Meet Victoria Akkari | Handmade Home Decor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victoria Akkari and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

I didn’t know how to combine all the pieces, but I dreamed about designing home decor and working with women artisans. I started searching for women with small businesses. It took me about eight months, and finally, I took a leap of faith and reached out to an artist in Tunisia whose work I found truly beautiful, and she kindly responded. People often do not pursue what they are passionate about because they fear failure, but you never fail when you learn a valuable lesson.

What should our readers know about your business?

If you start a business, love what you do, and things will fall into place no matter how difficult. I started working with women in North Africa and Egypt because I love their culture and design aesthetics, but I have expanded to Chile, Mexico, and two regions in France. The artisans I work with craft on a small scale, and some pieces are one-of-a-kind. I do not follow trends and only select what moves me, and this is the purpose of art. I believe everyone can have at least one piece in their home that is so special it gives them joy every time they look at it. I’ve found that communication is highly crucial, too, not only because of language barriers but cultural viewpoints. I work with women because we must lift one another up to experience our full potential. In many countries, when women earn an income, it changes the lives of the children and family. Also, supporting one another makes running a business less stressful, allows you to be more creative, and presents the opportunity to make friends along the way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, there are many things to do and see in New York! Walking the Brooklyn Bridge is so much fun, and the views of the City are amazing. I even took a photo of the bridge we sale as part of a trio called Le Petit New York.
A stroll through Central Park on a beautiful day is a must.
Visiting the largest museum in the country, and one of my favorite places is The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
If you love architecture, you’re in for a treat by visiting areas of Harlem like the Sugar Hill district.
One of the loveliest restaurants for dinner is La Mercerie; it’s so pretty!
And The Campbell is a hidden little gem for drinks; it was a 1920s office turned into a bar and restaurant.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Mistakes and failures can be the best teacher if you learn from them and allow them to serve a purpose in your life. I genuinely believe you set the tone by how you treat people. When I started my first business, I worked with a women’s cooperative crafted edible argan oil from Morocco. I had a new account, my first one with luxury retailer abc Carpet & Home in New York City. I was terrified; I didn’t know how to do in-store events and had to speak with the sales staff about the product-I was a nervous wreck! However, the woman in charge of that department put me at ease and took great care of me for all six years that we sold there; she taught me a great lesson, by removing fear, you can be present and connect whole heartily with people. I did my best to do that, and eventually, this ‘unknown’ oil was a success.

Website: www.victoriaakkari.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoria_akkari/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-a-19a498112/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoriaakkari/

Image Credits
Victoria Akkari (with flowers) Brianna Rohlehr(blue coat) Ava Serda (New Mexico, striped dress)