The Mucura handbags from Leonor, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, are made by a team that stretches across North, Central, and South America. They were awarded an Independent Handbag Designer Award on June 17 in the category of “Most Socially Responsible Handbag.” To win the award, the handbags needed to be made in a developing country, and the company had to work with artisans in different communities with good working conditions.
Leonor is named after entrepreneur Leonor Salazar. Each Leonor handbag is based on a mola, a cotton fabric panel hand-crafted by the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Islands between Panama and Colombia. Kuna women sew the molas by hand with layers of colored fabric. They use crafting skills that have been passed down for generations to create elaborate, mostly geometric, designs. Every mola, and every bag, is unique.
Salazar works directly with Kuna women. She buys molas in traditional colors such as red and orange and commissions others in nontraditional color combinations, such as black and white. She says she always pays market rates or higher. The company is also working with the government to give back to the Kuna community to keep their traditions alive.
Salazar’s niece, Ana Maria Plata, designs Leonor bags that are multifunctional, modern, and chic. She has experience working as an industrial designer, furniture and home accessories designer, and trend forecaster. She tries to create bags that appeal to women who appreciate art, color, and uniqueness.
Plata chooses all of the leathers that are used with the molas and works with a family of leather workers in Colombia who assemble and hand-finish the bags. She also makes sure each bag includes an extra feature, such as a chain that allows a clutch to be used as a cross-body, a mirror, or a suede lining.
Salazar and Plata had a somewhat successful line of mola-themed shoes and handbags several years ago, but they decided to relaunch Leonor with a new commitment to quality and style. They are now focusing exclusively on handbags and working more closely with artisans throughout the entire production process. Leonor will soon introduce new packaging, new marketing, and a new website to accommodate global retail and wholesale sales.
Things have been changing for the company since winning the award. Salazar and Plata were invited to send the Mucura bag to a luncheon sponsored by Fashion 4 Development in September with first ladies from around the world who are working in fashion development at the United Nations. They are also planning to attend trade shows in New York and Paris next year.
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