Ti fi ak machin a koud (girl with the sewing machine), 2022

Ti fi ak machin a koud (girl with the sewing machine), 2022

I went around the town with my mother, sister and niece and stopped by an old atelier in town. Haiti’s history with tailors is a bit complex. At the end of the 20th century, USA charities and organizations began shipping second-hand clothing into Haiti polluting the country with the used garments. Within five to ten years this trade eliminated many of the local producers, most of whom were self-employed tailors who could provide for a family simply with their skills and a sewing machine. Now the only clothing that is still regularly produced by local tailors in Haiti are the school uniforms.