Colombian Designer Finds Success WITH Passion and Perseverance

Sandra Nieto moved to the United States with a dream in mind, to become a fashion designer. After seeing her beautiful work back in Colombia, her friends and family would encourage her to start her own line, but Sandra knew this wasn't going to be that easy. Fashion is a difficult and time-consuming field, but Sandra is so passionate about design that she is willing to persevere through hardship. In Colombia, "without a peso to invest herself", she planted the seed for her business from scratch by building strong relationships and inspiring confidence in those who could invest.

Sandra's advent in America was nothing short of serendipity. Sandra was approached by her brother for a favor. Because she lived in the capital, near the embassy, he requested she turn in his application for a visa to visit the United States. Sandra figured if she was going to wait in that long line, she might as well apply herself. Her application was approved just before her business when bankrupt. "It was destiny" comments Sandra.

Once living in New York City, Sandra began devoting 7 days a week and many late nights to cutting, sewing, and creating her clothes. With no one to advise her and no money to hire help, she traveled with her handmade work to trade shows, where she had some success. Sandra looked into getting a bank loan, but like many other immigrant entrepreneurs Sandra had no formal credit history and could not find support from a bank."It was depressing to feel like I couldn't continue being a fashion designer because I couldn't find a loan," Sandra remembers.

Times got tough for Sandra and her family when the recession hit, her husband lost his job, and Sandra became the sole supporter of her family. Unfortunately this meant that she could not save enough money to pay entrance to various New York trade shows in Bryant Park and Madison Square Park, a major source of income for Sandra. She started looking for a loan to cover the costs, but had difficulty obtaining a loan from a bank. She discovered ACCION USA at a panel discussion at the Colombian Consul in April of 2010. ACCION USA recognized Sandra's strong character, professional references and business aptitude and provided her with a $6,000 loan that would cover the fees to participate in annual trade shows.

With the support of ACCION USA, a woman with a strong passion and great talent has been able to persevere forward and keep the doors of her business open. Sandra's success as an entrepreneur even allowed her to play a role in job creation; she was able to hire two part-time seamstresses to help prepare for New York City's Fashion Week.

Support Sandra by shopping at her store through ACCION USA's Microfinance Holiday Marketplace!