Karina and Maybee Products - UNICEF Market Canada

Karina and Maybee

"We share a passion for design, as well as experience working as part of an airplane crew. Having traveled to different countries we've developed a critical eye as to what works best in terms of carry-on luggage and women's handbags. We started creating our own designs, not only for women traveling, but also for the active woman who requires a bag that is both aesthetic and versatile. "We both come from the beautiful city of Lima, where we grew up and studied. Neither of our respective parents are artisans, but they always taught us to expand our minds and find ways of expressing how we felt. "Our handbags are meant to be extremely practical and roomy, so that a woman wouldn't feel like she's carrying a heavy piece around. We want her to feel happy and at ease simply because she can use this handbag anytime, anywhere. "When we started on this career path we soon came to realize it wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. Our main concern was to find artisans who really understood our designs and what we required in order to achieve a handcrafted piece of excellent quality. We went through some difficult times; we tested colors and shapes, pockets, zippers and all sorts of features to either include or not in our designs. Those were trying times, but useful because we learned so much. "Our purpose now is to create new designs while remaining on top of today's trends worldwide. We hope customers will notice the quality and the excellence of our designs. We are motivated by a desire to see people wearing our bags in Peru as well as worldwide. We have been receiving amazing feedback from our customers, and truth be told, that is the best form of advertising we could have ever wished for. "We'd love to be in a position where people keep asking us excitedly when are our new designs coming out! This is what we wish for, and what motivates us to continue. "We started small, and we sold to our friends. Slowly word got out and this venture of ours has been growing little by little. Our greatest challenge is to be able to balance it all - looking after our kids and taking an active role in their education, as well as still working on some flights and looking after our venture. We happily acknowledge that though it can be tough at times and we might have some sleepless nights, we're doing alright and feel it is all worth it. "We hope you come to love our products as much as we do. Each is done with a lot of care, effort and dedication."