Down memory lane with Fabienne

“I will never forget also that HDC gave me the opportunity to find solutions and not sit on the problems. It was always encouraged to find a way to make it work. ”

— Fabienne Deplat

I have a lot of good memories about Haiti Design co! I am going to share my favorite ones. At HDC we always had something going on besides making beautiful products. 

My first memory was on the rooftop not only when we were receiving teams there  but we were having social training for the staff. So many great things happened on that rooftop: the birthday parties, the training, English classes etc . Those moments were so important because they are rare in workspaces in Haiti. 

Another good memory was in the manager meeting, I believe it was always on a Monday, until this day I remember those meetings and one of the frequently asked questions were : kisa w'ap kenbe kisa w'ap lage? what are you holding on to what are going to let go of. 

I can also talk about the challenge that the artisans used to overcome by creating beautiful things. I remember when they came to the workshop either to receive others or to get paid. I can remember fighting with the artisans to respect deadlines, patterns… I can laugh about that today but at the end of day we always found a way to solve issues. 

I will never forget also that HDC gave me the opportunity to find solutions ( pa chita sou  problèm) and not sit on the problems. It was always encouraged to find a way to make it work. 

Time spent at Haiti Design is unforgettable, so many great things happened. We had a lot of fun, we learned how to create, to grow, to adjust in Haiti but definitely creating a good impact in the Haitian community. 

Down memory lane with Katelyn Hollis

“The heart and soul of the artisans came out in every piece they crafted and watching Chandler and Josh not only perfect designs, but work side by side with each team kept me going daily.”

— Katelyn Hollis

Happy birthday HDC!

The memories of HDC are truly endless. I Can’t quite describe in one story how that corner workshop became my respite and home over years of life. The sewing, leather, and jewelry teams became my family and Renel hammering in the yard along with lucknort Marjo and Mona bustling around the house making sure the flagship was operating properly.

I started working with HDC and moved into the workshop and took on whatever role they could give me. Packing orders, emailing shop owners, and then putting together the bear bones of the workshop market along with the smoothie bar cafe, every part of HDC became my home and family.

I got to experience each team uniquely and came to love each artisan intricacy. Watching the jewelry pieces getting strung one by one and then watching the leather team work their magic to hand sew the silky leather products from step to step.

I remember the sewing ladies would sit at their pedal machines while chattering and laughing and sewing everything from zippers to dresses. I was the lucky receiver of the masterpieces as each team would give me their work to pack up to be shipped off to anxious and excited new owners.

The heart and soul of the artisans came out in every piece they crafted and watching Chandler and Josh not only perfect designs, but work side by side with each team kept me going daily. Sitting in the design room talking with Chandler and Fabienne about the collaborations of designs that would soon become entire collections was such a dream for me. The cooking with Mona to the leather buffing, HDC is forever a place that I will call home.

Down memory lane with Justin Curtice

My first memory of HDC Josh had asked me to come over there for some reason to look at something for him.  In normal Haiti fashion he got stuck in traffic and I was just waiting for him forever.  At the time I could barley speak any creole. Adelson came out and kept trying to say something to me…….but to no avail.I just couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. He then made sign language that resembled eating. I realized he wanted me to come eat with him. So I go inside his house and his wife Majorie had made this amazing tasting fish.We sat there and shared a meal together without even being able to communicate to each other much of anything. After that Josh showed up and we ended up looking at his electrical or whatever his problem was.  Ever since that day Adelson and I always had a cool connection.   

After that day, I pretty much got recruited to be HDCs maintenance guy. Anytime they had a problem I was called over to try and solve it or fix it.   Usually if I couldn’t fix it, I could find someone else that could.  Let it be Robert or Gaetan.  

Kobus, Josh, Gaetan and I build the gazebo/pergola thing on the roof of HDC.   I was over there so often all of the workers from the night guard to the leather guys to the jewelry ladies to the administration ladies upstairs all pretty much knew me by name.   I would hear my name called out on the  streets in Clercine and usually it would end up being some one from HDC saying hi to me.  

I have so many fond memories of HDC.  Many times I’d hang out with Josh late into the night as he was trying to iron out the kinks of some new leather product they were about to come out with “NEXT WEEK!”   One time he let me go pick out my own leather from the scrap bin and make my own passport cover. He basically gave me a little guidance and let me pick out all my own stamps or anything I wanted to add to it.  I love that passport cover.  I’ve also been rocking a wallet from them ever since I bought it probably back in like 2017.   

Being a part of HDC was an awesome testament to what community actually means.   That’s one thing I had in Haiti that has always been hard to find anywhere else after leaving!