Photo by Mari Gray
Kelly Moe-Rossetto
Drawing on passions for travel, art, and teaching, Minnesota native Kelly Moe-Rossetto launched Cardamom Collective, an ethical and fair-trade brand inspired by the colors and textures popular along the Silk Road.
The venture started in the form of a spice blog as a side hustle to her teaching job. “It was less about the culinary aspect and more about the interconnectedness of countries through the spice trade,” Moe-Rossetto says.
She later enrolled in a block printing workshop and shadowed a fifth-generation printmaker in India before venturing to Guatemala, where she was inspired to create her first product—an art teacher tote bag. Moe-Rossetto sold hundreds, and the idea for her product line was born.
Today, she creates small-batch goods designed from watercolors and later hand-loomed and dyed by artisans and producers around the globe. Named after the exotic spice that Moe-Rossetto believes to evoke feelings of nostalgia for many cultures, Cardamom Collective’s goods are all married by a succinct theme: “I keep it focused on what someone would carry in their travel bag.”
Moe-Rossetto’s also focused on reducing her environmental footprint and creating textiles that serve multiple purposes, similar to countries like Korea and Japan. Shop the collection at cardamomcollective.com.
