Our Roots

Meadow Collective was born 15 years ago, but its story started way before the shop opened. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit. Growing up, I remember making little bracelets and selling them to my friends. I remember selling fruit I picked off our trees on the sidewalk. This was the beginning of everything.

I never knew it until now, but it was destiny that I would own my own business one day. My father was a small business owner. And I grew up watching him run our few vegetarian restaurants. I didn’t know it then, but his focus on finding the freshest, best ingredients and commitment to sustainability has inspired and helped me to shape my business practices. 

Growing up in sunny Miami, I was always close to nature. I remember my dad always taking us canoeing and camping on the weekends. He taught me the importance of nature and how we are a part of the big picture. As I got older, it became clear that protecting this beautiful earth was one of my callings. However, I felt a pull to the world of fashion, the world of the fantastical, the bohemian, the whimsical. Every outfit had a time, a place, a feeling. Every outfit was a different way of expressing myself. 

Hiking in the mountains

But I wanted nothing to do with the fashion world. Fast fashion and everything it implied was something I couldn’t support. There was no way that I could feel good about myself while knowing that the clothes I was wearing had caused harm to someone or the environment. I couldn’t stand the thought of wearing cheap clothing with no soul, but I loved the design, the intricacies, and the stories that beautiful handmade items tell about culture, who we are, and who we have been in the past. 

I was at a crossroads with two of my greatest loves against each other. It was here that I was inspired to create a sustainable clothing line. I abandoned my environmental science degree and enrolled at the Miami International University of Art and Design. And within a few short years, I created my line. From there, I somehow managed to get my collection in 35 boutiques around the world. 

After I created my first collection, my husband and I decided to make a radical change in our lives. We wanted to escape the monotony of Miami and live sustainably. So, we bought a 30-acre farm in Pavones, Costa Rica, and set out to create a life for ourselves there. We built our home with wood milled from the trees on our property. From start to finish, we did everything ourselves.

Beautiful Costa Rica

And so here we were in a treehouse with no walls, no electricity, and our two small children. We rode horses to get to town. It was definitely a change of pace. We were just two city kids starting a family in the jungle, and we had no idea what we were doing. And even with all the mishaps and failed attempts at growing pineapples, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything in the world. 

Our family horse

However, you can imagine that trying to communicate with clients in the middle of the jungle with no wifi was nearly impossible. So, I rented a little shop in our tiny surf town. And despite the rain, bugs, and heat, I rode my horse there every day. This was the birth of Meadow Collective.  

Eventually, I started to feature other like-minded brands and handmade goods from the locals in the shop. I got away from creating my own line and began to focus on curating items that were not just sustainable but also unique and ethically made. I realized here that my calling was to be a curator, a finder of whimsical and fantastical clothes that were good for the Earth and made with love. 

The first Meadow Collective