About

Nestled in the heart of the coffee region, Santuario (meaning a sacred place), is a small pueblo where my mother and generations before her were born. Growing up as a first generation American-Colombian, I wanted to combine my passion for my culture and fashion.

My goal is to educate people in the richness of handcrafted goods from Colombia. All the goods are personally bought from artisanos (hand craftsmen/women) from Colombia. Each bag is one of a kind because of the nature of the natural cowhide can vary in prints, they have perfect imperfections that show the craftsmanship of the artisans. My mission was to buy them from unique individuals to help tell their story one bag at a time.

The idea derived from the traditional carriel. The carriel is a tradition that dates back to the 1800s. They were created for working men while venturing out for long periods of time in the coffee fields. Its unique accordion style helps to hold their most prized belongings from anything to tools like blades to love letters. They are still worn till this day as part of our tradition. 

- Natalie Cardenas