Two years after launching her textile brand, Valérie Louis’s mission to explore the beauty of African-Caribbean culture is more relevant than ever.

While working for Haiti’s tourism bureau in 2015, Valérie Louis noticed that none of the decor in the country’s hotels captured the essence of the tropical land. “The vibrant colors and culture that you see in the Caribbean, our birds and flowers—none of my daily environment was represented in the [furnishings],” says Louis. She began to do some research and wasn’t able to find any fabrics or wallpaper that were directly inspired by Afro-Caribbean culture. “Someone told me, ‘If you can’t find it, then it’s because it’s your idea,’” she says. So in 2018, Louis launched her own textile company, Yaël & Valérie, named for her daughter and her.

Yaël & Valérie now has eight collections, all of which are inspired by and made in Haiti. “It’s a very unique product, and people have really responded to its authenticity and exoticism,” says Louis. “There’s a story behind every collection, every motif, every face, every bird. A color might be inspired by the way a certain flower looked at sunset or during a rainstorm. It’s all connected to my experiences and my dreams.”