MEET the DESIGNER - Yannina Esquivias of Aymara

posted on May 18 2013

Colourful quality knits like this can only come of one thing, this is a truly inspired collaboration between the husband and wife team behind Aymara. Half Belgian and half Peruvian it brings together the best of both cultures.

Name
Yannina Esquivias

Age

36

Marital status

Married

Name and number of children

Luna (6Y) and Imola (4Y)

Where are you based?

Belgium

Where are you from?

Peru

How did the idea for your business come about?

I grew up in Arequipa, Peru, a city with a real textile “culture”; my mother worked in one of the important textile exporting companies. When I met my husband, he saw the excellent craftmenship and qualities of the raw materials that exist in Peru. When we moved to Belgium, we decided to start up a company between Peru and Belgium. In winter 2007-8 we launched the first Aymara kids collection.

What’s innovative about what you do?

The combination of the styling here in Belgium with the extraordinary craftmenship and high quality materials from Peru.

Do you feel that you’ve got your work/life balance right?

Not really because in this sector there is a lot of pressure to design every season again a strong collection. This is a fast moving sector and we’re always short on time. However, we try to improve the balance.

Do you ever wish you didn’t have a company to run and that you worked for someone else so you could leave your work in the office?

No because it’s great to have the liberty to create each collection according my feelings.

How do you think of motherhood?

It’s amazing, it’s so pure and unconditional.

How have you changed since you became a parent?

I’ve become stronger as a person and also more imaginative which helps me a lot in my job.

What is unique about designing for children?

It’s a lot of fun to create playful collections that allow kids to be kids and not a mini-version of the adult collections as we see a lot nowadays.

What are your future plans for your business / designs?

I would like to keep on doing what I do now; we are also thinking to start up an Aymara men’s line which I would love to design. We also would like to launch a social project in Peru with Aymara.

What is your favourite smell?

Roses

What’s your most treasured possession?

My family.

When do you find inspiration?

My two daughters are my ideal inspiration.

How do you relax?

We try to be together with the kids as much as possible. Looking how they have fun, relaxes me a lot.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life immensely?

To have more time for the family and for myself would make a big difference.

Out of all the things your child has now what will you save for the day they become parents themselves?

Their sense of humour and honesty.