Can you tell us about the art of hat making in Ecuador?

When I was younger, I discovered the vast potential of talented Ecuadorian artisans who produce straw hats with unique designs, colours and sizes. In response, I set up a family business dedicated to the production, marketing and export of premium toquillas and wool hats. We are 100 per cent Ecuadorian, and we offer 100 per cent handmade hats.

We are achieving premium quality by working with 400 women artisans from the Ecuadorian provinces of Azuay, Cañar and Manabí. These women have passed the skills of hat making from generation to generation, constantly innovating and improving weaving techniques.

Take hat headbands, for example. We work with Zuleta women who do the embroidery. Amazonian women weave the headbands from natural fibres and paint them with vegetable dyes. And women from Tumbaco, a small community in Eastern Quito, use the textile waste, known as "trapillo", giving fibres a second life.

What are some of the challenges you faced?

The main challenge in our e-commerce journey was how to package, transport and deliver toquilla straw hats and how to position the hats on the world stage as an artisanal and cultural product.