Our story begins with LINNETTE Designer Linnette Leon Vega’s grandmother and muse, Silvia Nunez, in Havana, Cuba during the tumultuous 1960s. Unaccompanied by her parents, Silvia and her brothers were part of a children’s exodus from communist Cuba and sent to Miami, Florida in search of safety and sunnier days. It would be several years until Silvia was reunited with her parents. Like most immigrants, Silvia took on a low-wage job and cleaned her school’s grounds to cover her tuition. Throughout her struggles, however, she remained true to her core values and maintained her keen sense of style. Silvia went on to marry Benjamin Leon and raise three children — with daughter, Lourdes, being Linnette’s mother. Since 1996, the Leon family helms South Florida’s leading healthcare services provider, Leon Medical Centers.

Lourdes also provides a serious dose of inspiration for LINNETTE. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Vega was age 21. Lourdes remained resilient, optimistic and in touch with her entrepreneurial spirit. An doting parent and homemaker at heart, Lourdes also helms a curated home goods boutique, The Little Cottage, nestled in South Miami, Florida. 

Consider Vega’s younger sister, Alexa, the spark of LINNETTE. During the infancy stages of Vega’s sewing journey, her first design — a colorful handsewn beach tote — was handmade specifically for Alexa. Astounded by the end result which gathered the praises of passersby, Alexa encouraged Vega to pursue LINNETTE as her career path as it married her two passions: Sewing and entrepreneurship. 

“When I reminisce upon my grandmother, bravery comes to mind. As for my mother, she is the epitome of elegance. My little sister, Alexa, on the other hand, is my biggest supporter and was the impetus to launch LINNETTE. This threesome also share a profound love for dressing well which I invariably inherited,” Vega says of the three muses in her life.