Some of my favorite things we carry or make ourselves are those that cannot be mass produced. Clothing, shoes and accessories made by artisans have hand crafted details that give them character well before they have an owner to develop wear marks of good use. They appeal to me because they are unique designs conceptualized far away from the noise and chatter of the fashion runways. They range from fabulously minimalist to breathtakingly ornate but they always reveal curves of pattern, stitches or layers of detail that someone had to craft by hand for more than a few moments along an assembly line. They are the product of time spent learning a craft and loving the process. Two such lines we carry are Taytu handbags and Jim Barnier Shoes.
Taytu bags are made in Ethiopia with fine Ethiopian leather and suede. This company evolved from an ethical collaboration of artists and the country’s leather and textiles manufacturers to develop unique products for the contemporary world market.
Jim Barnier shoes and boots are handcrafted in the US. The company’s founder learned his craft while working in firefighter and police boot making factories of Southern California. His roots give his product a timeless, utilitarian yet modern urban style.
- Christina