Weaving on UNESCO World Heritage List

Ecualanda’s Panama Hats - They’re Actually from Ecuador!

Tania Pelaez-Vernooij studied architecture in her home country of Ecuador, and once she moved to the Netherlands in 2006—to be with her Dutch husband—she began working in construction. However, in 2011, Tania quit her construction job to start her own company— something completely different from her degree and past work experience. She missed her home culture and wanted to bring a piece of Ecuador with her to the Netherlands, so she began Ecualanda—a combination of Ecuador and Holanda (the Netherlands in Spanish). Ecualanda imports genuine, handwoven Panama hats from Ecuador. Tania sells the straw hats both to individuals and large companies.

“At first, it seems a bit odd for a graduated architect to start a career in the fashion industry,” Tania explains, but “I always admired the art and work of the artisans in Cuenca, the city in Ecuador where I lived.” She thought the Panama hat was worth promoting in the Netherlands because it was relatively unknown here, and she wanted to bring part of her culture to a wider, global audience. Tania states, “For many years, the Panama hat has been an elegant and timeless fashion item worn by many famous people, such as royalty, presidents, actors, and musicians.” It was important to her to showcase one of Ecuador’s finest fashion accessories in her new home; thus, Tania got to work to find the perfect exporter from Ecuador. She got lucky! She found an exporter of Panama hats in the very same neighborhood where she used to live in Cuenca.

Starting a new company wasn’t easy though. Tania states, “In the beginning, I did not know a lot about Panama hats, but my contact in Ecuador sent me a few sample hats so I could test them on the Dutch market.” It was tough going for Tania. She wasn’t familiar with the Dutch market or retail business. But she perse vered, “I opened a Webshop and attended some fairs.” Tania continues, “In the beginning, it was really difficult to find the right public. And the visitor rates for the online shop were quite low.” But the second year it started to go in the right direction for Ecualanda. Tania developed her marketing skills, and soon she noticed an uptick in her online store’s visits. She explains, “I became more experienced in marketing, and I was able to attract more buyers to my Webshop. Also, I learned about the best fairs and markets to sell exclusive products such as Panama hats.” Since then, Ecualanda has grown larger every year. Ecualanda now supplies some international companies, such as the Dutch men’s fashion chain Suitsupply, with authentic Panama hats from Ecuador. Tania is tickled by her success: “I am very proud of my relationship with companies such as Suitsupply.”

But wait, if Tania is from Ecuador, why is she selling Panama hats? Actually, it’s a misnomer; Tania explains, “While the name suggests that they are from Panama, the land of origin is Ecuador! The weaving technique has existed for thousands of years in Ecuador, but in the nineteenth century, businessmen started to export Ecuadorian straw hats and trade them in Panama. The 'Ecuador hat' would have been a better name, but I am afraid it is a bit late to change it.” Looking back, Tania is thrilled that she made the leap from an architect to an entrepreneur. She happily explains that “a big advantage, too, is this job allows me to be at home to enjoy my children and grow as a person.”