Soledad was born in the town of Simacota, about an hour away from Curití. She arrived in this town 30 years ago. She recalls that, since she was a young girl, she used to watch her mother, Olinda Tello, craft baskets, casting nets, and fique mochila bags at home. It was the family business, although she admits that the quality of fique processing at that time was far from where it is today. Fique was not as fine as it is now. This fact has allowed them to manufacture several more products, many of which are currently used in the fashion industry.

This was the path Soledad decided to take when she parted ways with her sister María: while the latter sister stayed managing the store of another well-known workshop in town, the former ventured out to open her very own store in 2001. She specialized in manufacturing fique handbags, which have reached venues such as Modaviva. Currently, Soledad also crafts her bags combining fique and leather to diversify her product portfolio.

She has likewise ventured into fashioning footwear by mixing fique and cotton, platform sandals, and sneakers, which are very popular among foreign customers. Household goods make up a large part of the store’s best-selling products, which include fique placemats, chairs, and tables. She works together with 17 other craftswomen. They weave from home and send Soledad pieces every day, which she then finishes in her workshop.

She likes to take on new challenges. Whenever she is commissioned to craft an item with a specific design, she starts production without hesitation, because she trusts her skill and that of her weavers. Today, her products are sold in Medellín, Bogotá, Cali, Spain, and the United States.