While the following brands share the fact that they’ve all gotten attention through social media, what’s more noteworthy is that each specializes in a specific handmade product. Whether intricately beaded earrings, bags woven by artisans, or painted vintage jackets that look more like works of art than practical pieces of outerwear, these labels have set themselves apart by going against the mass-produced, fast-fashion norm.
With this in mind, we spoke with the artists and creatives behind these labels to understand what it takes to make products by hand in 2019—the time commitment, price tag, meticulous skills, and the pressure to keep up with the fashion’s speedy pace.
Susan Alexandra
Sure, beaded bags were a massive summer trend, but there’s a huge difference between your run-of-the-mill option and the creations Susan Alexandra has become known for. New York City-based Alexandra says her products stand out because they’re made by hand “using traditional weaving/crocheting technique.” However, the reason they caught your eye was probably for the designer’s infectiously playful, bright aesthetic.
“I started this brand to bring dazzle and joy into the world and I want to turn the volume up even louder,” says Alexandra of her next steps and plans to expand into categories—right now, she creates handbags, wallets, and assorted styles of jewelry “using the traditional lost wax method.” As far as we can tell, her charming designs will remains of fixture of fashion insiders’ forearms for the foreseeable future.
Describe the Susan Alexandra brand in three words.
Susan Alexandra: “Rich with color.”
What is the biggest challenge for a brand that uses handmade techniques?
SA: “Competing with the instant gratification superpower giants that are able to offer their products instantly and at very low prices. The pieces I make require time and care in construction. Furthermore, the people who make SA goods are paid fairly, which adds to the cost of the product. It’s extremely rewarding to be able to connect to so many people all over the world who resonate with the work I am making. Even more gratifying is the fact that, through my work, I am able to inspire so many and create so many jobs.”
When it comes to handmade brands, I wish consumers knew…
SA: “How much blood, sweat, tears, and more tears go into the work that we are making. I also wish they knew that their purchase is so much more than just buying a cute bag or necklace. They are supporting a small business and creating jobs for so many.”
How do you deal with copycats or pieces “inspired by” your work?
SA: “This is something that absolutely crushes me, especially when it’s by fellow women designers based in New York City. It’s something I don’t have an answer for right now, and it’s forcing me to trust that what I am making is SO deeply personal to me and that even knock-offs can’t begin to tap into what I’m doing. It’s an exercise in self-love and self-trust. I want to make it very clear: Knock-offs are theft. I don’t take it lightly.”
Dauphinette
Olivia Cheng launched Dauphinette this past August and set herself apart from the get-go. “Many of the defining techniques we use, such as hand painting, are difficult to replicate well on a mass scale,” says Cheng of the brand’s outerwear options, which are created with vintage, recycled, and artisan materials (see: bright leopard prints, feathers galore, and crocheted buttons).
“I think of each piece as an experiential and cultural collage, bringing together different crafts and time periods to create new magic,” says Cheng of her new—but already well-received—line. “I’m hopeful that we can translate that into a discoverable, tangible experience for more people this year.”
Describe the Dauphinette brand in three words.
Olivia Cheng: “Vibrant, fantastical, and optimistic!”
What type of techniques are used when making your products?
OC: “When I started Dauphinette, I wanted to find a way to create smooth, vibrant paintings on leather that would hold up against wear. Many of our hand-painted pieces are first coated in layers of white paint to create a sort of ‘canvas,’ and I topcoat with a special sealant that is traditionally used in refurbishing leathers and sealing oil paintings.
“My mom is also wonderfully talented at knitting and crocheting—she hand-knits our scrunchies from sustainably recycled yarns and also creates beautiful, crocheted components, such as flowers, that I use to embellish many of our pieces!”
What is the biggest challenge for a brand that uses handmade techniques?
OC: “That it’s often slower and less exacting. It’s seeing beauty in a different way, and remembering to love the process of creating—that part can feel difficult when the world around you seems to operate on the principle that faster is better.”
When it comes to handmade brands, I wish consumers knew…
OC: “Hand created pieces take more time, design thinking, and consideration on a very micro-level. Everyone wants the aesthetic uniqueness of a handmade piece, but many have yet to learn about why this type of clothing and design cannot be created quickly and as cheaply as mass-produced items.”
What’s next for your brand?
OC: “The opportunity to create from our own surplus production materials. I think a lot of brands see addressing ‘waste’ as burdensome, but I find it really exciting—we’re about to release a bag style that I’m passionately in love with, created entirely from the feather off-cuts from coats!”
SVNR
Pronounced “souvenir,” Christina Tung’s collection of beautiful, singular earrings began as a weekend project this past summer and be launching soon on Moda Operandi. Ironically, despite SVNR’s rapid success, the ethos behind the designs is much more about slowing down.
“The most rewarding part of the process is sourcing and utilizing found materials, using pieces that might otherwise be discarded and recreating something new and beautiful and wearable,” says Tung of her line, which features seashells, porcelain, agate, and other materials picked up along a great adventure. “The design process and inspiration research is the most fun,” confirms Tung, “especially when it involves traveling to far-flung corners of the world and immersing myself in the culture.”
Describe the SVNR brand in three words.
Christina Tung: “Mindful, worldly, (little) treasures.”
What type of techniques are used when making your products?
CT: “Wire-wrapping (the process of twisting the wire around itself to create a secure tight loop) is the main technique used for most of our pieces.”
What is the biggest challenge for a brand that uses handmade techniques?
CT: “Sourcing the natural materials so each style can be replicated as closely as possible. Another challenge is meeting demand as each piece as made to order. There was a huge (for me) influx of orders during the holidays, so I was making earrings all night, every night.”
When it comes to handmade brands, I wish consumers knew…
CT: “Pieces are not produced in a factory; each item is unique, which means the stones may vary in size and color. They also can take a few days to create, potentially longer, if we need to source materials.”
Kelsey Randall
You might say Kelsey Randall’s specialty is the unexpected. Her bespoke creations include chainmail dresses, crystal fringed halter tops, and some of the dreamiest ruffled creations crafted in muslin. In short, it’s not your average fashion fair, but rather statement-making—and practically couture-like—creations.
This said, expect the fine artist’s work to come with a couture-like price tag for her masterful work across multiple techniques and the time commitment each design requires to complete.
Describe the Kelsey Randall brand in three words.
Kelsey Randall: “Unique, imaginative, and timeless.”
What type of techniques are used when making your products?
KR: “Unlike mass-market products that use a machine that ruffles the fabric uniformly for them, I gather my ruffles by hand which gives them a much more distinct and fuller look. It’s a small difference that people really only notice when you point it out, but to me, it makes all the difference in the world!
“With the latest collection, I was really interested in working with chainmail and creating my own fabrications with unexpected materials. First, I created dresses using mirrored discs, split rings, and chain to channel my inner Paco Rabanne. Then I developed a process to create crystal chainmail which I shaped into tops, skirts, and a crystal loincloth for good measure.”
What is the biggest challenge for a brand that uses handmade techniques?
KR: “Communicating to the world why it costs what it does to do something handmade in an ethical way is challenging, especially when fast-fashion can offer something that looks similar for a fraction of the price. I could stand on my soapbox all day railing against the modern day slavery that is so rampant in the fashion industry, but at the end of the day I know people respond so much better to a positive message than a negative one.”
What’s next for your brand?
KR: “We’re rolling out our custom bridal services to a wider audience, and working on our sixth made-to-measure collection!”
Truss
While woven basket bags are hardly new as far as fashion trends or craftsmanship goes, Truss is aiming to be a brand that represents the time honored skill in a fresh way. Cofounders Elise Durbecq and Gillian Tozer run their business out of Mexico to ensure full oversight and support for the women artisans they employ to create handbags and totes in some of the brightest color combinations.
“We love the process of Truss,” Tozer says, “researching new techniques and artisan communities to work with, concepting designs that modernize the craft, the sampling, the testing, and then finally coming to the final product. It’s always a trip for us to see our bags in the stores because if only people knew how many months (sometimes years) it took to create what’s sitting pretty on the shelves!”
Describe the Truss brand in three words.
Elise Durbecq & Gillian Tozer: “Handmade, colorful, geometric.”
What type of techniques are used when making your products?
ED & GT: “For Spring 2019, which is delivering in March, we partnered with three different artisan groups: leather and plastic weavers from Oaxaca, and Huichol communities from the north of Mexico. While we have been weaving with leather for a few seasons now, we’re super excited about the new Top Handle leather styles that our weavers created using a box loom—it has taken us many seasons to perfect this shape alongside our master weaver Don Lupe! The bead bags made by the Huichol artisans has definitely had the greatest reaction so far. Using glass beads imported from the Czech Republic, each bag has over 4,000 beads on it, woven and reinforced by hand and by an all-women team. And then there are the glass bead straps that reflect this season’s inspiration of the toucan, snake, and frog: It’s all about the details with the straps, and the bead count on these is upwards of 7,000.”
What is the biggest challenge for a brand that uses handmade techniques?
ED & GT: “We operate within the regular fashion cycle in that we present four, sometimes five, times a year. Everything we create is the result of several hands working on it: It’s woven by hand in remote areas of Oaxaca, then it travels to our all-women workshop where the hardware is added, leather details like pockets, tags, and handles are applied, and then we ship it around the world. We do all of this at the same rate as the bigger fashion brands do, which is a little crazy when you think about!”
When it comes to handmade brands, I wish consumers knew…
ED & GT: “It’s a collaboration with the artisans: We propose designs and then troubleshoot until together we find the best and most finessed solution. Elise and I live in Oaxaca, so we’re working alongside our artisans and spend a lot of time traveling to the different communities, many of them very remote, to check in on production and start testing new ideas. We see our collaboration as an exchange: They share with us their masterwork and we apply a contemporary aesthetic and ideas.”
How do you deal with copycats or pieces “inspired by” your work?
ED & GT: “It’s out of control at this point and honestly we’re just happy that we’ve helped pave the way for such interest in the technique—it just means more economic stimulation for Oaxaca. As a brand, all we can do is stay ahead of the curve and stay on our toes in terms of creativity.”
What’s next for your brand?
ED & GT: “Those glass bead bags in March! And through 2019 things are definitely going to get weirder as we continue to partner with more artisan groups! We’re looking to step away from the Tote Bag this year and move into more nighttime shapes and silhouettes.”
Wald Berlin
One of the most special aspects of Wald Berlin isn’t just its display of handmade skills, but the fact that the brand works “with women, for women,” as co-founder Joyce Binneboese puts it. Specializing in jewelry that features pearls and seashells, the brand is crafted in Germany by fair trade workers.
Perhaps even more charming than the year-around beach-y aesthetic are the names of the designs within the collection, inspired by pop songs of yesteryear (think: the ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ necklace and a ‘Genie in a Silver Bottle’ bracelet).
Describe the Wald Berlin brand in three words.
Joyce Binneboese: “Fun, unique, creative.”
What type of techniques are used when making your products?
JB: “We use natural, carefully hand chosen pearls and shells and combine them with unusual metals. Our silver thread is specifically made for our products and we use tools to add special effects, like Swarovski crystals, to the natural shells. Our team of mothers and grandmothers take time to inspect the quality of each material before putting in many hours to create the final product.”
What is the biggest challenge for a brand that uses handmade techniques?
JB: “Time! We care about the quality of our product. Everything handmade takes time. Our materials come from different corners of the world. While we have a vast collection of shells and pearls in our offices, we cannot always predict the handlers quantity. We wait until the handler can send us the entire delivery when the delivery cannot be fulfilled completely.”
How do you deal with copycats or pieces “inspired by” your work?
JB: “We brush it off and take it as a compliment. What they don’t realize is that we are already 10 steps ahead for the next collection.”
