Today we’d like to introduce you to Anika Stevens.
Hi Anika, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story is a little different. I moved to Aruba from the Netherlands to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a hairdresser. But allergies made it impossible to continue, even though I had hoped the sun and sea would help. Despite that setback, I fell in love with the island and its people and chose to stay and study marketing.
During a study trip at the University of Aruba, I visited an indigenous community in the Amazon in Ecuador. That trip was life changing. I felt it was the start of my mission and that I wanted to work with indigenous cultures. It inspired me to combine my marketing skills with social impact and give a voice to indigenous artisans.
I returned and started my first business, training artisans to adapt their designs so they could sell more easily in the international market. The profits were reinvested back into the community, mostly to help families send their children to school. I always had a passion for working with indigenous communities and wanted to create something beautiful, meaningful, cultural, and sustainable that could also provide a good income.
But selling smaller and lower priced items required quantity over quality, and that was not the direction I wanted to go. I wanted artisans to be inspired, work with their soul, to fall in love with their culture, and to live well from what they create. I also wanted to offer pieces for people that want to express themselves. I wanted to create pieces that are soulful, that make you feel connected with yourself. Pieces that awaken something inside and make you feel majestic and powerful
Later, I pursued an MBA in Luxury Management in Paris. Learning about luxury and blending that with my mission led me to create FAIR BLVD. FAIR BLVD is a brand that creates cultural couture. Each piece is unique, one-of-a-kind, and handmade by indigenous artisans. Each piece takes months to complete.
We wanted to bring cultural art pieces to the fashion world, international runways and red carpets. We began with our first fashion show in Aruba, followed quickly by Dubai, which opened the door internationally and led to many invitations. This year, our pieces made it to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival with our first gown, and soon after to the Venice Film Festival with two gowns and accessories.
FAIR BLVD is where indigenous artistry meets the global stage. One-of-a-kind pieces that carry culture, soul, and story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think any successful business has a smooth road. For me, it’s been a long, meaningful, and especially soulful journey. Working with indigenous communities is very different than working with normal businesses. They have different values, beliefs, and ways of living, and it took time for us to truly understand each other. We sometimes had to switch between different communities and countries to make sure we achieved the desired result.
In our world, the first design is also the finished piece. Each piece and each gown requires months of work and can only be made once. That means the process is slower and requires a lot of patience.
Building the brand itself has also been challenging. From setting it up, protecting it, and forming a team while being based on a small island with a very limited fashion industry. Reaching the level you want as a luxury brand is difficult when you’re not in one of the world’s fashion capitals.
There have been moments of doubt, but holding the vision, believing in myself, and trusting the mission kept me moving forward. Finding resources and breaking into an industry that moves at a very different pace hasn’t been easy. But working with communities and creating different designs has made me very resourceful and soulful and that gives a great added value to FAIR BLVD.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
FAIR BLVD is a brand that creates Cultural Couture; rare, one-of-a-kind pieces handmade by indigenous artisans. Each design is unique, never repeated, and can take months to complete. We specialize in handcrafted accessories, bags, gowns, and other designs that merge ancestral craftsmanship with high fashion.
What sets us apart is that our pieces are not only beautiful, but alive with story and heritage. We work hand in hand with indigenous artisans, traveling to their communities, spending time in the field, and creating together with love and pride. Every creation is made with intention, honoring indigenous artistry while connecting with your inner self. A powerful form of self-expression that brings something truly different. These creations have reached the global stage, appearing on the red carpets of Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, alongside our newest gowns made especially for these moments.
We recently began creating gowns to complement our pieces for the red carpet. There we are also closely involved, working together to bring these gowns alive. It is a very beautiful and soulful journey. Every piece is created with intention and spirit.
I am most proud that FAIR BLVD has shown the world that true luxury is about meaning, rarity, and essence. To carry something forward that is precious and deeply meaningful in this world feels extraordinary. It means giving people access to something that would otherwise remain unseen.
Our brand dares to express beauty differently, celebrating culture while creating wearable art.
We love to see the indigenous artisans falling in love with their roots again, working with so much passion and pride when the pieces are finished. It is priceless to be part of something so unique and beautiful. We work hand in hand with them and spend much time in the field, which is truly one of our favorite things to do.
Building an international luxury brand from Aruba, a small island far from the fashion capitals, has been a challenge, but it makes every achievement even more meaningful.
We invite readers to be part of this journey by following, engaging, and joining our exclusive circle, where we share the stories and beauty behind each creation. FAIR BLVD is for those who believe that what you wear can be both an expression of self and a way to honor heritage.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
To anyone reading: dare to express yourself. Wear what speaks to your soul. Remember that true beauty comes from within it is not only in how something looks, but in the meaning and heritage it carries, and in the way it makes you feel.
Be powerful, be expressive, and let your presence be felt, that is the real beauty FAIR BLVD stands for.
Pricing:
- Follow us on social media or visit out website
- https://www.instagram.com/fairblvd/
- https://www.fairblvd.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fairblvd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairblvd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairblvd
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikastevens/
Image Credits
Photo credits: Raex Murillo (only desert pictures)
Headshot: Kuro Muller
Other pictures: FAIR BLVD
