Passion For Fashion

Haitian designer Pascale Théard incorporates cultural elements into her work.

- Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

EVEN IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO HAITI, you’ve probably seen Haitian art and craft. That’s because the island’s signature paintings (depicting multitudes of colorful stick-like figures crammed onto canvases) and creative pierced-tin and metalwork crafts are sold throughout the Caribbean.

But if you visit the island, you’ll be exposed to a much wider array of Haitian art, including that of designer Pascale Théard, who we caught up with at her chic Port-au-Prince atelier. Here, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of butter-soft leather tote bags, hand-beaded belts, shoes, and other leather accessories, she told us about her unlikely journey from the world of finance to fashion.