Yveline Elionard, a 27-year-old Haitian designer, traced her journey from Makhachkala to Moscow. She left Haiti in 2019 to escape insecurity, where she was a third-year business management student and a preparatory class teacher. In Russia, she enrolled at DGTU University in Makhachkala, Dagestan, but her studies did not continue as planned and she was forced to leave the university.
Faced with this situation, Yveline turned to various jobs to support herself. Three years ago, she decided to change direction and start creating clothes and suitcases. She began making her first products in a small workshop. The first creations were successful, which opened up new opportunities for her.
Her company, “Lion’Art Collection”, was born from this decision. For her, this company represents a way to reinvent herself and face new creative challenges. “My company allows me to feel alive. With each of my creations, it is a challenge that I set for myself,” she explains in an interview with Loop Haiti.
The Haitian community in Russia plays a role in the development of her business. “They support me as they can, by buying my creations and attending my fashion shows,” she says.
Dropping out of school was a turning point in her life, but she chose to focus on entrepreneurship. “I didn’t want to sit around doing nothing. Apart from the odd jobs I was doing, I chose to go all-in on my business so that I could have my own way of earning money,” she said. “I didn’t drop out of school for entrepreneurship. I would say entrepreneurship has always been a part of my life. Even with the teachers, I was selling the suitcases I made,” she continued.
Yveline’s personal need for body acceptance motivated her to get into fashion. “I had a hard time accepting my body, which pushed me to create clothes that I would feel comfortable in,” she explains. The feedback on her designs inspired her to open a store.
A highlight of her early days came when an exhibition allowed her to sell pieces that were specifically requested by clients. “What made me most happy was seeing that they wanted me to take their measurements to create similar pieces, even after the first one had sold,” she recalls.
Yveline faces several challenges, including the difficulties of “growing in Russia,” a sometimes complex environment for foreign designers. Invitations to shows in Moscow are an opportunity for her to show her work. “I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it. But it didn’t hold me back. I prepared a hundred times more, I gave it my all. I worked night and day to make clothes that would please the public,” she explains.
Since 2022, she has been regularly taking part in shows such as Afro fashionshow Moscow and Africulture in Moscow. She is also preparing for an upcoming event scheduled for the end of August, although the official date is not yet confirmed.
For Yveline, satisfaction lies in bringing joy through her creations. She also envisions future projects, such as opening boutiques in different countries and creating jobs in Haiti. “I will not be satisfied with just a website. I also dream of participating in bigger activities. But one of my biggest projects is to contribute to the economy of my country by providing employment to other young people,” she concludes.
His message to young Haitians who want to succeed in the creative field is to persevere: “Never stop believing and work as hard as you can, because your work will bear fruit, even if it may take time.”
