Credited with naming the company after her two now teenage sons, it’s no wonder Carolina wishes she had some power over the passing of time. As a student of fine art and sculpture she never imagined she would fall in love with fashion, creating unexpected pieces meant to provoke a thought, a smile, a conversation. Upon seeing one of her first creations completed for Min & Mon (the Vali Handbag, a best seller)... she was instantly transported, envisioning its journey from imagination to artisan to final product. When not at her drafting table creating, Carolina can be found sipping a cup of hot black tea*, even on a summer day.

*Love tea too? Check out Carolina’s Tea Diary at Min & Mon Ink.

There’s a growing congregation of stuffed octopuses at Min & Mon HQ and Andrés is delighted by it. Which seems fitting, as it was he who created the Min & Mon logo of two octopuses hugging. With a Masters in Architecture, traditional hand drawing remains central to his creative process. His designs purposefully show the imperfect movement of the hand, diverting from market tendencies that favor perfect computer generated prints. As a father to three (and husband to Carolina), Andrés finds motivation in younger generations' comfort with embracing individuality. Quirky is cool. His whimsically designed charms reflect that: "Our charms seem to possess a heart of their own and are fun conversation starters. There is enough cynicism in the world, we want to be a little happy."

With two Colombian born co-founders, Min & Mon remains committed to investing in the time honored artisanship of Colombia. Handcrafting does take time and although it would be cheaper to make our products in other countries, we work to make a dent in a historically rich industry at risk of being dismantled by today's highly commercialized norms. We deliberately choose to invest in our homeland communities where labor laws are well aligned with fair trade. Looking to help preserve this passion for craftsmanship by paying well and standing for fairness, we value the human connection behind the process and the enduring product that it creates. We highly regard long held techniques and traditions rooted in the Andes, thereby celebrating artisans and helping them to grow their businesses.

Today, social justice is defined as justice in terms of distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. At Min & Mon we are guided by five principles to fully understand the goals of this concept: access to resources, equity, participation, diversity, and human rights. Our co-founders draw from personal experiences, having immigrated to the United States at different points in their lives. With that, we continue to listen, learn and grow. Living in the US has fueled our commitment to stay in the conversation and has impassioned us further with our work in Colombia. We’ve partnered with organizations like the Advancement Project, Be the Bridge, and other like minded operations in pursuit of this mission. In Colombia we continue to invest in our makers and support communities in need to further the cause. The work continues.