout the years, Bori has been diversifying to other wood-inspired products such as purses, ties, and earrings. A collection of trendy caps with wooden and cork-based stamps completes the assortment of this local store.
Inspired from her experience participating in numerous pop-up shops and bazaars that contributed to her brand’s growth, she decided to open Bori Local Market, a local brand store that houses 16 other vendors.
“When I decided to open my [physical] store, it was originally meant for Bori, but something in my heart said ‘let’s do something as a collective and that’s when I selected the brands that best aligned with the concept of Bori Local Market”, said Christie.
Located in Caguas, just a 30-minute drive from San Juan, this local market sells an array of products ranging from hand-made soaps, jewelry, clothes, coffee, tea, lamps and pet products.
The idea is “to help other entrepreneurs have a place to sell and showcase their products”.
Bori Local Market is located at the Avenida Degetau in Caguas.
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