hen Em Dezentje started Little Tienda from home in 2012, with three kids under three and zero experience in the fashion industry, it’s fair to say she was taking a bit of a gamble. “I was actually about to embark on a PhD, though I opted for starting a business instead as I felt it was more freeing for me to continue to be with my kids – and less pressure too,” she recalls. Inspired by her love of textiles and her childhood travels to farflung destinations, as well as drawing on her many years’ experience in marketing, she decided to import traditionally made, embroidered dresses from Mexico, sharing the beauty, colour and craftsmanship she loved with an Australian audience. “Little Tienda was founded from purchasing artisan-made pieces from all over Mexico,” she explains. “We travelled twice a year to buy directly from the makers and select the pieces, but due to changing family commitments and then our borders closing in
