Beautiful leather, ethically sourced, minimally designed and 100% hand-stitched. These are the benchmarks upon which Minnie + George is founded. The brand features heirloom-quality leather totes and backpacks in geometric-inspired shapes. But the story goes so much further than the bags.
Greeted with a smile and a whirlwind of enthusiasm, I am ushered into Lori Caldwell’s ground floor level studio in one of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods. Amidst the chaos of leather scraps, tools, and various odds and ends sit gorgeous, American-sourced leather hides, pebbled and smooth in an ombre of earth tone shades.
Lori has been in business just shy of two years. She makes every piece by hand. That’s right, no machines are part of her process. But more on that in a minute.
One of the goals Lori has for her business is to create a spotlight on the ‘maker movement.‘
“Being a small maker in today’s world is a political act. Really, just by producing another option you’re saying something about the other option, getting people to think about what conscious consumerism really is about. I think a lot of people feel like it’s just too expensive, and it’s just not accessible to me. I really think we need to change that. There used to be a time when people saved for things.”
“I’ve always compared what’s happening now in the ‘maker movement’ to what happened in the organic food movement, in that people also weren’t thinking about where there food was coming from. Or the chemicals that were in their food until it was really brought to their attention. And now people are incredibly interested in that. I don’t think you change the whole system, but at least in the food movement we’ve pushed those bigger systems to have to answer some of those questions.”
“Instead of saying we’re going to completely take down the system and it’s not going to exist anymore, that’s probably highly unrealistic. But, if we can move them into some better options, if we can move [major retailers] into a level of transparency, then I think that is creating some good. Which I think, to me, is the ultimate goal. I’m probably not going to get a large retail company to produce everything in the US, but at least if you are going to outsource, I want to know the factories you are working with and how are you working with them to make it fair.”
“Much like the organic food movement, it’s just about education, education, education.”
M+G Large Hair-On Fold Over Clutch
When it comes to the challenges of being a small maker, Lori has an optimistic outlook.
“You have to look at every challenge and limit as an opportunity for creativity and innovation. Like, how are you going to use the tools you have in the room to create a solution for yourself.”
Lori relies regularly on her team of three interns, Amanda O’Dell , Candace Molatore and Natalie Potts, who lend a hand with brand management, marketing, photography, PR and design.
“I feel like they’re in integral part of what makes this work now.”
Natalie says the feeling is mutual.
“I am so inspired by Lori, her brand, her aesthetic, and her passion for small business. I am excited to learn from Lori every day, and am excited to contribute to M+G in any way I can!
I believe it is important to contribute to one’s community- and by shopping small you are elevating small makers and shops who are adding value to that community. These makers and shop owners are the leaders, innovators and thinkers that have led Portland to be such a unique and amazing place.”
All of the bags sold by M+G are hand-stitched, a unique trait that gives them a serious edge over other leather totes and backpacks. Lori explains exactly how.
“The bags last so much longer! When you hand-stitch, the thread you use is completely different. The thread is way more substantial and it’s waxed. It literally solidifies with time. You’re constantly interlocking with every stitch. Let’s say I broke a stitch after 10 years. It in no way affects the other stitches. If you think about a machine-sewn item, when you break a stitch it weakens the entire line. You could literally pull open a whole seam.
This [pictured below] is creating kind of a recessed groove in the leather. What that does, is once you puncture the holes in there, your stitches aren’t on the same level as the leather. You’ve got this interlocking stitch that sits down in here, with five threads that are waxed together.”
It’s a lot longer process to create, but what you get is something that lasts way longer.”
Lori took a hiatus following December’s busy season – and though some say it’s a risky thing to do when you own your own business, Lori says the returns have been essential.
“Often times, if something in you, on an energy level or whatever else, wants to stop or slow down, you actually just need to stop or slow down. As risky and scary as that is, it probably has better benefits for you in the long run. That’s why I took this hiatus. I took a couple weeks where I just took time and I slept in and went on long walks with my dog, and had coffee with friends and then, literally, the floodgates opened creatively. I really felt like everything design-wise just stepped up for me.”
When it comes to choosing a bag, I asked Lori to share her top three important qualities every woman should look for.
“Functionality. It could be as pretty as you want but if you can’t use it in your everyday life why are you buying it? It should also relate to you personally and your personal style. And, if the bag feels heavy before you put anything in it – don’t buy that bag.”
Natalie, Lori’s design assistant intern chimes in.
“I believe that [it’s] important to consider the investment that you put into it and what you expect to get out of it. When I purchase a bag that costs more, I usually intend to use it for 5-10 years (and maybe even longer). Spending more is an investment in a piece that will live and grow with you and your needs.”
Lori says her favorite bag from the collection is the geometric tote, in all black.
Amanda, who is also an intern at M+G, loves the 3-in-1 drawstring bucket bag.
“I use the bucket bag almost every day. It fits my laptop perfectly and it is so much easier to use a backpack when you work downtown. I love how functional yet beautiful it is. I don’t have to give up my style in order to fit everything I need for work into a bag.”
So, what’s in a name, who are Minnie and George?
Lori: “Minnie and George are my parents. They’ve always been incredibly supportive. My mom calls me at 8 am and 9 pm every single day, no matter where she is. Everyone gets a soulmate and I feel like I got them. They’re the loves of my life. They’ve taught me what it means to really unconditionally love someone. And they show me that every single day.”
Lori is a fan of ‘shopping small’ as much as she can and supports a variety of makers, you can see a list of her favorites here. To see her full offering of products, head over to Minnie + George. You can also find M+G on Facebook and Instagram.
I loved reading this story. And so true: changing the mindset to actually saving for an item instead of spontaneously purchasing an “in” item of the moment. Even in building a capsule, its easy to plan everything out and purchase it all quickly. But I’m realizing that by slowly adding pieces that I either save up for or hunt for the perfect one.. my capsule has much more meaning and fits me better both physically and mentally. And these bags are gorgeous. Thanks for the write up!
Thank you so much for reading Sarah. I agree, a difference in mentality and planning when making purchases leads to such a different result! I think that’s more like how it used to be in this country before we saw the drop in clothing prices when manufacturing moved overseas. Now we can ‘afford’ to impulse shop so we do, which just feeds the cycle of viewing clothing as something we ‘consume.’