Denisse M Vera
“At times I felt like I didn’t belong in a particular space because of my heritage or the way I looked, but as soon as I fully embraceD that which made me different, I began to soar in all spaces”
Denisse Vera
Country of Origin: AUS, Chilean background.
Occupation: Founder/Designer at Denisse M Vera
State of Residency: NSW
Favourite place in Australia: Pebbly beach,Sydney.
Edited by Cristina Abela. Socials by Juan Camilo.
Proud of her Chilean roots Denisse founded her eponymous label Denisse M Vera in 2013. She designs and releases new styles intuitively and loves to connect with and create custom pieces for clients worldwide. Through her unique creations, she has been able to raise the profile of wearable Macramé, appearing on the big screen of the Hollywood blockbuster Thor: Love and thunder and worn by influencers and fashionistas worldwide. She was the first to create wearable macramé dresses combining cord and metal tubes so she has become known as the pioneer of this style which is a badge she wears with great honour and pride.
TELL US YOUR STORY
My parents and sister arrived in 1985 and I was born in 1989. They arrived as political refugees and Coogee was where they were offered accommodation on arrival. They fled from Chile during the dictatorship similarly to many Chileans at the time. My dad was a political prisoner for 13 months prior to fleeing so for my dad, Coogee was heaven. I recall my parents sharing that they felt like they’d stepped into a picturesque postcard. Although my mum was devastated for having left her family and beloved motherland, she soon found her healing through teaching Spanish, the language she adored. Later my dad began a business buying, repairing and re-selling furniture so I was inspired by his example and decided young, that I wanted to be a business owner.
I was a very active child and thought I’d own a pilates studio or start a business in Chile but then in my early teens I felt drawn to fashion. I began to draw figures and simple designs and as soon as I felt the urge to bring them to life, my dad taught me to sew and I haven’t stopped since. I loved the process of drawing a sketch of an idea that was born in my mind and bringing it to life, something that would make someone feel beautiful and empowered. At the age of 13 I decided my business would be a fashion label.
I researched different design schools and courses and when I was in yr 10 I studied a short course at Whitehouse Institute of Design. Soon after I set my mind on the Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles at the University of Technology which I graduated from with 2nd Class Honours and a business sub-major in 2012. I found my first industry job during my 2nd year of university as a Fit model. I saw an advertisement on the faculty pinboard and was offered my first job at Wish. I was a standard size 10 fit model and later worked with labels such as Camilla and Mark, Fleur wood, Colette Dinnigan and Willow.
One of my modelling jobs offered me work as a Design Assistant so by my final year of university I already had my foot in the door of the industry. After finishing my degree I spent one year working at a Bridal label in the heart of Sydney and at the same time I was developing my first collection which I launched in 2014. Leaving my full-time job to pursue my dream of having a business full-time was one of my happiest and proudest moments.
Another of my proudest moments was 4 years later when I moved my workplace out of my childhood home and set up in a renovated shed on my sister’s property. I worked from that studio for 4 years until it flooded in 2022. I am now building a studio on my own property. I’d say the build of my HQ is my biggest project at the moment along with many exciting custom creations and colourful outfits which we brought to life for international clients attending Coachella 2023.
CHALLENGES
Valuing my art - The artisan-made macramé jewellery which originally caught my eye in South America was underpriced considering the hours that went into making each piece. Sadly most handmade creations are underpriced and undervalued so from very early on, my goal became to do all that I could to raise the profile of wearable textiles, not only for myself but for all textile artists. As I began building my business and working on developing a recognisable high-end label, I was also underpricing my work because wearable macramé was quite a new concept. Over the past few years I have started to price our creations in-line with the labour and additional costs involved. In saying that, as the price of labour and producing raw materials continually soars, pricing and valuing our art will always be a challenge that we face and continue to improve on year by year.
Staying true to myself - There was a point in time when I realised I had steered away from my design aesthetic and I had begun forcing more commercial designs that didn’t feel very me. I was grateful to my internal compass along with my Instagram feed as it had become my visual journal which I could look to, to ensure I was being authentic and creating from the heart. At this time I looked to my Instagram and steered the business aesthetic and ethos back on track. Reconnecting with Madre Tierra and my Motherland Chile has also been helpful with this challenge. To recentre by remembering my why and letting go of self-inflicted expectations has been so relieving.
Business management - Working with overseas suppliers has been a challenge but also one of the greatest lessons in negotiating and problem-solving. A few years back we received a 10,000m batch of damaged cord. We were able to negotiate with the supplier and they re-made the cord. We were also able to come to a good agreement and we donated the damaged cord so it didn’t go to waste. We still have a great relationship with the supplier to this day.
CONTRASTS AND SIMMILARITIES
Nature - Breathtaking natural beauty is abundant in both my birth country and in my Motherland. Camping in nature is imbedded into the Australian culture, it is a cultural tradition that we embraced as a family. One of my fondest memories are from Camping trips to Pebbly Beach campgrounds which is 3 hours south of Sydney. I went camping there with my family as a child and we went back a few years ago with my nieces. To see them enjoying the same things we did as children was very special. The magic of Pebbly beach is that there are beautiful green lush rolling hills between the campgrounds and the beach, where kangaroos roam, completely unbothered by campers. For me, there was always a sense of family and connection there… a beautiful reminder that we humans, earth, flora and fauna are all one.
When I visited Chile as a teenager I was blown away by the Andes mountain ranges. They are so magnanimous and majestic and they really drew me in. I found it so beautiful that wherever you were in Chile, you could see the mountains in the distance. This felt incredibly soothing as I’ve always felt a deep connection to mountains and also to rivers and lakes which Chile is abundant in. Still to this day I feel drawn to Chile because of its gorgeous landscapes and some of my most popular designs have come to me when I have been amongst them.
Food - I am a big lover of food and love that the popular cuisines here in Australia are very multiculturally diverse The best known and most loved restaurants are often foreign cuisines such as Italian, Thai, Indian and Mexican etc. The plethora of food varieties is also very vast in Chile with the popularisation of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines etc. In saying that, I've found that the most loved restaurants in Chile sell traditional Chilean dishes such as Pastel de choclo, Casuela and Empanadas with Pebre etc. they are definitely the restaurants I love most!!
Nightlife - A big difference between Chile and Australia that I’ve always found interesting is the nightlife culture. In Australia it is common to begin the night with dinner at 6pm and then go out to a bar or club a few hours later however in Chile the festivities begin much later and often continue into the following morning. I love to experience both extremes and look forward to being out and dancing with my Partner as the sun rises on our upcoming trip to Chile.
Denisse with some of her creations
PIECE OF ADVICE
Business development – One of my favourite quotes by Howard Thurman is “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive”. If you embark on a project or launch a business in something you feel passionately about, it is more likely to succeed. Write down all your business ideas which come to mind and if you feel very drawn to one of the ideas lean into it and experiment with it. Some experiments spark further interest and are successful and some don’t inspire further curiosity. When an idea feels right, jump in and flow with the excitement and joy of the idea as it will most probably lead you to success.
Networking - I’ve found that having confidence in networking is such a valuable tool in building a business or community. Going to events or joining groups where you will be surrounded by people with aspirations, drive and extensive knowledge in the area you wish to enter is a great start. You can also send emails, reach out on social media and enrol to short courses, workshops, lectures etc. These steps will move you “paso a paso” closer to being alongside your dream people.
Embrace that which makes you different - At times I felt like I didn’t belong in a particular space because of my heritage or the way I looked, but as soon as I fully embraced that which made me different, I began to soar in all spaces. When I was being the truest version of myself, people/companies felt drawn to me and felt excited about working together. Embrace that which makes you different, it’s usually the light which makes you shine bright.
IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS
By the end of 2023 she will have Denisse M Vera headquarters built, set-up and running, working together with her team of artisans. She would like to allocate time every year to work on cultural projects such as launching a capsule collection which features designs that tell stories about her ancestry through the lines, colours and textures.She would also like to delve deeper into topics she feels passionately about, for example sustainable practice and upcycling.
In May she will be travelling to Chile to deliver her first Macramé garment-making Masterclass to a group of Chilean textile artists. This will be the first of its kind and she cannot wait to take the art that she originally learnt from a Chilean artisan and adapted into garmentmaking, back to Chile.She invites you to follow her journey as she enters into a new chapter of Denisse M Vera.
Hope you enjoyed reading this inspiring story.
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With love and gratitude - Latin Stories Australia team