GETTING TO KNOW ISMAELLA

My name is Ismaella and I am 30 years old. I was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti in 1991. Before I started working for Haiti Design Co. my mom was working there as part of the sewing team. When she spoke to the administration about me, I was able to get hired in 2016. At first, I was a regular employee but then I grew and was integrated in the committee before being promoted manager of the jewelry team called FANM DJANM. This is my position today! I supervise the ladies, I create jewelry samples and keep production going

If I could say more about me, I would say that I am a foodie. I love a lot of dishes! But if I could list just a few things I would say rice and beans, Haitian legim , Eggs and plantain with a fresh salad. My favorite colors are: brown, coral, bordeaux and mahogany.

As a child I always had many ideas and dreams. I wanted to be a veterinary. I wanted to learn many languages. I also loved painting and drawing. After high school I entered law school where I spent 4 years but I do not practice right now. I still have many things I want to accomplish. I am learning English. I do not draw anymore but I use my creative side to make the jewelry which gives me a lot of joy.

My biggest motivation in life is definitely my mom. She gives me strength and motivation for everything that I do. She pushes me to keep going. I always think of our future and this gives me courage to work well. My mom is artistic like me and very good with her hands so we work together. The banderole in the picture above is one we made together for the church. The best lessons I have learned from her are wisdom and humility.

When I am not working, I love being on social media. I love talking to my friends on the phone. We do not physically see each other often but we stay in touch. I consider myself as a peaceful person. I love observing before talking or reacting. I love listening to music: Konpa, Gospel, French songs, English songs…you name it. One of my favorite songs is : “When we were young” By Adele..

The "Kenbe - Lage" Tradition and why it's imporant

We love new year resolutions! They are are such a great way to embrace fresh starts but if we are being honest, many of our resolutions are not really sustainable. We tend to keep adding new resolutions to the ones we haven’t even practiced from the previous year.

There is power in simplicity and making sure the goals we set for ourselves are realistic, specific and attainable. Most importantly, it is important to be able to go back to hold goals and habits and do a clean up instead of constantly adding.

Years ago at Haiti Design Co, we started the new year tradition called “Kenbe, Lage” (Hold on, Let Go) where the team gets vocal about what they want to leave in the previous year and what they want to take with them in the new year.

This year was no different. We made sure our staff took the time to vocalize what they wanted to leave behind and what they are looking forward to for 2022.

No need to say it has been quite a challenging year for us and now more than ever, we need to keep our hope and faith up. We want to encourage you to do the same. No matter where you live or your circumstances, remember that as long as there is life, there is hope and things to look forward to and let go off.

Here are some of our artisan’s resolutions for 2022

Mwen vle kite selibatè pou 2021. Mwen vle kite tout move panse negatif yo ki te konn fè mwen pè pou mwen avanse. Nan ane 2022 a, menaj men avèm ap pran dispozisyon pou nou prepare maryaj nou

I want to leave all of the negative thoughts that used to keep me stuck. I also want to leave the single life behind. In 2022, my boyfriend and I are taking action to plan our wedding

- Maxanne -

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Pou 2021, map kite epav, paresès. Sa yo Konn fè mwen pa verman ekonomize kòb mwen. An 2022 map kenbe disiplin pou mwen kapab travay pi byen epi pou mwen kapab fè ekonomi

In 2021, I leave laziness and procrastination. Because of these I often don’t make proper money savings. In 2022 I am keeping a spirit of discipline in order to work better and also save my money.

- Kavakia -

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We are wishing you the best for 2022!

may this be your best year yet…

Getting to know Paul Beaubrun

We had the honor of chatting with the talented musician, Paul Beaubrun, back in April. Originally this interview was going to be focusing on Paul’s Haitian American experience, but organically it turned into a conversation about much more. Paul is the real deal. Genuine and humble as they come- full of wisdom and grace, gratitude for his roots and connection seeking with humankind. He is not only a mega talent in his own right, son of the iconic Boukman Eksperyans, but also a beautiful soul.

Enjoy!

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My name is Paul Beaubrun. I’m born and raised in Haiti. I was raised in a musical family, Boukman Eksperans. My dad, my mom, my uncle, my aunt, my cousins- they all created a band and I was lucky, my brothers and my sisters- we were raised in that family. And now I live in NY. My first memories of American culture was how direct things were, there was such an energy. When we first got to America we were in New York, and you can imagine, there is such an energy, an electricity, things are moving, moving. I liked it- I liked the fact that things were moving, I have that also in my personality. I loved that things were happening there. I was very engaged in that, that’s my style. I remember when I was young, I used to go to the city- to Manhattan. There was always something there that I loved. It’s not that I don’t like Brooklyn, Queens, I love those areas, but there was something on this island when I’m in Manhattan or Harlem. There is a history there that I really loved, I loved the energy there. That’s one of my first memories when I got to America. 

As I grew up, the parts of Haitian culture I felt so proud of were all the types of expressions in our culture. In our music, food, style, dance, paintings. In our culture I love the expression. I think the expression of Haitian culture is so unique- and at the same time you can see how Haiti has touched so many places in America. When it comes to art, to dance, especially music. When you go to New Orleans you feel it, you feel the creole, you feel us there, and I’m proud of that. 

If I could reiterate anything to my younger self it would be don't take anything seriously. There's a lot of wisdom in that. It doesn't mean do not commit and doesn't mean when you do something, you don't do it seriously. I would tell my younger self, listen, don't identify yourself with the result, no matter what that is. Don't identify with it. Just accept whatever happens, happens, but keep going, you know, keep going. Don't take it too seriously. Keep moving, keep going.

People were very mean to me in the beginning, because they expected me to be great. You know- “You're not this, you're not that, it should be this. You should do that.” In the beginning it was a struggle for me because I was like, “Oh my goodness. I'm just learning”. Even though my parents play music that doesn't mean I'm going to be great at it, you know, right away. Give me a minute. They expected me to be amazing, and everything has to be impeccable, and it's not like that. And that was hard for me. 

The biggest lies that I see need to be decolonized about Haitian culture is around Haitian Vodou. The fact that most people here think it's evil, you know? They just don't have enough information here. I think the best way to learn the truth is to go to a lakou.

When people want to know how to meditate, they go to India or make a trip. They travel there and they come back. They get something from it and they're not scared, they go with an open heart. I think it's the same. If you are interested, you need to go and introduce yourself. Talk to the people responsible, ask them questions, they will tell you. And if you're genuinely interested, you will get your information. You will get what you need to introduce it to your kids, your children and make it a normal thing.

Not like- “oh my God, what is this?” No, it shouldn't be like that. It's a cultural thing. It's one of the most innocent ways of living. It's a way of being. There's a lot of wisdom in it. For example, when you go into a lakou, in Haiti, where I live, you're not allowed to cut trees. You're not allowed to kill animals and you're not allowed to put trash on the floor. You have to protect the rivers. When you walk inside the lakou, we say hi to everyone. It's all about respect to your environment, respect to nature, respect to people. It's simple, but there's a lot of wisdom in it. There's a lot of things in Haiti you don't see enough, but we still have it. When you go to the rural area in Haiti you still feel it. That's what we have, that's important. 

When you have the chance to see many different cultures, it’s a chance to see where humans are connected. When I'm looking at the Haitian culture, American culture, in Brazil, anywhere, I'm looking for the connection. You see it is a human expression of many different places, like a big flower, you know, this is human expression- And it's one to me. I would say my ability to see that and always try to bring that through art, to music, to many different styles of music and bring it together- that would be my superpower. You know, I always try to see that. 

The biggest thing from all the cultures in my experience that I want to hand down to my kids is respect. You have to bring respect at the forefront, and compassion. For example, if I go somewhere and I see a lot of people playing music, and I don't know them, let's say I don't know the culture at all, for me, I would say, don't jump in it right away, you know, because you have to let it be respected. Give it a moment. Appreciate what you are looking at first. And then little by little, you will feel yourself into it. And the power will invite you to come in. You’re probably gonna have a conversation with someone. You never know what is going to happen, but always let some things breathe and have respect for everything anywhere that you go. 

The evolution of my music- it's always been in my head, but now I feel like I'm mature enough to find it. I'm finally at the point where I can play exactly what I had in my head. And I'm happy about that. That's the evolution for me in terms of the artist that I am today, that I'm able to play what's in my head and I'm able to express myself fully and a hundred percent. I know who I am in terms of a man and in terms of a musician, in terms of a human being, and you will feel that in the music.

I'm working on many different projects right now.  I'm working with Michael Brun, he is producing my whole album, my solo album. If anyone doesn't know Michael Brun please go check him out. He is one of the greatest producers and is like my brother too, we are like family. He has a good sense in music, which I love, and we have a great connection. He’s producing the whole album for me, it's almost done. And then I was just in Haiti earlier this year and I did a live virtual show for WXPN in Philadelphia with NPR, which they put out in May. We were also able to record an EP from that show with a good friend of mine, an amazing drummer and musician, JohnBern Thomas and many other musicians. We are putting an EP out together from that show. And then I'm working on a project with someone who's doing poetry, her name is Tico Armand. She looks like a goddess, I'm not joking. We're doing a poetry project together and we did some pictures together. I've never worked on anything like that,  it is going to be interesting to finish this project. And then I'm working on a couple singles with GA3TAN and Kabysh. GA3TAN is going to blow up real soon because he's one of the most talented DJs and producers. .So a lot of things happening and things are moving together. 

QUICK DIVE:

Do you identify as Haitian American?

No, I don't. I identify as a human being, and then from a human being, we can go deeper than that if you want, it depends on the conversation we're having. But first I identify as a human being or a child of the universe. I don't even identify as Haitian, I know I'm Haitian, I know where I come from. I love everything about where I come from. But from reading, from thinking, I see that we are more than our identity and we are more than that. So I tried to connect with people like that through more of their identity. 

Who have been your top three inspirations as an artist?

My parents; they were the first people that I saw. And because I can feel them in everything that I'm doing. And the second would be nature. I love nature. I love walking to the mountains, the birds, trees. When you go inside a mountain, you see a waterfall, you see a river. I love things like that, they inspire me a lot. And the third would be listening to a lot of different kinds of music. The serendipity sometimes of listening to someone that you didn't know at all and then they just blow you away. To me, that always sparks a lot in me. That's a big inspiration for me. 

What is your inspiration for your style of fashion?

I have always loved style. I can say my style is more vintage because that's all I do. I walk into a lot of vintage stores. I love looking for things that have substance in them. 

Where do you tend to find yourself most in your creative flow? 

It can be anywhere for me, but there's a couple that I've been seeing lately. When I'm in the shower something will come clear to me or when I'm on the airplane. I've written songs on the airplane. I'm so focused when I’m in the air, it just happens to you. 

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

It's been a blessing to meet many different people from many different places. To perform with many different musicians. Meeting Arcade Fire and performing with them,  Jackson Browne, touring with Ms.Lauryn Hill, Michael Brun. A lot of Haitian musicians that I've admired for a long time, now I’ve had a chance to work with them. There's so many little pieces that come together to create that to me. It's more about the whole journey, but the highlight would be the excitement of being out there. And now we are connected, and I'm discovering your work and I love it. To me, that's a highlight. 

If you could share a message with Haitian American elementary students, what is the most important thing you'd want them to know? 

This moment that we're living now is such a great moment, it's an opportunity. It's an opportunity for Haitian Americans, an opportunity for black people that didn't have an opportunity back in the day. Just be yourself and take the chance now to just be yourself and create.

What was on your mind when you were writing “Oh, Mama”?

You know when you’re at the edge of knowing yourself fully and you get a little bit frustrated because you know intellectually, mentally you’re there? Sometimes the intellectual, the mental makes you suffer. You’re thinking too much, you’re not living it. So I think at that time that’s where I was. I knew I had a lot inside to say but I couldn’t say it yet, and I think that’s what in that song it felt like.

To stay up to date with all of Paul’s projects and tour dates, make sure to follow him on IG @Paulbeaubrun and check out his website- PaulBeaubrun.com

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We had the pleasure of shooting with Paul in preparation for our Brooklyn Circus x Haiti Design Co product launch. Click on the link below to check out the whole limited edition collection of hand-stitched leather essentials.

All photos were shot by Kelsey Cherry Photography

Father's Day Feature: Meet Frentz Neptune

Meet Frentz Neptune:

Photographer, Coffee Connoisseur, Entrepreneur, and most importantly- Dad.

My name is Frentz Neptune.  I was born and raised in Haiti.  When I was a little boy my mother moved my siblings and I to the city of Port-au-Prince in search of a better life.  We landed in Cite Soleil for years until my mother saved enough money from selling used clothing to buy a little piece of property in Delmas.  Today I share my time between Haiti and Orlando, Florida.   

Becoming a father is what caused me to purchase my first camera.  I wanted to capture my son’s life in a way that mine was never captured.  I wanted his important moments to be tangible and remembered as he grew up.  Having a family has motivated me to be a provider.  My children are the fuel behind my passion for business and serving others.  I want to be an example for them and show them love in action. 

I went into fatherhood with very little expectations.  I did not have a stable father figure in my life, but I was determined to work on myself and be a rock and provider for my children.  I want them to truly experience what it is like to live in community and help your neighbor.  Hospitality is a beautiful part of my culture.  I also want my children to respect their elders like we are taught to do from a young age.  I want them to know my story and know the strength and beauty my people share.  I speak to my children in Haitian Creole.  I love our language and I want my children to be able to communicate with their family in Haiti.  I also cook a lot of Haitian food, and we have awesome compas dance parties together!  

I opened a direct trade coffee company last year called Avanti Coffee Company.  I have been working with farmers in the southern peninsula growing organic, high elevation coffee.  My extended family members are coffee farmers and by the end of this year we will have planted over 90,000 coffee trees among our farms.  It is a business as mission.  Haiti has a lot of poverty, but I believe economic development can help people out of their problems so we can see a new, prosperous Haiti in the future. I also direct a nonprofit organization called Haiti Foundation Against Poverty.  We focus on education and family empowerment through child sponsorships, job creation through Gift of Hope Haiti, and agriculture development.  I am also a photography/videographer.  I am passionate about telling stories through my lens and showcasing culture and beauty in my country.  

Man, those kids watch everything.  Kids are so curious.  Ha.  My kids are hands on with our work, but most of all I hope they are paying attention to the impact they can make on other people’s lives.  It doesn’t matter where they live or the profession they choose, we all have the power to make a positive impact on people around us.  

Keep up with all of Frentz’s work by following along-

• @frentzneptune

• @avanticoffeeco

• @giftofhopehaiti

• @haitifoundationagainstpoverty 

Click on the images below to learn more and support' Frentz’s work-

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Shop Frentz and his adorable sons’ look here-

KINDESS

Day 6: K I N D N E S S

Today’s feature is written by Courtney Sanon, our social programs coordinator and advanced english teacher at HDC. Courtney and her husband Jimmy are also the executive directors of Ansanm Haiti.

“Something that has always struck me about Haitians is their kindness and hospitality. When I first moved to Haiti, I was 19 and very much alone. It was a little scary being in a place where I felt so different and didn’t speak the same language. Haitian culture seemed so foreign to me back then. Little did I know that I would end up marrying a Haitian man, and would gain a family so literally here.

I have been living in Haiti for 5 years now, and as I reflect on all of the kindness I have experienced here, I’m not sure if I could pick just one moment, or speak of just one experience that I feel like encompasses how kind Haitians are. But there are a few that stand out to me, and the greatest times the kindness of Haitians seemed to show, was in the times of greatest stress for me.

I remember a few years ago, I was headed down south to bring some needed resources to families from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. It was such a long drive, and on our way there, there was so much flooding and debris that we ended up getting stuck in a small town in the dark. We had no where to go, and no where to stay- as the hotel nearby had lavishly raised their prices for their rooms at seeing so many stranded vehicles in need of a room. Luckily one of us had extended family a few miles away, and they invited us to stay with them. It was a tiny home with two large beds. We got there in the dark, fully expecting to have a sleepless night, but would just be thankful to stay dry- but instead, this family gave us their beds, and spread out blankets on the cement floor for them to sleep.
Over the course of my years here this has been the same experience. When you stay at someone’s house, they give up their bed and sleep on the cement floor, and you are kindly told to take their bed. It’s strange that in our American culture our guests are usually told to take the couch or blow-up mattress, and we keep to our comfy beds. But that’s the thing with Haitians. They always give their “first fruits”. They give what is best- the most ripe piece of fruit, their favorite item of clothing, their only day off to help you. I have known moms who gave up their dinner portion in order to feed a guest, have had friends walk miles with me just to make sure I get home safe. I have gotten lost in the slums without any money and have had strangers pay my way back home. I’ve had people I have barely met get soaked trying to help me cross a literal raging river.
There can be a lot of fear coming to a third-world country. But as you live here, you come to realize that there is much more kindness than there is not. I was translating for an American man a few years ago, and we were on our way to deliver some new mattresses. The mattresses barely fit on the top of the vehicle and were tied badly. He was nervous and kept going on about how if the mattresses fell off the vehicle, it would turn into a madhouse of people trying to steal one. Obviously, this man had been to Haiti many times, but never came to understand the kindness that exists here. I tried to reassure him and be patient with him, and told him if the mattresses fell off, what would actually happen is that people would run up to us and try to help us. A few minutes later, a mattress fell off, and he jumped out of his vehicle, as if he was ready to fight a mob off. Instead, several Haitian men ran up to him with some rope and helped him tie the mattress back on. I feel like that might sound silly, but in the moment, I realized that so much of the world doesn’t understand the Haitian people, and how inherently kind they are.

Since moving here I have learned so much about selflessness- and how much I still have to learn about selfless love myself. I fell in love with a Haitian man because of his kindness to others. Our wedding was then made possible because of the kindness of a Haitian friend. Every part of my story in Haiti, the big and the small, is interwoven with the kindness of people that I have met along the way here. I can only hope that many years from now, others will be able to look at me and see that Haiti has impacted me in such a way that I have the same kind of kindness imprinted in my own soul.”