In 2017, Vernesa St Marie launched her handbag business, ‘Papillion Handmade’, after a friend found out about her self-taught sewing skills and asked her to custom-make a bag.

Despite having to finance the burgeoning business herself, Vernesa is determined to turn her small enterprise into a profitable project that will eventually support her and her three-year-old son.

She wants to offer local people and tourists a product that is genuinely handmade in St Lucia and inspired by the natural beauty of the island.

Vernesa shared her entrepreneurial story with Yello.

Please tell us about your childhood.

I was raised in the rural community of Desruisseaux where I still reside. I am the eldest of five children.

I attended the Desruisseaux Combined School, Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, and the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School ‘A’ Level Department. I also studied at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus from 2007-2010.

I was always interested in crafting and baking and engaged in several projects and recipes. I would always hand my mother a list of items she had to buy me so I could complete my latest project!

I’m an avid reader and would read whatever material that was available. I usually got the inspiration for my projects from reading books and magazines.

I started sewing dolls clothes, went on to making clothes alterations, and engaging in numerous upcycle projects. I also learned to crochet.

Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?  

I always thought of owning my own business one day. However, I never thought of it being a handmade business.

From a young age, I planned to have my own clothing company. I even had a name, logo and colours selected for my dream business.

How did you discover your creative talent? 

When I was employed as a teacher, one year I decided to start a craft club for the school’s extra-curricular programme.

I began researching various craft projects for the students and, in so doing, learned to make corsages, which became popular sellers during Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day) and Independence celebrations. I also learned about jewellery making and started selling jewellery as well.

One day, on a whim, I decided to purchase a sewing machine and to teach myself to sew using it, since it had always been a childhood dream of mine to own a sewing machine.

Then a colleague, who heard that I could sew, asked me to make her a bag. She told me to just make her something that she would like.

She was very excited when she received her bag and promptly showed it off to other colleagues. That was the beginning of my bag making career!

When did you launch Papillon Handmade? What is the meaning behind the name?

Papillon Handmade was launched in January 2017.

Papillon is French for butterfly. My first name Vernesa, which is derived from Vanessa, is said to mean ‘butterfly’. Therefore, I’ve always thought the butterfly is representative of me and now my business – it undergoes metamorphosis, signifying growth and transformation.

What was the biggest challenge you faced setting up the business? How did you overcome it?

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is obtaining finance.

I have plans for new product offerings and expansion, but so far, I am limited in what I can offer because my business has been mostly self-financed.

Who are your clients? How do they find you?

Most of my clients have been friends and family and their associates. I get a lot of customers through referrals.

I also have social media pages through which people can place their orders on Facebook and Instagram.

What materials do you like to work with?

My aim is not only to produce unique handmade items for my customers but to provide them with durable items. I use quality designer fabrics, madras and Ankara fabrics, leatherette and cork.

Cork is an eco-friendly alternative to leather. It’s just as durable and is available in a range of colours.

Where do you get inspiration from for your designs?

My designs are a mix of current trends.

They are inspired by my experience of owning handbags; my love for practicality and style in my handbags; life situations where a specific type of bag is required, and customer requests.

How does being St Lucian influence what you do?

I create bags that are handmade in St Lucia. I hope to expand my reach to the tourist market so visitors can purchase items that are genuinely handmade in St Lucia.

One of my pet peeves is seeing mass-produced, generic, made in China items being offered to visitors of our island as souvenirs when there is so much talent here in St Lucia.

I’d also like, through my designs, to make madras more fashionable, so it’s not seen as something that is only worn for Creole Day.

Every year, I launch a madras inspired line specifically for Jounen Kwéyòl, the aim of which is to try to encourage some sense of national pride in St Lucians.

What is the most important business lesson you’ve learned so far?

Always secure a deposit, if not full payment, for custom work even from friends! I have found myself stuck with custom work which I completed per a customer’s request but which the customer has never collected or paid for.

Some of these customers have been people that I thought I knew well enough, but I suppose there are no friends in business.

What are your plans for Papillon Handmade over the next five years? 

I plan to increase my product offerings and to launch Papillon Handmade as a full-time operation. This year, I hope to launch a website where my items can be bought online.

What advice do you have for other Caribbean start-ups? 

Do not quit! Being an entrepreneur can be a challenging, and sometimes frustrating journey, but if you overcome your challenges, the rewards are well worth it.

What do you love about St Lucia?

St Lucia is beautiful! There is a lot of natural beauty to inspire us – lush flora, picturesque sunsets, and the iconic Pitons. I think we sometimes take the beauty of our island for granted.

What do you do on your days off? 

I hardly have days off!

I try to balance my full-time job, all the tasks involved in running Papillon Handmade, and carve out time for my three-year-old son. When I do get some free time, I enjoy reading novels and online shopping.

What is your philosophy/motto in life? 

My philosophy can be summed in the words of Nelson Mandela: “I never lose. I either win or learn.”

Visit Papillion Handmade to see more of Vernesa’s handbags on Facebook and Instagram.