Women's
How It’s Made: Nancy Gonzalez
An artisan crafts handbag decorations by hand.
If you don’t already own one, chances are, a Nancy Gonzalez precious-skin handbag is high on your things-I’d-like-to-have list. Each piece designed by the petite Colombian and crafted by artisans in her native Cali represents the epitome of quality and luxury. With her innovative use of precious skins and unconventional colors, Gonzalez has created a style that’s internationally recognized and coveted.
The Nancy Gonzalez workshop
But there’s more to Gonzalez than gorgeous accessories and a keen business sense. In a culture where successful women, especially entrepreneurs, are a true rarity, she’s a role model for female accomplishment and an agent for social change—dedicated to improving life in her native community by providing employees with the optimism and dignity that comes from a rewarding work place. Her factory employs 400 artisans—90 percent are women. Many are single mothers, whom she seeks out for apprenticeships and provides with on-site daycare.
“If a mother has a job, then her child has a much better chance for a healthy life and a successful future,” Gonzalez asserts. “My way of helping the community is to provide work and encourage women to accomplish their goals.”
Designer Nancy Gonzalez
Nancy Gonzalez handbag
