The two Raffles x Amambaih bags she has created come in styles that are a signature of her brand: a pleasingly roomy yet elegant tote and an envelope clutch bag. Schwarz Montiel’s collaboration with Raffles has been a joy for her. “I’ve loved this job,” she says. “I went to Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris and I was having tea in this garden that was super-green, and I said, ‘Why don’t we do the bags with more green? Your hotels have so much green: it would be wonderful.’ And it looks beautiful.”

Schwarz Montiel’s own story is one of global travel and inspiration. After studying in Germany, she worked in Italy and France for brands including Bally, Gucci and Elie Tahari. Today, her pieces are designed in Paris, woven in Paraguay and handcrafted in Spain. “It is very important to me, as an immigrant in other countries, to keep something alive from my own culture,” she says. “When you create something new it needs a meaning – that was mine. And there’s nothing better than having a piece that was caressed I don’t know how many times by a woman, because all the braids are woven by hand.”

The bright braids from which the bags are made are of the kind originally woven by indigenous women in Paraguay, following their community’s ancestral techniques. Those methods have now been taken up by local female artisans. “One by one, each thread is placed, in order to be spun,” says Schwarz Montiel. “The yarns are then knotted to fix the structure and allow weaving to begin. Each thread is lovingly chosen, inspired by our earth and sun.” The exquisite braids that result form the basis of every collection, and honour quiet traditions – and women – that have long gone unrecognised. “They were very courageous, all these ladies, and I am very proud that we came so far. We have a great team.”

Throughout her career, Schwarz Montiel has created bespoke pieces for some of the world’s most inspiring women, including Margot Robbie, Penelope Cruz, Tina Fey – “She told me how hard it is to tell a joke when your feet are hurting in painful shoes” – and Amy Adams. She has also collaborated with heritage brands such as Chloé and Derek Lam – but of late she has felt the need to evolve. “As Earth’s resources become increasingly scarce and small communities are more and more impacted by industrialisation, it is up to us to bring about change,” she says. “We are living in a decisive moment. Our industry must evolve to adapt to the shifting needs of society. And so any item we create should have meaning.”

The work that goes into each bag, made from leather and braid, is intense, but ultimately for Schwarz Montiel these are emotional pieces: “In our culture, in South America, we just put crazy bright colours all together. It’s like an explosion of light. You buy our shoes, our bags not for function, more for fun – they’re like a piece of art.”