Meet Alexandra Pacini | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Pacini and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Our business started organically. Gabriela lived in Milan and worked in fashion, and I lived in Miami and worked in finance. During the summer, we would go to Colombia to visit our parents and would buy local artisanal products on the street or markets and would proudly style them the rest of the summer. While on vacation in Forte dei Marmi, Italy, local stores started to ask Gabriela about the Colombian artisanal bags she was wearing because they wanted to sell them to their customers. We started purchasing the already-made bags in Colombia and selling them to beach stores in Italy.

After two summers, we started to understand how the products were made and developed relationships with the artisans to collaborate with them in the design process of the bags. We started to come up with more modern shapes as well as incorporated new colors and finally decided to create APAYA in 2019. We now employ more than 20 artisan women in Colombia to produce handmade sustainable accessories from natural fibers and fabrics found in the Andean Region of Latin America.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
APAYA produces accessories that put a modern twist on traditional native products. Since all of our items are handmade, we have been able to grant several artisan women in Colombia with financial independence through jobs they are proud of and from the comfort of their own home. As a result, these head-of-household women are able to successfully provide for their family and give their kids the chance to a better future, while still being present.

We launched our business in 2019, a year before the pandemic, are still here today because we were patient and flexible with our business model. During COVID, 70% of our orders got cancelled after production had been completed. This was one of the most challenging moments we have encountered as we were worried about leaving our artisans without work and that our clients would not be back if we forced them to pay for inventory they had ordered and would no longer be able to sell. Therefore, we switched gears to make homeware instead of accessories, in order to cater to the home improvement trend of that time. We kept the merchandise our clients had initially placed for about nine months and sent our clients placemats and other home accessories on consignment while we waited for the world to return back to normal.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
On Friday, head to Coconut Grove for aperitivos at Bellini’s outdoor terrace to take in the beautiful view during sunset. For dinner, walk over to the Michelin-starred Ariete or the new Omakai sushi restaurant. After dinner, grab drinks at the Bayshore Club for a nightcap.

On Saturday, spend the day at Soho House in Miami Beach for some quality beach time and late afternoon cocktails and bites. For dinner, head to Amalia, one of Miami Beach’s hidden gems serving Mediterranean cuisine.

On Sunday, spend the day at the Design District to visit the amazing boutiques and enjoy a late lunch at Michael’s.

If you have some more time to stick around, we recommend exploring Miami’s ever-growing restaurant scene. Our top recommendations include a mix of classics and new hot spots, such as: Joes Stone Crab- it’s an institution that has been open since 1913 with the best stone crabs in the country; Versailles – traditional Cuban food in Little Havana open since 1971 and still owned by the same Cuban Family, best mojitos in town; Café la Trova- Cuban restaurant with a live band; Chugs Diner – best place for brunch.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This question is very easy to answer. Our dad has supported this business from day one. He was the one who pushed us to grow from selling in a couple of stores in Italy to selling worldwide. We also would not have this business if it wasn’t for all the women who craft our beautiful bags by hand – it is thanks to their art that we are able to sell.

Website: https://apaya.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apayaofficial/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APAYAmadeincolombia/

Image Credits
APAYA