Born in Port-au-Prince, I am the daughter of a stylist and an architect. My entire life is defined by creation, imagination, independence.  I graduated from The Fashion School of Montreal (Ecole Supérieure de Mode de Montréal) with a bachelor in Fashion Design and a concentration in Industrial Management. Not long after obtaining my university diploma, I jumped right into business and acquired a winter accessory company. I then worked independently as a designer and fashion coordinator for a company making private labels. At the same time I assisted her mother, Maëlle F. David, renowned stylist in the fashion and cultural industry, with the management and coordination of her workshop as well as with the development of her Ready-to-Wear collections.

To everyone’s surprise, in 2010, I left Montreal, leaving everything behind to pursue a dream. I want to create jobs for the talented Haitian craftsmen and craftswomen and want to change the image of my country, Haiti, in the eyes of foreigners. Thus, was born Collections Xaragua, a brand of handbags with an original style and a typical Haitian authenticity.  Collections Xaragua was launched on April 30, 2011, at the first edition of Runway Haiti, an event that brings together Haitian designers on the same runway, to promote Haitian fashion nationally and internationally. An audience of more than 300 people attended and warmly applauded the originality and audacity in the creation and presentation of the handbags. The collection exhibited a wide variety of choices ranging from evening bags to everyday bags to beach bags. According to the most read entertainment magazine, Ticket Magazine, Collections Xaragua was among the best with "their very elegant small bags".

In June of the same year, Collections Xaragua participated in the popular fair "Women in Production" which was held for the first time outside of the Haitian territory, in the "Miami
Convention Center" located in downtown Miami. The fair attracted an estimated 3000 visitors. Collections Xaragua was a hit! At the end of the fair, we were out of stock! The customers’ feedbacks about the style, quality and originality were positive. The customers were all also receptive to the price range, which fully met their expectations. Since then, there has been growing demand for Collections Xaragua‘s handbags.

Collections Xaragua is a company that creates, develops, and produces handbags made of a mixture of fabrics and straw (from latanier: fan palm of the Caribbean regions). Our products are handcrafted and reflect our traditional use of straw, siam and the savoir-faire of Haiti to create a variety of innovative styles. The fabrics are carefully selected for their quality and durability. The colors are selected according to international trends, while keeping an eye on local demand. All our bags have their lining made from siam, a fabric that plays a big part in Haitian history. To encourage the Haitian economy, the fabrics are purchased from local suppliers in Haiti.  The woven straw is made by artisans in the South of the country, where the straw originates. Once woven, this straw is treated against bugs and a varnish is applied to give it a shiny look.

My continued inspiration is the Haitian lifestyle with a touch of international trends. I get easily inspired simply by looking at people in the streets, paintings or graffiti on walls... My target audience is the professional woman, 25 to 45 years old, that likes to make a statement with what they are wearing, without compromising their style.  A year after the earthquake that hit Haiti, I realized that not much was being done. I decided to act on a personal basis and created Collections Xaragua. This company will hire people for a salary, but will also send their kids to school as I am a strong believer in education. At a later time, I will put together an organization to help children go to school and stay in school. I also want to play a big part in the Haitian economy by buying raw materials from local suppliers. Also by outsourcing the weaving of the straw, I am helping other Haitians putting together their own workshops. My ultimate goal is to send as many kids as possible to school while creating a brand that will change the image of Haiti in the eyes of foreigners.

The origin of the brand name, Collections Xaragua, comes from Haitian history. It is my way to pick every one's curiosity with the name, so they can learn about Haiti, when it was called Hispaniola.  Before the slaves were brought to the country, Haiti was a peaceful and beautiful country, inhabited by the natives (called Indians by Christopher Columbus).  Xaragua was one of 5 and the most popular and strongest of the chiefdoms of Hispaniola, it was a chiefdom in which 2 of the most influential caciques were a brother and sister, Behecchio and Anacaona. Xaragua was in the southwest peninsula. They grew lots of cotton here and also in the cul de sac, north of where Port‑au‑Prince lies today. It was full of peaceful Tainos that were very peaceful but were killed due to trickery and hate.

In the fall of 1503, Nicolas de Ovando paid a formal visit to Xaragua, where he was well received by Anacaona. Ovando, a successor to Columbus, went to her village under the pretext of collecting the Spanish tribute. Despite Anacaona's instructions to the people to be fully cooperative and hospitable, and despite her own friendly welcome, the Spanish began a slaughter, burned the village and took Anacaona prisoner. She convened a meeting of some eighty-district chiefs in her bohio, whereupon Ovando ordered his soldiers to block the door and burn them alive. She was hung at Santo Domingo in deference to her rank. No reason was given for these actions, which destroyed the last independent chiefdoms in Hispaniola.

Hahaha...a design nightmare story. I designed one gorgeous purse that I had to cancel after production. All my friends and family thought "this is THE BAG". I did my photoshoot and started to market it. In the meantime I offered it to some key people (7 to be exact). They all came back to me! There was a major problem with this design. The handles being held between the fabric and the straw, were causing the straw to tear!!!  At the end of my day I am happy I can make these handbags and sell them so quickly to be able to send my employees' kids to school. The change I am making is now at a very small level, but seeing it happening is all worth it. And I am confident that I will be able to make it bigger.