Embassy Launches its Newest Initiative: The Pop-Up Shop Series

Bien Abyé Dayanne Danier

Dayanne Danier is the fashion designer behind the women’s contemporary ready to wear brand called Bien Abyé (means well dressed). The brand personifies a simple philosophy: to make women look fabulous at all times effortlessly in S7VEN. Dayanne has developed distinctive capsules that allow women to shop for their wardrobe in a way that makes their life easier. Bien Abyé has been presented in numerous cities throughout the United States and has exhibited in Boston, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Miami, and Haiti.

Danier has extended the Bien Abyé brand to include a collection of silk accessories. The vignette of prints reflective of some of her client’s favorite silk styles from Bien Abyé apparel line transformed into the perfect accessory. The styles are currently made in USA and Danier has plans to have the group produced in Haiti by women artisans as a part of her ethical fashion/empowering women initiative. Currently, Bien Abyé is available in stores in New York, Boston, New Jersey, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and online at www.dayannedanier.com

Prior to starting her own brand, Dayanne Danier grew up in Massachusetts and attended Massachusetts College of Art where she obtained a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Fashion Design. Her background in the fashion industry extends over a decade working as a designer for such companies like Blauer Manufacturing, Perry Ellis International, and Phillips-Van Heusen.Dayanne designs have been manufactured in countries all around the world which include China, India, Bangladesh, Africa, Vietnam, and Korea.

While achieving career success with her expertise in the arts and fashion, Dayanne spends much of her time giving back to the community both in the United States and in Haiti. Danier worked on collaboration with Haitian artist, Patricia Brintle, on the “Rassamble” scarf that is incorporated in the Bien Abyé collection where the proceeds are donated to support activities in Haiti. She is the founder of the non-profit organization Fleur De Vie (means Flower of Life) whose mission is to support struggling organizations which focus on implementing positive change in their community in the areas of education, health, and environmental sustainability. The organization started initially with one school consisting of 120 students. It has grown to touch the lives of over 800 students in multiple schools in numerous areas of Haiti.

Over the years, Dayanne has also traveled to Haiti to teach artisan members of sewing coops pattern drafting, construction, and quality control. She is a member of the Haitian Roundtable and has served as a panelist for the New York organization called Power Play which focuses on empowering young women. Danier is a recipient of the Mayor of New York Immigrant Women Leaders Fellowship 2015.

Artisan du Monde NATHALIE TANCREDE

Nathalie Tancrede spent many years in the banking/investment field before moving on to Human Resources and Operations. Her vast background came in handy as she worked to strengthen the artisan groups through capacity building, training and marketing support to meet the demands of the global market.

After the earthquake, Nathalie moved from NYC to Haiti to work with artisans. With the support of many dedicated partners such as the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), the Kellogg Foundation, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, the Hand Eye Fund, and many more, she set up a network of artisans covering the entire country. As the Executive Director of the Artisan Business Network (ABN), Nathalie oversaw a multi-year project that provided business and product development training as well as marketing support to over 2,000 local artists and artisans. The network created links between the artisan communities and the global market, empowering countless of small businesses and independent entrepreneurs in urban and local communities in Haiti.

After six years focused on helping to foster, educate and grow the artisan sector in Haiti, Nathalie is now back in NYC where she continues to share Haiti’s rich and vibrant culture and art through her new venture “Explore with Nat & Artisans du Monde”.
Her business curates trips that offer guests the opportunity to experience the local culture and delicious cuisine while soaking up the sun and building amazing memories.

Vetiver Les Cayes REGINALD BOISROND CANAL

Vetiver Les Cayes is a niche home and lifestyle brand creating unique products that highlight Haiti`s untapped natural resources. The debut collection, features modern candles with four signature scents developed with 100% all natural Haitian Vetiver essential oil harvested in Les Cayes, South-West region of the island. The candles are hand poured using natural soy wax. The signature Vetiver Capsule Collection scents include: Vetiver + Amber; Vetiver + Orange; Vetiver + Lime and Vetiver + Grapefruit.

Vetiver Les Cayes worked with a Haiti-based artisan atelier, specializing in the production of jewelry and home goods made of wood and horn, to design and manufacture our exclusive signature base for our 100% reused glass jar collection.

Vetiver is a fast-growing tall perennial grass from the Poeceae family of plants that can survive up to 50 years or more, with a large interlinked root system. Haitian Vetiver is highly regarded among international perfumers, and it is a critical ingredient in some of the finest and exclusive fragrances around the world. The vetiver sector in Haiti generates significant employment and is a major contributor to both the rural and national sector. Vetiver is described as smelling warm and dry, and conveying earthy, woody, leather, balsamic and smoky notes.

Haitian-American, Reginald Canal, has excelled in a number of varied international roles at HSBC over a 16 years career including: a two-year overseas assignment with HSBC’s Consulting Group in Hong Kong, managed HSBC’s New York City flagship Premier Affluent Center to record sales results and started the Affluent African American Segment targeting High Net Worth Individuals and Commercial Clients. Reginald was one of 75 HSBC individuals chosen globally to participate on HSBC’s Next Generation Development Program to build a global perspective and to develop cross-cultural skills in project management, teamwork and team leadership with sessions in London, Shanghai, and Brazil.

Reginald was the founder and creator of Sayan Living, an 1100 sq. ft. global home furnishings and accessories store in South Orange, New Jersey. He is the founder of Les Cayes Partners, a strategic consulting firm focused on building global connections for the Caribbean. Les Cayes Partners was formed to help the Caribbean governments, corporates, and civil society raise their profile with investors, corporations and power players from across the world.

Reginald is a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, a recipient of the National Eagle Leadership Institute Award, and was named one of the Network Journal Magazine’s 40 Under Forty Black Achievers. Reginald received the Vice Chancellor’s Achievement Award from The American Foundation for the University of the West Indies. He is also the recipient of the Community Service Award from the Greater New York Chapter of the Links Inc. Organization.

Reginald holds a Bachelors of Arts in French and a Master in Business Administration in International Business from Binghamton University. He is a founding board member of the Haitian Roundtable; member of the Board of Directors of Valley Arts; and the Multicultural Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Reginald is also the great great grandson of former Haitian President, Boisrond Canal, whose family originates from the Les Cayes region in Haiti.

Zesa Raw MICHELLE JEAN

Michelle Jean is the Co-Founder of Zesa Raw and Root Project. Zesa Raw is a start-up social venture company which imports, manufacturers, and distributes fair-trade plus, organic hand-milled unrefined sugar, high altitude coffee and cocoa from small-scale and farmers in Haiti and Costa Rica. Zesa Raw has secured accounts with Nordstrom, Fairway, Williams-Sonoma, Dover Street Market, and top tier restaurants across the country.

The Root Project initiative was launched together with the World’s Best Female Chef Dominique Crenn shortly after Hurricane Matthew to address the short-term and long-term needs in Haiti particularly in the agricultural sector. The overarching goal is to support farmers by planting over 1 million coffee and cacao trees in the South of Haiti that was affected. The company objectives in conjunction with the Root Project initiative is to develop social benefits, economic agricultural empowerment, improving work conditions, promoting work for women with equal pay, coupled with technical and health assistance in Haiti as a long-term commitment. The intention is to improve the livelihood and transform subsistence agriculture to sustainable and private enterprise to small-scale farmers.

Michelle has over 12 years operating experience in the hospitality industry, she worked directly with celebrity chefs such as Alex Guarnaschelli, Tylor Florence, David Waltuck’s former Executive Chef Keith Harry and cookbook author Rosa Losan Ross, later Executive Studio Director | Business Development at Urban Zen/SWS- Donna Karan. In 2012 she was hired as a strategic partner in Haiti for a $30M micro-park for the purposes of impact investment and economic development for the IDB that lead to the vision and creation of Zesa Raw.

Michelle is first generation Haitian-American and her co-founder Peter Hansson based in Sweden; both value the need to benefit small-scale farmers eventually reaching throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Since 2002, Michelle serves as treasurer and board of directors of the Wayuu Taya Foundation founded by UN Goodwill Ambassador, which helps to improve the lives of Latin-American indigenous people while maintaining and respecting their traditions, culture and beliefs. Later she was invited to join the Haitian-Roundtable.

Deux Noirs EDDY ALBERTINI

Eddy Albertini is the artist behind Deux Noirs. His long standing interest in photography, music, and art has brought out a strong passion to create Deux Noirs artwork reflecting everyday Haitian lifestyle. An Award Winning Retail Design Executive with a distinguished career of creating visionary retail design concepts that strengthen brand positioning for PVH a Fortune 500 company. He has designed high-end full line department stores in the United States and completed projects from London, Japan, China, Australia and Costa Rica. Eddy’s is a Retail Architect and his pioneering approach to design responds to brand context and enables integration of both the natural and strong brand environments. He has completed numerous design projects ranging from a single fixture design to entire new store concepts across multiple brands. Calvin Klein, Phillips-Van Heusen, IZOD, Arrow & Speedo are brands that his design leadership contributed to increased sales. In short, his over 25 years of experience in retail architecture design has proven to be an outstanding career. In addition, to his design career, Eddy is also heavily involved in a few non-for-profit organizations, in the US and in Haiti. He is also a board member of Fleur De Vie. Eddy’s long standing interest in photography, music and art continues to be a strong passion.