Growing up in the Argentinian city of Rosario, Leticia Bordoni always dreamed of living abroad. But she never imagined moving to Amsterdam to set up her business.
“When you do something you really like and it comes from the heart, people sense that,” says Bordoni, founder of the online shop Pura Patria.
The WeWork Weteringschans member was inspired to start her business after working for Swatch in Panama. Unhappy at such a large corporation, she decided to focus on her love for fashion.
But what lured her to Holland? While in Panama, she met her Dutch boyfriend, and the two decided to move to Amsterdam.
When Bordoni talks about her business, her eyes light up and her hands fly through the air.
“Pura Patria literally means ‘pure home,’” she explains. In her shop, you can find a wide range of products from her country, all of them made in eco-friendly ways by small-scale designers.
Finding the right designers initially proved to be quite a challenge.
“I spent hours online searching for the right people,” she says. “And when I finally sent out my first email, their response was quite unfriendly. I immediately decided against them. The products I sell must come from a good heart—that is as important as the products themselves.”
Her genuine approach has certainly paid off. One year later, designers are calling her. One of them is an architect whose hobby is making lamps from recycled materials. d. EGO is now one of many valuable additions to her crew.
Bordoni keeps in close contact with all of the designers, visiting their workshops and keeping up-to-date with their latest work. Her curator in Argentina helps with that.
“I was on a plane to Argentina when I was asked to move seats so an elderly couple could sit next to each other,” she says. “I ended up next to Romina. We talked non-stop for the next 16 hours, and now she works for Pura Patria in Argentina.”
Connecting with Dutch women—her first target market—was initially a challenge for Bordoni. After some mixed results, she discovered that they appreciate the high quality of her products. The fabrics are soft, the jewelry is made from precious metals, and the designs are unique.
But Bordoni says that’s not the only reason for her success.
“People don’t just buy the product,” she says. “They buy the story—how it is produced and by whom. It evokes an emotion, and that engages people.”
Moving from her home office into a WeWork space has made a huge difference as well.
“My boyfriend told me I became a different person!” she laughs. “Before, I was always in pajamas. Now I dress up and wear makeup again. Plus meeting new people has been a pleasure and helped me move forward in many ways.”
Bordoni is already connecting with clients in the United Kingdom and Germany, and she’s shipping products from her online shop to boutiques all throughout Europe. Her ultimate dream is to become an agent for her designers, but right now, she seems to be in no rush whatsoever, enjoying every bit of her entrepreneurial journey.
Photographs by Marjolein Van der Klaauw