We were lucky to catch up with Daphne Verzosa recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Daphne, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Hiraya The Shop was borne out of my mission to bring Filipino craftsmanship to the global stage. Filipinos have always been known for their warmth, hospitality, and unparalleled work ethic but we’re rarely known for our craftsmanship. As a Filipino trying to make ripples in the US, I feel like I’m given a huge opportunity to highlight my country and heritage.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Daphne and I’m the founder of Hiraya The Shop®. Hiraya is derived from the ancient Filipino expression Hiraya Manawari, which translates to ‘may your hopes and dreams come true’. I founded Hiraya in the hopes of promoting Filipino and Southeast Asian craftsmanship in general. Apart from handmaking some of the jewelry in my store collections, I also source handwoven bags, sandals, and home goods made of abaca from local Filipino artisans. Also called Manila Hemp, abaca is a multi-use, durable plant fiber native to the Philippines. In our country we use them for just about anything, such as footwear, apparel, home accessories, and so much more. Not to mention, it’s eco-friendly, sustainable, and completely biodegradable—a wonderful alternative to the traditional synthetic fabrics that’s filling our landfills.

What makes Hiraya The Shop® unique is that we strive to be environmentally and socially conscious in all aspects of our operations. Apart from supporting local artisans, we do not use plastic in our packaging. We also donate 10% of our profits to indigenous children in the Philippines to aid in their education.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

With ecommerce becoming the default way of doing business nowadays, I realized that for someone who doesn’t have a big audience like me, doing business online is not the best way to get my brand out there. So late 2022 I realized I needed to meet people and actually tell our story. I participated in markets within the Tampa Bay area, and each time I would get compliments about how beautiful our products are. And each time I share with them our brands mission and vision, they’re even more inspired to support the brand. For a little store like mine, it’s the best thing I could ask for.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

It all started during the pandemic lockdown. I was looking on Instagram and saw these gorgeous gold jewelry handmade by indigenous Filipinos and was immediately overcame with desire to bring Filipino products to the US. Unfortunately I needed a substantial capital to be able to bring that type of jewelry. While I was browsing through a local artisan group on Facebook looking for a more cost-effective alternative, I saw these gorgeous handwoven bags that were made in the region where I grew up! I thank technology for this miracle because otherwise, I wouldn’t have known, much less discover them. However, finding a manufacturer is the easy part. Communicating was totally a challenge because I couldn’t be there physically to inspect the goods. With the time difference, distance, and the pandemic still raging it was just impossible. So, I had to rely on my artisans’ word that everything is up to par. I have learned to fully trust my people and overcome my own anxieties.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hirayatheshop.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/hirayatheshop
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hirayatheshop

Image Credits
Lathala Creative Studios