[Reportage] In the shoes of two Latin shoemakers in Canada

By wetretrjyu
20/03/2022
592 Views

The path of Latin American shoemakers in Canada is strewn with pitfalls. However, for Ms. Arroyave and Mr. Aragón, obstacles are also personal and professional challenges. Challenges that allow them to continually move forward.

Here is their story.

Mother, entrepreneur and immigrant

For Ana María Arroyave, designing shoes and accessories is nothing new. At the age of 14, she started her first small bag manufacturing business in Colombia. With the sale of her drawings, she paid for her university studies in her native country.

According to her, starting so young transformed her passion for design into a way of being and living, not just a way to make money.

When she arrived in Canada, she was reluctant to stay. She couldn't imagine her life without being able to do what she loves the most.

However, it was when she bought shoes here and couldn't find any designs that suited her that she started making shoes for herself again.

Today, Ana María Arroyave has her own store in the town of Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, in addition to the one online.

She splits her time between her 6-year-old son, who is currently taking online classes, and running her small business.

Ana Maria Dessin subcontracts about ten employees in the cities of Hull and Blainville. They are all familiar with its products and its quality requirements.

[Reportage] In the shoes of two Latin shoemakers in Canada

Luxury, trophy shoes and celebrities

In 2015, somewhat by chance, the young designer Juan Sebastián Aragón began an adventure that led him to meet celebrities and offer unique luxury products.

The goal of this young man of Colombian origin living in Toronto is to create trophy shoes that represent the struggle, the persistence and the sacrifice of each customer .

To complete his studies in international business at the University of Ottawa, Juan Sebastian Aragon had to go on exchange to another country. He decided to go to Milan, Italy.

This is how I drew a little man, with his briefcase, his t-shirt, his pants and a pair of small shoes. Seeing these little shoes opened my mind , explains Juan Sebastián Aragón, who therefore decided to start his business starting with the feet .

And that's what he's been doing ever since.

Immigrant entrepreneurship

In Canada, immigrants generally have higher rates of business ownership and self-employment than the Canadian-born.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, 11.9% of immigrants aged 25 to 69 owned a private incorporated business or were primarily self-employed, compared to 10.1% of second-generation individuals (born in Canada with a immigrant parent) and 8.4% of third and subsequent generations (a category made up of all Canadian-born people with two Canadian-born parents).

The public agency also explains that previous studies have shown that the higher rate of self-employment among immigrants is due, at least in part, to the difficulty of finding suitable paid employment.

Immigrant businesses tend to be smaller than those of Canadians.

For their part, Ana María Arroyave and Juan Sebastián Aragón want to develop their businesses in the country. Eventually, Ms. Arroyave would like to set up a workshop in Colombia, where leatherworkers have been hit hard by the pandemic.

Another satisfaction of the entrepreneur is that most of her shoes are environmentally friendly, as she recovers materials discarded by industries and transforms them into products that can be used on a daily basis.

For its part, Jaragon World continues its expansion in Italy. In fact, Juan Sebastián Aragón is convinced that his company will one day have its own shop on via Monte Napoleone.

For now, the company continues to create unique pieces to support causes dear to the young designer and manufacturer.

Note: this report is also available in Spanish