Welcome to Day Two of Limon Piel Week here on the Angel Handbag blog! If you’re just joining us, we are spotlighting Lisa Garrett, the creator of Limon Piel. Today we’re highlighting the Limon Piel’s unique design process. After years of medical missionary work in Columbia, Lisa met Colombian designer Liliana, and the two women quickly grew to “adore” one another. The brand was born, Lisa says, when she realized that was Liliana the perfect teammate for a company that could give back to the country they both so deeply loved. While Liliana “spoke no English, and had never had a lot of interaction with the U.S.,” Lisa recognized that Liliana’s fresh and youthful designs simply needed someone with a “background of marketing and sales” to bring them to the American market. Someone like Lisa.
However, the relationship goes two ways. “Liliana loves to design,” Lisa says, “but she wants me to bring ideas of what the U.S. would love to see.” Today, the women talk on the phone every day, brainstorming new Limon Piel ideas (not just handbags!–more about that later), and closely monitoring the progress of their Limon Piel factory, which is also based in Colombia. Because everything is made and designed in their own factory, “we can build quickly and come up with new designs quickly,” Lisa says. We say, keep ‘em coming! Beautifully constructed sacks, like this Tahali Collection Hobo, make us crave more of what that magical factory can produce. We love the tassels hanging off the strap of this purse, adding a flash of whimsy as it swings at your hip. Stay tuned for tomorrow, when we reveal some of the Limon Piel production secrets (or at least, what Lisa was willing to divulge!).