Organic Cotton Buttoned Maxi Dress in Black from Peru 'Toqo in Black' Item ID: 2670681437

“My name is Daphne Scapa; I was born in 1983. I consider myself a very creative, sensitive and passionate woman.

“Without a doubt, one of the most difficult moments was the moment when I lost my father as a child due to lung cancer. There were 4 of us: my mother, my two brothers and me. I was the youngest of all, and we had almost no family. I am proud of myself and my family because, despite the circumstances and difficult economic situation, we managed to get ahead. After my father died, my brothers decided to reside abroad. I had almost no family in Peru, which made me be an independent person and a fighter, who has always stood for herself and achieved her goals through her own efforts.

“I have always lived with art at home; everyone in my family has skills in art. As a child, I always won or was a finalist in painting competitions; and when I studied law I took the opportunity to take some courses in visual arts at the Faculty of Art. I am a lawyer by profession, specializing in environmental law with a master's degree in Environment and Sustainable Development from the University of Denver thanks to a merit scholarship awarded by the same university. I worked for several years in institutions, remediating environmental liabilities and overseeing compliance with the environmental obligations of mining and fishing companies. That's where my commitment to the environment and sustainable business comes from. When I traveled to do my master's degree, I realized that not only did I want to work as an environmental lawyer, I also wanted to take up that creative side and create a sustainable company that would revalue our incredible raw material. This is how my entrepreneurship was born. For me, it is the perfect union between commitment to the environment, love for Peru and design.

“Starting to work on my own has been a change in my professional life. I used to work in administrative entities, looking at environmental law issues. When I decided to start a sustainable textile design company, it was a process full of learning textile design and about natural fibers, but in general I have felt quite comfortable and everything has happened naturally. I have tried to bring my experience in environmental law and art to make this dream come true, and I am very happy with the results.

“I seek through design to create timeless, sustainable fashion pieces of the highest quality offered by the best Peruvian natural fibers, which we seek to publicize and revalue. My plans, dreams and hopes are that I would like to be able to reach many more places with my designs and the different types of Peruvian natural fibers with which we weave. Currently we work with alpaca and organic cotton. I would like to try designing with more colors of native cotton and experimenting with other local natural fibers such as kapot, making our resources and their excellent quality known. I would like to make consumers aware of the importance of responsible and sustainable consumption. Creating garments that people know will last for years, and wear them because they really like them and not because they are a fashion trend of a season.

“I am very grateful to you for providing me with this beautiful platform and thus reaching more people with my message.”