On Thursday I received an e-mail from the Editor of the Culture and Travel supplement of the Buenos Aires Herald (the closest English language newspaper to here - though it doesn't actually make it over the water).

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'We like your writing', she said. 'We published your Chile piece today, and are doing a Uruguay Special on Wednesday 5th December.’

I was delighted. They published a couple of my pieces back in April, and I've been bombarding them ever since. I have a shoe box with the editions that have my articles in, and I love adding to it.

‘ We want to publish several of your pieces,’ she said, ‘but would you go down to Luisa Lane and take a few photos of handbags for us?'

Luisa Lane is a gorgeous handbag shop just down the road.

Here is one of the photos I took, and the article:

Luisa Lane Leather

Dentists and artisans have much in common: a steady hand, a love of aesthetics, and an eye for detail.

“But being an artisan is much more fun,” Gabriela tells me. “Art was always a pastime for me. I would come back from a hard day at the dental studio and relax by painting and drawing. Then four years ago I decided to convert my hobby into my profession. So I gave up dentistry to devote myself full-time to designing and manufacturing leather handbags. In 2004 I opened the first boutique in Punta del Este, and the next year, this one followed.”

I’m speaking to Gabriela Gonzalez Lerena, the owner of Luisa Lane, a small leather goods boutique in Arocena, the main street of the leafy Montevidean suburb of Carrasco.

“Why the name Luisa Lane?” I ask.

“Well, it flows smoothly off the tongue. And it’s memorable. I want our products to be instantly recognizable, and associated with the name. And of course, Superman’s girlfriend is so stylish, so feminine. Just like my designs.” The penny drops. Of course, Lois is Luisa in Spanish.

Gabriela hands me a pair of soft, delicately embroidered leather boots. She shows me how they can be folded down to ankle-length, or worn knee-length. “Try them on,” she says. “We started just with handbags, but then we moved on to belts and wallets too. Last year we extended the range to boots, and this year we’ve included leather and sheepskin coats.”

I put the boots on. They immediately pass the bunion test – not a twinge. Gabriela hands me a short leather jacket. I slip it on. “You look like a princess.” Well, maybe more like a very classy gaucho girl, and I feel great. Apart from the quality, style and comfort, Luisa Lane prices are no more expensive than in the large leather chain stores in Montevideo – and a fraction of what they would be in Europe or North America.

Uruguay is the perfect place for this type of business. There are nine million cows here – three to every person, so raw materials pose no problem.

I ask Gabriela who buys her products.

“Locals and expatriates alike,” she says. “Many customers come over from Buenos Aires in the summer. And we’ve started exporting, too. I’ve been to trade fairs in Los Angeles and Chile…but I’m not looking to get into exports in a big way. I want the business to stay small, personalized.”

So what makes Luisa Lane distinctive?

“I travel a lot, to Europe and North America, to keep apace with the latest trends. I’m just back from New York. We use classical colors and designs – our products will never go out of fashion. But what makes us different is the artisan touch. The embroidered designs on our bags and boots are unique and instantly identifiable. We make very few of each item.”

I take a two-tone bag off a shelf and open it. The finishing is perfect, the smell of leather almost heady, and the bag is much roomier than it seems.

“Of course, we have to face the problem of copying. As soon as you invent something new, someone else pinches it. Fakes will never match our quality, but still, we keep one step ahead and change our styles every season.”

She indicates a young girl who is putting signs up on the shop window. “Our winter sale starts tomorrow. Up to 50% off everything – we’re going to clear our stock over the next month, then bring in our summer designs.”

Well, I think I’ll be back at Luisa Lane tomorrow…