Francisca Apparcel has travelled a very interesting path, in which she has been able to draw inspiration from the cultures of countries that are very different from each other.
She was born in the small city of Osorno, right where Chilean Patagonia begins, and grew up surrounded by the countryside, nature, and crafts.
Later she studied Commercial Engineering in Santiago de Chile, and her interest in textiles led her to undertake an independent fashion project with pima cotton in Peru and then in Chile,
Chilote Shoes, where she embodies her greatest vision and intention by collaborating with artisans, their crafts and lifestyle.
She now lives in Höllviken, in southern Sweden, with her two children and her husband Stiven Kerestegian, with whom she co-founded Chilote Shoes.
Francisca is rooted in the social and cultural context of Patagonia and in the business model concepts that promote an ethical economy.
With the union of her experience and training, she co-founded and co-created Chilote Shoes with her husband, a project that today employs many artisan women from rural areas of southern Chile.