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Heydi Vásquez has 15 years of experience from the fashion industry within both retail and wholesale, before establishing Ara’kai, a movement studio and beauty space. Passionate about elevating clean beauty in Scandinavia, Heydi envisioned a unique space that combines quality, aesthetics, self-care, and mindfulness.
Interview set up by SVPR.
Hi Heydi! It’s a pleasure to sit down with you. First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in Copenhagen?
My morning rituals are sacred to me and determine the energy for the rest of my day. I always start with a 15 minute meditation, before I get out of bed – it helps me ground me and brings a sense of calmness through the day. I follow with my morning beauty routine and then get into fueling my body. A big glass of filtered water, collagen, and Lion’s Mane tincture are a constant in every morning. I then go on a long walk with my dog, Palma. A great time to mentally prepare for the tasks ahead.
After this I head over to Ara’kai and work in the office. As a founder my days are always varied and this adds an excitement and flexibility I’m grateful for, but it also means my cup is sometimes overflowing. I put a lot of effort into balance and end the day with some pilates or yoga at Ara’kai Practice, our new movement studio. I’m currently loving pilates for its functional mobility and strength, it’s so effective and is helping me a lot with any pain or discomfort.
In the evening I’ll go for another walk with Palma, prepare a meal and then wind down with a cup of tea and a series or a hot bath, followed by my evening beauty routine.
I’m curious. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, what kind of kid were you, what did you enjoy doing and how did you spend your time?
Growing up on a farm in the Dominican Republic was an adventure-filled experience. I spent my days riding horses bareback, exploring lush fields, and bathing with my sisters in the river that flowed behind our house. The island is covered in tropical jungle, and my sisters and I would always be out exploring nature, running wild. My family’s garden was filled with a variety of nutritious, exotic fruits and medicinal herbs that my grandmother and mother would make teas with if we had any ailments or hurt ourselves exploring. It was a childhood surrounded by the natural world, I can definitely say its the source of my connection to nature.
Can you give me a timeline of what kind of work you did and how you ended up living there, cause I’m trying to visualize your journey to where you are now. Starting in the Dominican Republic, Berlin and then Denmark. And if there’s any place in between I missed, please lmk 🙂
My journey’s been quite a fulfilling adventure, starting in the Dominican Republic, hopping over to the USA, then Switzerland, Berlin, and now Denmark. At 16, I jetted off to the States, where I did a year of liberal arts program with a major in fashion. Switzerland called next, where we had family, and I went to learn French, with the idea to move on to Paris for fashion. I ended up staying in Switzerland and studying hotel management, after which I went back to the Dominican and dove into the tourism scene for three years. During my time working at the Ministry of Tourism, I travelled a lot both to the USA and EU, as I was in charge of organising our participation in all the important tourism fairs. On my first trip to Berlin for this purpose, I fell in love with the city and decided to stay.
It’s funny, I ditched the tourism gig and ended up in the fashion world in Berlin, like fate had it planned all along. And now, here I am, in Denmark, embracing the next chapter of my exciting journey.
Ok, so in 2020 you decide to start Ara’Kai, after having been in the fashion industry for many years, where you ran the clothing store Lala Berlin for about 10 of them, correct? My question is: What made you want to leave the fashion industry behind?
My intuition was telling me that I was out of sync with the tempo of the fashion industry, and that it was time for a change. Fashion always had an expiration date for me, I told myself I would leave before the age of 45, and I pivoted in my career at 43. Change and evolution are important for me — allowing yourself to outgrow something and starting on a new path are an important part of life and I always listen when I get the signals that it’s time for a pivot.
Can you tell me about when and what sparked the initial idea for Ara’Kai?
I think it’s the embodiment of an idea that’s naturally been with me all my life. Ara’kai is a word I made up of the combination of two Taino words – Tainos are the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Ara, meaning people, and Kai, meaning nourishment, and it connects to the vision of Ara’kai to nourish people into wellbeing through various selfcare practices. I’d been doing yoga retreats back home in the Dominican Republic, and I wanted to bring that nourishment to Copenhagen through various modalities where I felt there was a distinct lack of natural beauty offerings.
So did you know anything about the beauty / wellness space? And how long did it take from thought to action?
My own beauty practice and values has informed almost everything surrounding Ara’kai. Our mantras are Nature, Rituals, Balance, and Radiance, and those are the four pillars that guide me in my own beauty practice. I’ve been religious when it comes to skincare since my 20s. A huge part of my approach has been passed to me from my grandmother and mother, especially their understanding of naturopathy and embracing a natural, preventative approach to health and wellbeing in general, going beyond just skincare.
Leaving something you had spent so many years of your life doing, and starting on something new by yourself, must have been scary. What was that transition like?
Actually, it wasn’t scary at all. I love challenges and exploring new things, it’s part of my personal development and growth as a human — you’ll never know what you’re capable of unless you try out something completely new. I won’t lie, I had my bambi on ice moments, but if you trust your balance and intuition you’ll always land right.
With that in mind, thinking back to the beginning. What has been some of the biggest obstacles in building Ara’Kai? And what has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far?
I can’t really think of anything related to Ara’kai as having been an obstacle, I think of everything as having been an opportunity for growth and learning 🙂
Can you tell me about the process of sourcing suppliers, materials, ingredients, brands etc…?
I source the brands through travels and Instagram is also a great source for discovering what’s new and innovative. I always look at ingredients and place a lot of emphasis on a brand’s ethics and sustainability practices. Every brand is tried and tested by me and my team before it goes on our shelves, as we want to ensure we offer products that have high quality ingredients and are efficacious. They also have to have an affinity for aesthetics too of course. 🙂
How does Ara’Kai stand out from other brands in your field? And how do you stay up to date with what’s going on?
I think what really sets Ara’kai apart is our commitment to the holistic approach to well-being. I wanted to build something that extends beyond the aesthetics and becomes a sanctuary for all your needs. Besides the store, where we stock the best of natural brands, we also have a spa and treatment space that offers natural and effective facial and body treatments, and now with Ara’kai Practice we do pilates, yoga, and sound baths. We don’t follow trends, we encourage mindful habits and a lifestyle that allows us to feel connected and grateful.
What is your vision for the brand?
I’m a big dreamer, I would love to see Ara’kai continue to expand to offer more avenues for nourishment and well-being. I’ve been working on a new project under the Ara’kai umbrella for almost two years now and am getting ready to share this new offering soon. Stay tuned 😉
You’ve also started an agency and a yoga retreat center in the Dominican Republic, under the Ara’Kai brand. Can you tell me about those projects?
Because of my interest in naturopathy and balancing practices, it seemed natural to host yoga retreats in my home that’s abundant in natural beauty. Having worked in sales for over 15 years in fashion, it seemed natural to start an agency in the beauty space. I want to develop these retreats more, and at the moment we’re focusing on offering a few retreats a year either in the Dominican Republic or in Europe, so stay tuned for when we announce those! In between retreats you can also move with us at Ara’kai Practice.
Are there any trades from the fashion industry that can be applied to the beauty industry?
In a way, I would rather the fashion industry took a page out of the beauty industry’s book. I want to see fashion apply more sustainable practices and scale back from mass-production and constant turnover. Embracing a slower pace and encouraging more mindful relationship to fashion would be a step in the right direction.
Otherwise, a hard work ethic, balance, and intention are three trades that can be applied to anything you do in life.
How would you describe a perfect day?
It’s quite simple: a bit of sunshine, nature, a great meal with a nice glass of wine and Palma. Perfection.
Alright Heydi, I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
In The Mood for Love – Wong Kar Wai. It’s iconic for a reason – the story, the soundtrack, the qipao dresses…it’s a visual poem that transports you beyond romance.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
You’ve Got a Woman – Lion. On repeat!
Profile picture by Lana Ohrimenko