Lucie of Jacmel & Co. and I met by Basel-magic. I was sitting around in a food coma at the Soho House (have you had the burger there?!) and she asked my friends and I to watch her giant bag while she went to the restroom. We dutifully guarded, and then started chatting and she had the wildest, most beautiful and interesting story.

Jacmel & Co is a new brand based out of Haiti that sells handbags made of the calabash fruit. It's a real fruit that is traditionally used in artisanal Haitian goods.

While Lucie was just passing through Miami, I thought there was an interesting Miami connection to be made. I've heard that the only "Little Haiti" in the country is the one we have here, but the community is still foreign to me. I visited the Little Haiti Cultural Arts Center for the Arcade Fire concert and years ago I ate at Tap Tap but honestly, that's about the most exploration I've done and I've been meaning to learn more about Haitian culture for quite some time now. There are Haitian bakeries, fast food, book stores and more, but it's all kind of a mystery to me. Lucie's take on artisanal Haitian culture and her modern-looking bags with a folksie appeal seemed like the perfect foray. So, I'll let her tell you about how she's living in Haiti, providing sustainable and creative jobs for women and making bags the fashion community is going wild over:

So you picked up and moved to Haiti and have stayed there since? In "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere"...

I have been living in Haiti for a year and a half now. I originally came down in october 2013 as part of a fellowship program that sent me to work as a teacher in the slums of Port-au-Prince. For 6 months, i worked in school as an english and arts & crafts teacher; it was really a life-changing experience and i adored working with children; I learned tremendously in the process. It is true that haiti is often described as the "poorest country in the western hemisphere" but hopefully with Jacmel & Co, I can show the world that Haiti is too rich to be poor.

Can you tell us a bit more about the calabash? And other traditional artisanal Haitian products?

The calabash tree is a small evergreen tropical tree with simple leaves and a rough bark. Its fruits are green with with flesh and smooth skin, yet they are inedible. The calabash was one of the first cultivated plants in the world, not grown primarily for food, but for use as a water container. In Haiti, calabash shells are used to carry water, or as food bowl. A few months ago, I met a local artisans who wanted to make gourd bags out of it, and i felt inspired by the idea. Together we started a collaboration and designed the first leather and calabash bag together.

How is day-to-day life in Haiti for you? You're living as a young, female social entrepreneur. For as close as Miami is to Haiti, culturally and geographically, I doubt there are many young Miami locals who have traveled Haiti alone. Can you tell us a bit about life in Haiti?

Life is Haiti is both magical and challenging. I know that everyday is going to be an adventure, which makes life exciting and colorful. I currently live in a small beachtown called Kabik, located near the Southern town of Jacmel, considered as the artistic and cultural capital of Haiti.

I live alone in a house overlooking the beautiful Caribbean sea. Nature is truly beautiful in Haiti, and I often go hiking in the nearby mountains. I also feel very close to my community and on top of managing the Jacmel & Co atelier, I also organize daily yoga and art workshop at my house for the children in the community.

I would say that life in Haiti is not for the faints of hearts, it is challenging. Sometimes, I spend days without water or running electricity, and food in the area is pretty limited. I used to live in New York City, where I could just run out of my apartment and find all the food, drinks and sweets that I want. Here the market days are only on Wednesday and Saturday (with fresh organic fruits and vegetables), and I can also find fresh seafood (fish or lobster) from the nearby fishermen.

Haiti's taught me a lot, but most importantly that I could live with less material comfort and still lead a healthy and happy life. I am also fascinated by the resilience and creativity of the Haitian people; I have learned tremendously from them.

I want to emphasize the fact that Haiti is NOT a dangerous place; I take public transportation and motos on a daily basis and traveled all over the country as a white female, sometimes on my own. Most of the Haitians are poor, but not violent, and this is the biggest misperception of Haiti that I hope will change with time, so the country can see its tourist industry flourish.

Let's quickly talk a bit more about the bags - which would make great holiday gifts (even though you'll be cutting it really close!). They're styled on your site on the street of New York and they're made of real fruit - that's a funny pairing.

The calabash bags are the first fashion items of Jacmel & Co. They are available online on www.jacmelandco.com in various colors and designs.They are 100% handmade in Haiti by our team of women artisans, and are all unique due to the organic nature of the fruit. They all slightly vary in size and shape, which makes them unique pieces. While some designs are a better fit for a bohemian outfit at the beach, some others (in black or dark red) fit the urban girl from big cities.

In only a few months, our little calabash bags made in Haiti have gathered an incredible support from the international fashion communities, with blogger like Leandra Medine from Man Repeller, actress like Sophie Bush, as well as press (we were featured in Elle, Vogue and Harper Bazaar). My hope for 2015 is to add new products to our current collection, and create a beautiful Haitian marketplace that will create additional jobs in the country and feature the true beauty of Haiti.

all photos courtesy of jacmel and co

Chat with Lucie of Jacmel & Co. Haitian Made Calabash