Paulina Quintana was born in Santiago Chile during the time of Allende.
Quickly after her birth Chile experienced its own 9/11 — 9/11/1973. As one would say, the OG 9/11, when the government of Pinochet forcefully ousted democratically elected Allende.
Paulina’s father was detained and tortured for having ties to the democratically elected Socialist President. While detained, Paulina’s father started to receive letters from the famed group, Amnesty International.
Paulina’s father did not want to respond immediately to these letters as he feared he would be persecuted by the new government. But ultimately he agreed and the Quintana’s, Atilio ( father) Marisol (mother) Andres (older brother) and Paulina, landed in Sherman Oaks on August 16th, 1976.
The Quintana’s went to school at the acclaimed Buckley School and then all graduated from various UC schools. Paulina went on to pursue a degree in Painting with a concentration in Biology at UCLA, and has held three different careers throughout her life (four if you include motherhood).
The first as an educator, the second as a fashion designer, the third as a sustainable entrepreneur.
While at UCLA Paulina taught mural painting and after a stint in NY, she returned to teaching at Mid-City Alternative and Elysian Heights Elementary in Echo Park.
After teaching for 5 years she started to design children’s clothing and had an amazing career as a designer for 13 years with her clothes sold in 500 stores, 9 reps, and 2 stand alone stores (Silverlake and NYC).
After a divorce that sent Paulina soul searching, she decided to return to the classroom right back where she started at Elysian Heights Elementary School where she stayed teaching for another 5 years.
But design came knocking once again.
Wanting to be with her own children, who were quickly growing up, she decided to leave teaching and pursue a new sustainable design venture — and ( r e )ˣ was born.
Quintana, the CEO of ( r e ) ˣ, aims to reshape people's relationship with plastic, acknowledging the negative environmental impact of discarded plastics. Over 8 billion plastic hangers are discarded annually, alongside over 8 million metric tons of plastics entering our oceans yearly.
Her experience in the fashion industry fueled her passion for green innovation, leading her to establish ( r e ) ˣ. The company's focus is to reduce consumers' environmental footprint and eradicate the need for products made from virgin plastic.
( r e ) ˣ stands out for the traceability of its products, with each pack of hangers having a QR code detailing collection locations, the recycled plastic composition used, and the recycling site proprietors. Raw materials originate from beach cleanups, ocean plastics, and post-consumer recycling efforts in South Africa. The company employs 100% recycled and biodegradable packaging.
Beyond sustainability, ( r e ) ˣ has reengineered the hanger's design, increasing its thickness and strength for enhanced durability. The company also fortified the vertical strength of the pant bar and added an integrated "fishhook-style" garment hook. A unique feature aids maneuverability in tightly packed spaces.
