In the uber-competitive luxury handbag market, which is dominated by well-funded couture houses like Gucci and Chanel, soft-spoken Colombian native Nancy Gonzalez has flourished by celebrating the color and craftsmanship of her native country.

Known for pieces that are vibrantly hued and texturally varied, Gonzalez pays homage to her homeland by having her line produced locally by skilled artisans. She employs a staff composed almost solely of women, and offers their children free day care.

Raising two children has helped foster her nurturing nature. A mom of two, Gonzalez and her son Santiago recently launched a men's line, growing their family brand.

This inspiring juxtaposition of quality and compassion embodies her success. “I love the challenge of finding a new way to work the skin over a handle or playing with mixed textures,” says Gonzalez. And she loves to evoke emotion through her work. “I incorporate elements to each piece that make us smile: a color, a texture, a detail, a surprise.”

Her website, surprisingly, is divided into “Values” that tout her company’s principals. Alongside the expected virtues of “Elegance” and “Style” are “Magic,” “Wonder,” “Freedom” and “Dignity.”

Gonzalez is a leader in her work, home and country, but this great dame does have one semi-flaw: indecision. When asked recently to pick her favorite bag, from the more than 150 styles and 200 colors she’s designed, she refused. “I can’t do it,” she said. “It would be like picking a favorite child.”

Photo: Getty Images

Sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy of the fashion label Rodarte are unqualifiedly successful. They sell their edgy-ethereal frocks at high-end retailers such as Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman; they count Michelle Obama as a fan; they designed the killer ballet costumes for the Oscar-nominated Black Swan; and they currently have an exhibition of their work on display at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Oh yeah, and they still live at home with their parents.

The sisters launched their fashion line in 2005, working at their parents’ dining room table with 10 hand-finished pieces that won them the prestigious Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award and launched them quickly into the world of buyers, fashion shows and Vogue.

Throughout their storybook success, they have remained grounded, and they owe that to their bohemian parents, William and Victoria. William is a former botanist who now runs their accounting. Victoria, whose family emigrated from Mexico, was an artist who made Navajo weavings and taught the sisters to sew. In fact, the label’s name, Rodarte, is named after their mama’s maiden name.

The sisters’ closeness is famous: They share an email account, used to share a cell phone, drive to work together and order the same coffee: three espresso shots over ice.

While their inseparability might seem odd to many, it is their inherent sense of love for family that is their greatest inspiration and that keeps them grounded in the whimsical world of fashion.