LAURA MELENDREZ

FOUNDER/CEO, AMOR & ROSAS

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

Laura is a self-driven person who enjoys taking on new challenges, an intrapreneur and entrepreneur. More recently, she co-founded Amor & Rosas, an ethical fashion brand, with the objective to transform the lives of those women who wear A&R’s clothes, but also transform the lives of those women who make the garments.

Follow Laura here.

1. AMOR & ROSAS IS DEDICATED TO MAKING A POSITIVE SOCIAL IMPACT ON WOMEN IN MEXICO. HOW DID YOU BEGIN A COMPANY LIKE THIS? WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST MOTIVATING FACTOR?

I wanted to start my own business and after working for 4 years in Marketing and Sales, I came to the realization that I had to do something with a purpose in order to feel passionate about it and stay motivated. As a result, I decided to go back to school and learn about social entrepreneurship. The company begun when Debra and I won a fellowship at the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute, where we incubated the idea. 

My greatest motivating factor is to know that I am helping make the life of the women working with or at Amor & Rosas better. I hope that with our brand, we help the artisans have a better quality of life and self-esteem, but most importantly to allow themselves to have dreams and that this mindset is passed on to their children.

2. HOW DOES AMOR & ROSAS PROMOTE THE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE OF WOMEN IN MEXICO? HOW DO THESE WOMEN INSPIRE OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE STYLE OF YOUR DESIGNS?

We offer employment opportunities to indigenous artisans in Hidalgo and Chiapas state. They add the beautiful hand embroidery to all of our pieces, in return we pay them the right price for their work that is paid on a per piece basis, which gives them the flexibility to comply with other responsibilities they have or to work full time if they have the time. 

 We design the pieces in mutual participation. The artisans add their personal style to every piece of embroidery. We send the artisans drawings that serve as references but they interpret and adapt the drawings to the embroidery techniques they know in order to make a beautiful piece of embroidery.

3. IS AMOR & ROSAS’ MODEL OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNIQUE IN MEXICO? OR HAVE YOU FOUND COMMUNITY WITHIN OTHER COMPANIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR VALUES?

Amor & Rosas is unique in Mexico as a social enterprise making fashionable clothing to impact the lives of the artisans. There are many fashion companies in Mexico working with artisans, and only a few committed with generating a social impact while making fashionable clothing. We recently got certified as a B Corp in Mexico, which makes us very happy, because we now can prove that we are actually making an impact.

4. WHAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE YOU ABOUT THIS COMPANY AS IT HAS GROWN?

During this complicated year we had to adapt and start making facemasks as a way of surviving. Last month, I visited one of the communities in Chiapas and the artisans where very grateful to us because we did not stop sending them work. Listening to them, knowing how committed and honored they feel to working with Amor & Rosas, and also knowing how much in need they are and that we can make the difference in their lives is my biggest motivation. I feel the need to continue growing to reach a point where we maximize our impact per person within our artisan network. 

5. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DESIGN FROM THE AMOR & ROSAS SHOWROOM?

 My favorite piece is the reversible Jaguar Bomber Jacket, I love that it is reversible so you get two jackets in one, which makes it the perfect jacket to travel with. Also, the Jaguar Bomber Jacket is a reminder to take care of our endangered species living in Mexico.

6. IF YOU COULD HAVE COFFEE WITH ANYONE IN THE UNIVERSE, WHO WOULD IT BE (AND WHAT WOULD YOU ORDER!)?

Bill Drayton, and I would order a ginger tea.