JACMEL & CO


“I decided to redesign a product,” says Columbia-educated social entrepreneur Lucie Cincinatis. “I combined the calabash with leather to make it marketable and appealing to an urban, bohemian, hip female consumer.” The calabash, also known as a water gourd, is an indigenous fruit of Haiti. While the French-born Cincinatis may not be a native, she and her company, Jacmel & Co, have found a home there by helping others and supporting local artisans. In a country where an abundance of natural richness lies in stark contrast to a seventy-percent unemployment rate, Jacmel & Co teams with Haitian artisans to create work, which Cincinatis believes can “give men and women their dignity and create more stability in Haiti.” Under her guidance, Jacmel & Co creates bags that are inspired by old nomadic traditions and are frequently made of products including the splendidly green calabash, tobacco, and leather sourced from local slums. The purses have a light- hearted feel, both nostalgic and playful, each with a unique name chosen for its Haitian significance. Jacmel & Co has created a product line that can evoke fond memories of a Caribbean vacation without feeling gimmicky and remains adorable without forgetting the importance of functionality. For Cincinatis, there are few things more personal than a Jacmel & Co purse. “Each calabash has a distinct soul,” she says, just like every one of the Haitian women who craft them into bags.

For more information, please visit JacmelandCo.com.

Morgan Young is a writer for The Last Magazine and a freelance photographer.

  • Share

Related