Maker | Free Chant

 Normally here at FOLK, brands we are lucky enough to get to know and work with are American made and owned. However, the maker movement is a global phenomenon, and people from all over the globe are learning to start their own businesses and to buy from other small makers. We sat down with Alice Peretti & Alida Merlin, of Italian company Free Chant to learn more.

WHO ARE YOU /BRAND /HOW MANY

We are two girls (Alice Peretti / Alida Merlini) born in the north of Italy, where we launched a clothing brand called Free Chant. 

WHAT DO YOU DO 

Our mission is to design pieces that combine the colorful vibrancy of Indian textiles with the high quality of Italian production. Our lines are simple; they call to women who want to wear something comfortable, produced at slow pace and in full respect of the environment and the local communities of artisans. In each garment, we mix fabrics hand-printed with natural dyes and wooden blocks in Bagru to fabrics hand-loomed by the precious hands of the women of Maheshwar. We design clothes and scarves that we would wear every day, simple, but with a twist. Sometimes we dare a little, too. We combine colors and textures (cotton and silk are an exciting mix in some of our pieces), we work closely with our fantastic team in Italy and follow each step. We have been lucky. During our journey, we’ve met very talented people who appreciate what we do and are doing their best to help us realize what we had in mind. Now we hope that our pieces will be part of other women’s journey, too. Each garment carries a story that has deep roots in ancient crafts and that we want you to continue. Somehow, each dress is like a book… It’s a vessel of magic worlds to which you can give a new meaning and existence. 

WHY BE A MAKER/SUPPORT MAKERS/MAIN STREET

Being a maker not only means to make “things”, it also means to make your dreams (big or small) come true. It takes effort, but somehow it all comes natural. It’s like if you were born to do exactly what you are doing. Both Alida and I worked in big corporations, and it was great. Without the skills developed during those experiences, we probably wouldn’t be here now. But working for ourselves is adventurous! And how exciting! 

In my life, I’ve met dozens of people with brilliant ideas about new products, better services, etc. However, for different reasons, it happens very often that these remain only ideas. A maker is a special person; she’s the bridge between individual ideas and tangible products that can make a difference to other people’s lives. 

We come from a country where there are lots of small and independent businesses/boutiques/makers that are struggling due to globalization. Sadly, our city centers have all started to look like one another. When we find an independent boutique that sells something unique, our hearts burst! Preserving small businesses is vital to creativity. Each maker can be inspirational for another. 

We take pride in being a small company and having put together a group of extremely talented people who keep the dream alive. 

Alice Peretti

www.freechant.com

Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook: @freechant

Authentic Lives | Chef Angie Mar and the Beatrice Inn

I love food people. I come from a family of food people, and I admire people who have a passion for cooking. Food and dining is one the most commonly shared communal activities and interests that every culture shares. We all have to eat after all, so why not together? Often, when we're traveling, we love to ask for recommendations of places we should check out. Recently while traveling in New York we were asked to come by and check out some of the offerings at the Beatrice Inn, a restaurant managed by Executive Chef Angie Mar. The food and environment was so welcoming and delicious so we asked Chef Angie a few questions about the Beatrice and how she started her culinary adventures.

How did Beatrice Inn begin?

The Beatrice Inn has quite a storied history. It was built in 1841 and at some point, became a speakeasy. It was then an Italian restaurant for years, followed by a nightclub. It was always a fabulous mess of models and one of the grittier clubs on the New York scene until it was shuttered. Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair then took it over and re-concepted the location into what it is today. I’m actually the third chef to take the helm of the kitchen here, and it’s been my baby for the past year and a half to revamp the culinary focus. My team and I have put a lot of time and love into this place to bring it back to life and we are so proud of where it is now.  

What is the biggest theme that carries through your food?

There are so many! I always cook what I love to eat, so the basis of my food is meat, fruit and herbs. I like to play with masculine and feminine qualities and ideas- Whole lamb shanks are balanced with cherries and hearty herbs; pork shoulders that are beautiful and rustic are lightened with aromas of jasmine and browned butter. Basically I always want food to be incredibly sexy. Food should be sensual and thought provoking- It should mess with your mind because there are so many harmonious flavors, textures and temperatures to indulge in.

How did you first start your journey in cooking? Did you go to a traditional culinary institute?

I actually had a career in the corporate world prior to this. I was incredibly bored and unfulfilled. My family is in the restaurant industry, so perhaps it’s in my blood and I just fought it for too long. I finally quit my job and after travelling for a few months, decided to move to New York and follow my passion.

How did some of the specialties come about? Family recipes from Seattle?

Honestly, I cook what I love to eat… And that would be a lot of meat. Beef, lamb, and game meats, like venison and wild boar are all flavors from my childhood. There are certain dishes like the chicken liver pate or the pork shoulder that I’ve been cooking since I was about 15, but the majority of the menu is inspired by my travels, or what my parents cooked when I was growing up. Its food that will remind you of your grandparents, just a bit elevated and reimagined.

What do you hope people take away from their dining experience at Beatrice Inn?

I believe that most great relationships, friendships and memories begin around the dinner table - Or at least that has been my experience. My goal is that our guests will not only enjoy our food, but will also leave here with the experience of great relationships, friendships and memories over the meal that they’ve shared… Feeding people is such a privilege for us. 

How do you get ideas for new recipes and specialties?

That’s a question that people have been asking a lot lately. Where do I go to eat when I’m off that I can draw inspiration from? It may sound a bit odd, but I actually don’t go out to eat very much. I love to be in my own head, and I’ve found that when I go out to eat other people’s food, I tend to be the least creative- I hate having outside influencers. Instead I love to explore the farmer’s markets and look for incredibly beautiful ingredients. Right now I’m incredibly smitten with strawberries and cherries. I also just really cook for my menu, the foods that I happen to be craving. 

What is your biggest inspiration?

The energy in New York is unlike anything else in the world. Being surrounded by so many tenacious and talented people on a daily basis really pushes your boundaries. I’ve always been of the mindset that failure is not an option and that we create our own luck. Having the ability to create and shape my future is really what drives me.

How does your history influence what you make?

Our history always shapes who we are and who we will become, doesn’t it? For me, the fact that my mother is Taiwanese, but spent time in England, and my father was born in America, I am sure has shaped my palate. Meat pies, beef and of course the staple of jasmine rice is always what I crave as its what I ate growing up.   

What has been your biggest lesson in the culinary industry?

Trusting my instinct. I’ve never been one to listen to others, and anyone that has spent time with me can tell you that I rarely color in between the lines. The facets of the kitchen require you to just say “Yes Chef”, and my kitchen is definitely run in the same manner. However, there came a point in my career where I had to stop saying “Yes Chef” to someone and build my own future. The move I made was crazy, but it felt right, and taking over the Beatrice, baggage and all, has proved to be the best instinctual decision I could have ever made. 

What's your favorite thing about working in the culinary industry?

That’s a tough question since there are so many facets to our industry. I love the rush that I get when we are in the middle of service. I love waking up early in the morning to go to the markets for the best produce. Watching my guys cook is something that will never get old for me - they move with incredible speed and grace, and it’s often like watching a ballet. But the ability to be able to translate ideas, from my brain, onto a plate, and have people experience it, every day… That is something that I will always find to be an incredible privilege.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

The best advice that someone gave me was to not listen to the noise. To keep my head down and work harder and faster and smarter than anyone else, but most importantly, to not be afraid to be different or take risks. 

What's been your biggest challenge?

I’ve actually only been cooking for about 5 years, so in the big scope of things, many people would say that I came up very fast. I think my biggest challenge is maintaining my personal life. Part of the reason I think I’ve advanced this fast is that I’ve not stopped to come up for air. There has been very little play time in the past five years, but I’m also incredibly okay with that. 

Maker | Ssek Jewelry

Q&A:

How did you get started with jewelry making?

Jewelry making began in my head, every time I walked into a fast fashion retail store (e.g. Zara, Accessorize and the works.) Eventually I bought so many accessories, I figured perhaps I could start making them! The beginning pieces started off as gifts— then eventually my partner suggested selling these, and it's only been progress since.

Were you always interested in fashion? Jewelry design?

I've always been interested in fashion, but timeless fashion, and fashion that works. I don't like following trends just for the sake of it. If I think it looks good in another 10 years, then that's really good fashion. Also, given living in Singapore where it's 30 deg celsius every day, tees and shorts work fine. The only thing that's variable to me is the accessorising, and that's what I wanted to make a difference in.

Why jewelry? When did you first fall in love with it?

You can wear a simple white tee and shorts, but the kind of jewellery you wear decides what kind of look you're going for. Laying my eyes on a beautiful piece of jewellery is like listening to an exquisite harmony, to me. The different textures, lengths, colour combinations, and how they contribute to the flow of the jewellery when you move— is like a little piece of magic.

Jewelry to me isn't just something material, nor is it a status symbol. It is a man made reminder of what wonderful things our brain and heart can do when we see anything beautiful in the world.

How do you get ideas for new designs?

Ideas come from anywhere and everywhere, but I seem to draw most of my ideas from nature, as cliché as it sounds. What greater designer and artist than Mother Nature? The colour gradients in petals, the colour combination and contrasts in butterflies, how leaves float on their branches, the textures of wood. 

What are your inspirations?

Initially I was greatly inspired by JewelRocks, a Balinese brand that wove tradition and modernity into their jewellery design. They are classy yet playful, and it struck a note with me. Right now my inspirations include potters Shino Takeda and Red Raven Studios because of their unique colour palettes, as well as illustrators like Leah Goren.

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

My hobbies include small scale pottery and making music. Theory and rules create the basic backbone for these activities, but the true beauty is when you feel it in your heart. A silhouette of a vessel may be imperfect to others but to you it looks unique and refreshing. In music, jazz is always full of improvisation and weird keys but they work like magic! These "perfect imperfections" have influenced my jewellery a great deal. I don't conform to standard colour palettes and if one colour should go with another— I'm always challenging myself to have different contrasts in my jewellery, be it in colours or in textures.

What has been your biggest lesson?

To be proud of my business. I'm still learning. Up till now whenever I talk about what I do, I'm always adding a disclaimer: "I know it's an idealistic thing to do…" but I should really stop that.

I'm still learning to be more confident and to truly believe from my insides. Slowly but surely I'm becoming a better salesperson and a more positive businesswoman— although I may be treading water in the deep sea. 

What's your favorite thing about sharing your styling and photography?

My favourite thing about sharing my photography is providing my customers (and potential customers) an experience. To show that handcrafted jewellery have personalities, have homes where they come from, have stories, and have been created with meaning and purpose. 

What's been your best advice you've been given?

To be shameless. My mantra used to be "Good things to come". It's a pleasant thing to hear, but the world isn't that nice. I want something, I have to go get it. So in the words of Ruby Anemic's neon light exhibit in 2013, "No Guts No Glory".

What's been your biggest challenge?

Financing this business. I've yet to have investors, and I am challenging myself to be as self sustainable as possible. I'm inching closer to reach my goals— not just for me, but to improve my customer experience and quality of my goods. If I could reach my goals in half the time that might be great, but I'm not sure if I'd learn as much if I did. We'll see!

Maker | J.Stark Carry Goods

We are big fans of leatherworkers and totes here at FOLK. Constantly being on the road and carrying a lot of equipment, it's essential for us to have sturdy and able everyday bags. We look to brands like J.Stark for those necessities. Created by Erik Holmberg it is a beautiful line of handcrafted bags out of Charleston, SC. We asked him to tell us more about the brand and gave a couple of the bags a test run.

How was J. Stark created?

J. Stark was created in the night hours and weekends while I had a full time job creating websites. I was looking for a physical and tactile outlet for my creativity that would allow me to connect with people.

I made my first wallet and gave it to a friend. When I saw his reaction once he had it in his hands the feelings I had were visceral. I was immediately hooked.

Were most of the products in the beginning carry goods?

Yes. Most of the goods start with serving a purpose. I think this gives them the best chance of being useful and finding a home. If you chase trends and fashion, I think that model isn't as sustainable as a business.

Who designs your products? Who sews the bags and how do you find able leather workers?

Currently I design all the products, but I'm looking to bring on someone with a fresh eye for women's goods.

I create all the goods first, and then sit down with team members to create it with them their first time. That way I can tell the story of the design and why I chose to create the good in the manner I did. This fosters additional conversations about the craft and how to improve or do something in a different way.

How do you get ideas for new products?

Since almost all J. Stark goods set out to serve a purpose, I think of what people are going to need to go out and live their day to day lives. Or I think about an area that hasn't been innovated on or made as simply as it can be.

What inspires the J. Stark brand?

Utility. Military. Classicness. Timelessness. Minimal pieces to minimize failure points that leads to durability.

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

I developed software for a long time, and to become a great software developer you need to pay attention to all details, even the infinitely small. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the person using your site as well to develop something truly useful.

I bring this same attention to detail to design and creation of products. I make them as simple as possible and as clean as possible.

I also think about how they are going to be used in the real world and try to infuse them with that knowledge.

What has been your biggest lesson?

Running your own business is one of the most difficult things to do, which is the reason not many people do. However, I've always felt that hard work can always match or outweigh talent, so I'm never afraid to put in the hours.

What's your favorite thing about making carry goods?

Seeing people use them and how it makes their lives easier. Getting up every morning and making things with my hands.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

To think about the future of your company before it happens so you can plan for it. Similarly, I'm really big into visualizing the future and what things you want to accomplish. I think it gets implanted in the subconscious then and your actions will start to bend to make it happen.

What's been your biggest challenge?

Scaling. It's hard to find people with the skills and patience to work with their hands. Many people want instant gratification and aren't willing to work on something for 30-40 hrs to get it right.

To learn more about Erik and J.Stark, as well as their amazing bags, visit his website at www.starkmade.com.

Maker | Crateful

The art of giving, that's what Keira Guez and Brit Woodward of Crateful are redefining. Carefully crafting special, meaningful gift for your someone special. We all suffer from the 'busy bug' and these two are helping people rediscover the art of thoughtful gifting. We recently were gifted a beautifully created package from them so we asked them to tell us more about Crateful, read more in their Q&A below.

How did you get started with Crateful? 

With strong generous spirits and an appreciation for delicious food, we had been toying with different ideas when we agreed on crateful. It was the perfect combination of our individual talents/passions. The name encompassed our desire to send the message that gratitude is vital in gift giving/receiving. We believe in the heart of a giver – we know how busy life can get, so we wanted to create a way for people to show their gratitude amidst their busy lives, without compromising the quality of the gift. Every order is custom made!

What inspired you to start making the packaged crates? 

We both love the IDEA of giving a package full of small gifts, body products, baked goods etc, but the standardized gift basket options are far from original or thoughtful, in our opinion. We wanted to fill the gap where we saw a need and make it desirable. We knew we wanted to use wooden crates because they are environmentally friendly, reusable, recyclable,useful & gender neutral.

How did you start finding products that you loved and paired? 

I have a background in baking / skincare / cosmetology – all of our handmade recipes were specifically designed utilizing that background knowledge. Keira’s business background in fashion is key in being knowledgeable on what people want, trend and longevity. 

Were you always interested in food and lifestyle products? 

I have been working as a private chef for almost 9 years and Keira has an extensive background in fashion/lifestyle design – before we started crateful we were just really good friends. We love the same things but have unique tastes to bring forth. What Keira didn’t know about the food world, I was able to educate her on and what I didn’t know about the branding/business world, Keira taught me about. Keira has great taste, it’s refreshing to be able to try something new and bring it to her and know I’m going to get an honest, sophisticated opinion on whether it makes the crateful cut or not! 

How do you get ideas for each crate?

We pay attention to our environments. We both love to travel and are fortunate to do quite a bit of it. By maintaining this sponge-like mentality when we travel, we really get to absorb our surroundings and take what we love and think others will love also. Being from Los Angeles, we both really enjoy being outdoors. The beach, the mountains, the desert… such different ecosystems so close to our own backyards- these places we’ve visited our entire lives have a scent or flavor and we incorporate that nostalgia into our products. My passion for camping around California inspired our signature S’Moreskewers. Keira’s North African heritage led us to use Moroccan blue chamomile in our body products… we take pieces of what make our lives richer and pour them into the brand.

What are you inspired by?

Again, our environment is really inspiring. I think my affinity for salty/sweet flavors comes from a life spent on the Pacific. The textures of the Southern Californian landscape inspire a lot of our palettes. The industrial feel of Downtown LA inspired raw wood for our crates. We are also inspired by humanity. After all, we are a gift company… whether you’re gifting yourself, or someone else, it’s special and we want it to feel special because giving is a special ritual; for the giver and the receiver. That transaction itself is inspiration enough to really put love into each crate. 

How do your hobbies influence what you do?

Hobbies are personal & inspire pretty much our entire brand. My love of art and the outdoors both equally inspire me to come up with new recipes and combinations for body products- whether it’s Monet’s Water Lillies or a campfire in Big Sur, something crateful will come from it. I think the fact that everything about crateful can be customized is an opportunity for both of us to draw endless inspiration for from all areas of our lives. Keira is probably the most giving friend you may ever meet, I think that intense selfless nature has really inspired her to take customization to another level. To make the crates really special for the recipients, that’s what we’re about.

What has been your biggest lesson?

Always check the weather when shipping long distance with a deadline and never let the customer doubt how much they’re appreciated.

What's your favorite thing about sharing your packages?

The joy we get to offer someone’s day! It’s a blessing to US to be able to be the cause for someone’s smile. 

What's been your best advice you've been given?

Don’t be afraid to fail a few times. 

What's been your biggest challenge?

Sorting out how to maintain freshness with baked goods without any preservatives… while SHIPPING! WOW! We failed a few times there… we sent a LOT of mock cratefuls to family members to taste test for freshness. 

To learn more about Crateful or to buy your own specially crafted package, visit their website at www.crateful.com, or follow their adventures on Instagram at @getcrateful.

Maker | Duluth Pack

Every adventurer needs a great, dependable backpack. For Minnesotans, there is a town where all of those thrill-seekers and nature-lovers find their own, Duluth. Duluth Pack has continuously handcrafted hunting, shooting and outdoor gear in MN since 1882. The quality, time-tested craftsmanship & hardware are guaranteed for life. We recently were able to test out a limited edition bag they will soon debut and were able to sit down with them to learn more about the brand in a short Q&A.

How was Duluth Pack created?

Duluth Pack was created by Camille Poirier to fill a need for the timber cruisers that were working in the logging industry and cutting timber to open up rail lines for the mining field.. The industry was requiring a customized pack that would carry all of the supplies needed by the timber cruising profession. It was known as the original #2 Duluth Pack.  

We're most of the products in the beginning carry goods?

Yes, being originally a pack manufacture for utilitarian and rugged use in industry and leisure.

Who designs your products?

The concepts for new products come from our customer base. We then take their request in house and sit with our internal design team and design and build prototypes to meet the need.

How do you find or do you train people to stitch bags and other products?

In the past, the sewing trade was strong in the United States. As the sewing trades went overseas, we had the need to create our own internal training programs. Currently, we hire many people that have no sewing experience and through our internal training program become proficient at the trade of industrial sewing.

How do you get ideas for new products and photo shoots?

The majority of the ideas come from our loyal customer following. Many of our photos come from our customers as they are proud to share their stories and adventures with their coveted Duluth Packs.

What inspires the Duluth Pack brand?

1)      Our loyal customers and our exceptional and dedicated employees are the most valued assets to Duluth Pack.

2)      Quality. The Duluth Pack brand begins and ends with quality.

3)      Premium products for a premium market.

4)      Made in the USA.

5)      Lifetime Guarantee.

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

Many of us are outdoors people that influence many of our outdoor products. Being that we all live busy days during the week, our lifestyle product offering is fitting the need of what we do daily with our purses, handbags, business gear and luggage.

What has been your biggest lesson?

You can survive and grow through difficult economic times, if you stick to your convictions and principles of quality first and continuously manufacturing in the USA.

What's your favorite thing about making carry goods?

It is to see our customers happy and proud of their bags and packs from Duluth Pack, that are still handcrafted in Duluth, Minnesota, USA and carry the lifetime guarantee.  We know this, because they share their stories with us.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

Never compromise on quality and handcrafting our products in America.

What's been your biggest challenge?

To keep up with the demand of our growing brand as we continue to be the must have bags and packs. Duluth Pack is the oldest canvas and leather pack and bag manufacturer in the USA.

You can learn more about Duluth Pack at www.duluthpack.com and follow their adventures and the adventures of Duluth Pack owners on Instagram–@duluthpack.

Maker | Swenyo

It's difficult to find modern, clean home designs on an afforadable budget. Recently, we moved apartments, not a huge move only across town, but it warranted finding something new to make the new adult space special and exciting. That's when we found SWENYO. Their designs and patterns are a modern but classic approach to home decor that we have fallen for.

SWENYO is a new online retailer that launched in January. Wanting to empower young people to design their rooms without sacrificing their own personal style, they make turning your space into a cool young adult home. Creativity serves as the foundation for SWENYO’s philosophy which asserts that a personal space should be an expression of individuality rather than uniformity. Starting this June, SWENYO will offer a curated collection of new products including lighting, bedding, wall art and storage that have been handpicked with the design-centric consumer in mind. Offerings will be selected from around the globe and will also include exclusive SWENYO products designed in Encinitas, CA embodying the youth culture lifestyle that makes our brand unique. 

SWENYO specializes in unique, premium quality products that allow the customer creative freedom in their bedrooms. The products are only part of SWENYO, culture and community also plays a large part in their brand. Their duvet covers were designed by local artists in their home base of Encinitas, CA and they're currently forming a community of like-minded people that drives the inspiration for our brand .

SWENYO founder, Ricardo Camargo, has decades of design, product, and branding experience under his belt. He and his wife had long been modernist-design fanatics – they’d even bought a plot of land in Encinitas and built a customized prefab house on it. When it was time to outfit their kids’ rooms, they couldn’t find anything. “It was teddy bears and all that bullshit,” Camargo says. “What started as a mission to get cool things for our kids’ spaces ended up being the inspiration for a new style of home goods for a younger audience.”

Supporting makers really speaks to the team at SWENYO because that serves as the foundation of all of their values. SWENYO values creativity, independence, and building a community of makers and supporting them as much as they support them. 'We want our customers to be makers, we want to inspire them to make their room their own,' they say. 'In order to be a maker you have to be bold enough to stand out and be different and you have to be willing to take risks. It doesn’t come easy so that’s why we believe you, and everyone for that matter, should support makers.'

To learn more about SWENYO , their products, and their community, visit their website at https://swenyo.com and on Instagram—@swenyobrand.

 

Maker | Once Again Sam

Sarah Mandell makes the loveliest jewelry. Recently we sat down with the designer behind Once Again Sam to learn more...

Who are you:

I’m Sarah Mandell, the brains and busy hands behind Once Again Sam. Creating with my hands is what I look forward to each and every day. Although I’m a professionally trained artist and designer, I’m completely self taught when it comes to jewelry. I love to learn, and the best way I can describe myself is this: It’s not that I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, it’s that I want to do so many things. 

What do you make: 

Handmade jewelry intended for everyday-wear. My collection ranges from lightweight leather earrings made from repurposed thrift store clothing, to exotic wooden pendants turned on a lathe, to funky rings featuring tiny engraved pictures of everything under the sun. Some of my work is created with basic hand tools, while others require some pretty high tech stuff. I dream in texture, color, and pattern.

Where are you:

My home is Greenville, SC. I’m convinced it’s one of the most creative cities in the country! 

What is your brand:

It’s important to me to repurpose. There’s no such thing as a scrap in my studio. A great deal of the leather used in my jewelry collection is recycled. I buy upholstery shop off cuts by the pound, and search thrift stores for damaged, or lets face it, extremely ugly articles of clothing, and I give the material new life, once again, in a whole new way. Every piece of material has a backstory.

The main goal of my business is to have interesting, affordable jewelry available to everyone who wants it. There’s so much to choose from within my line, and almost everything is under $30, which means buying one-of-a-kind handmade pieces doesn’t always have to be a major investment. I want to make it easy for people to start their handmade jewelry collection, whatever their age, budget, or personal style. 

Why support makers:

Buying right from the source is an incredible thing. There’s a personal connection you can’t get any other way. As a maker who supports other makers on a regular basis, I can say from personal experience that meeting the actual person who designed, created, and poured themselves into an item I find beautiful or can’t live without, makes me treasure those items all the more. There’s always a story and a face that goes along with each maker-made piece. 

Why keep Main Street alive:

We need to remember our roots. The whole concept of the very first Main Streets was to bring together makers, specialists, and businessmen as a community so they could better serve their customers, improve their techniques, and eventually prosper. They succeeded together, in part because of each other. We still need that. We probably need it now more than ever. The Main Streets of America are part of a very special economy, and they matter. There’s certainly a time and place for manufacturing and mass production, but there should also be a place for people with a passion and specialized skills. 

To connect with her she has provided these links:  

My Etsy shop is here: www.onceagainsam.com

My personal website & blog are here: www.sarahmandell.com

Instagram: @onceagainsam

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OnceAgainSam

Twitter: @onceagainsam

Maker | Swark

We recently fell in love with the brand Swark. They are shirt designers from Europe. We asked if they'd share a bit of their story and their brand....

We are two girls from Tallinn, Estonia, a hidden gem of Northern Europe. We are in a constant search for adventures, challenges and the awesome little things that make the day. Based on our philosophy that every day can be a fun day, we created a lifestyle brand SWÄRK – men’s button-up shirts with a twist. The name SWÄRK comes from an Estonian word “särk”, which means “a shirt” - as it’s more than just a shirt it’s a swärk. 

We believe in the secret power of colorful socks. And just as the right pair of socks can lift the mood, a right shirt can too. That’s the kind of shirt we wanted to create – a nicely fitting button-up that feels great to wear and lasts plus has this ”secret power”.  We want guys to always feel the “It’s my day!” vibe when wearing one of our shirts.

And why would two girls make shirts for guys? We had made so many clothes for ourselves before and it just seemed natural to follow a new direction for a change. Plus digging into a whole new world of “shirtology” seemed challenging and exciting.

Finding a manufacturer that shared our values was quite a journey, but we were lucky to find our ”jackpot” – a local company who is easy to work with and pays as much attention to quality as we do. And most importantly: we can be close to the whole process and work with real people. It’s a lot about supporting our local community too, especially being from such a small place.

Working with loads of different people is the best part of our job. It’s awesome to discover an inspiring print by a young designer and next see it on one of our shirts. There’s a lot of that kind of excitement created by the people around us. Not only by the ones we work together with, but also the ones sharing the SWÄRK spirit. And the excitement is what keeps us going. It really does feel more like a community than a brand. 

FOR MORE VISIT THERE WEBSITE

Authentic Lives | Dusty St. Amand

Fifty NYC Hotel, NYC.

Meet Dusty, a model and photographer currently living in NYC but who is moving to LA soon. He's been an instagram friend for over a year and this weekend I—Heath (@afieldguy)—was finally able to meet and shoot him while in NYC.

This shoot is a mix of fashion images I shot of Dusty for FOLK, and a few skin portraits for my new series, Brief Explorations, as well as a quick interview with Dusty.

Interview with Dusty:

Question: When/how did you first start modeling?

Dusty: I started modeling so that I could be around artists. I’d spent a long period of time without something to say and without a medium to say it, even if I did. A few years ago, as I was coming out a relationship, I realized that sharing my image was a way of participating in global conversations about sex, queerness, hair, and modern digital expression. 

Q: What is your favorite adventure you've ever been on?

D: My recent trip to Los Angeles is still buzzing in my mind. I went alone, functioned at my own pace, and got to know incredible people.

Q: What is your best fitness tip?

D: Diet. When you cut the amount of effort you put into knowingly toxifying your body, you in turn cut the amount of time spent ridding the body of those effects. This allows the body to rest, restore, and continue thriving into old age.

Q: What is your biggest vice?

D: Social Media can be a tool and vice. There are times when I have to get my phone away from my hand because it’s taking too much of my energy.

Q: What does 'home' mean to you?

D: Home is where I feel I can be vulnerable or flawed, while being supported and loved. That can exist in bonds between lovers, in moments of camaraderie at work, or in physical places that hold my things.

Q: How will your moving to LA change that?

D: Moving to LA is a reminder for me to always remain focused on personal happiness and creative work. I’m placing myself in a new circumstances so that I feel ascendant and, in turn, feel much happier (and “at home” just with myself, my actions, and dreams).

To see more of my work, including an upcoming blog post of this series' images, visit my website at www.afieldguy.com or my Instagram—@afieldguy.

Special thanks to Dusty for being an amazing and inspiring model. You can find more of his work on his Instagram—@dusterz—and order prints of his own amazing photography on his website www.suchdustyphotos.com.

Maker | R. Riveter

The founders of R. Riveter have firsthand experienced the same difficulty that so many other military spouses of today deal with on a daily basis - finding flexible and mobile employment while attached to the military. Military families are relocated every 2.9 years, making it difficult for the spouse to pursue a single career or gain work experience. Many spouses of service members need flexibility in their employment opportunities as they are independently managing their households while their partners are deployed or on long training missions. It was these unique challenges that inspired Lisa Bradley and Cameron Cruse in 2011.

Dahlonega, GA—home of the Appalachian Trail, moonshine, and the 5th Ranger Training Battalion. A cozy small town, and unique assignment for most Soldiers and families. Like many small towns, Dahlonega posed yet another challenge for military spouse seeking employment. Lisa and Cameron met in Dahlonega while enjoying an assignment in the North Georgia mountains. Cameron’s Master of Architecture degree and Lisa’s MBA were slowly seeming more and more irrelevant, especially with fragmented resumes from the multiple military moves. Enter R. Riveter. The one of a kind handbag company was born out of a mix of passion, creativity and determination, designed to help chip away at the heart of military spouse employment woes. In a converted attic the two women laid the groundwork for the still rapidly expanding company with a 45 year old, 75 pound, Consew industrial sewing machine, some old tents, refined with a bit of real leather.

​R. Riveter exists to provide mobile and flexible income to military spouses. Our company is run by military spouses; from the making of the smallest purse part to the models on our advertisements.  The larger R. Riveter story has been created chapter by chapter by each individual military spouse involved in the company.  Purse parts come from all over the country, making each R. Riveter bag a symbol of the American way of life and our connection as a military community.  It is our mission at R. Riveter to inspire pride and patriotism into the hearts of each customer.  We delight in the fact that we are completely homegrown and produce high quality, well-crafted items.   Our R. Riveter collection of handbags is the foundation of a company dedicated to serving the spouses of our service members. 

We are inspired by the challenges of our day and innovations that evolve as a result. Old military materials like duffle bags, wool blankets, and shelter halves are up-cycled, and combined with real, hand dyed leather to make each R. riveter bag-- producing a kind of character that is totally unique and full of history. Each bag is handmade by a military spouse; starting from the dying of the leather and canvas, to the assembly of the bag.  On the interior of the bag an edition tab displays the name & number of the individual bag, where it was made and when. 

At R. Riveter, we are inspired by the women who have come before us and truly exemplify the ‘We Can Do It’ attitude. Military spouses are a special group of women who take on the challenges of daily life and have a heart to serve in their community. As a special way to honor these women, all of our bags are named after famous military spouses. Made by hand to a strict quality standard, R. Riveter hand bags are a statement of pride and support for all military spouses and families.

To learn more about R. Riveter, their team, and their mission check out their website at www.riveter.com.

Maker | The Little Flower Soap Company

Q: Who are you?

A: The Little Flower Soap Company is an Ann Arbor, Michigan based small batch, body care company established in 2010 by husband/wife team Holly and Justin Rutt.

Q: What is your brand?

A: The little flower brand is on a mission to design products that become must have, can’t live without favorites.  Perfecting completely natural, healing recipes that smell amazing, really work and are cutely packaged.

Q: What do you make?

A: We make cold processed small batch soaps using heirloom techniques perfected and polished with time.  We make all natural super healing lip balms, bath salts, and body balms too!! We use only the best essential oils, botanicals, and minerals including organic rosemary leaf, organic lavender flowers, organic cocoa butter, Shea butter and many more.

Q: Why do you make?

A: We started our line of useful everyday body care items because we appreciated those homemade gem recipes for lip balms, massage balms and soaps that come and go from our local food co-ops and farmers markets.  We realized we could create healing ingredient loaded versions of these every day necessities for our own use. 

Q: What inspired you to make?

A: We were inspired by the homemade gem recipes for lip balms, massage balms and soaps that come and go from our local food co-ops and farmers markets. We realized we could create healing ingredient loaded versions of these every day necessities for our own use. I stay inspired by the the rave reviews and repeat customers that we have collected over these 5 years. When I’m feeling worn thin during rush seasons like Mother’s Day and Christmas I take a few minutes to read the 1000+ 5 star reviews that our sweet customers have left on our Etsy shop. I love seeing people say things like “it smells AMAZING” and “its my new favorite” and especially “this stuff really works!” I am inspired by nature in a big way so when I'm feeling uninspired a drive to the country, or walk in the woods fixes me right up. A strong cup of coffee and James Taylor's greatest hits will do the trick when I can't get away.

Q: Why support makers and keep Main Street alive?

A: Makers create the highest quality most beautiful, useful creations no matter what the cost because they take PRIDE in their work. It means homes filled with useful beautiful everyday items, not cheap plastic substitutes. When you support makers you support the renaissance of the skilled manual worker, or artisan who can finally find fulfilling work that also pays the bills. Main Street is the hub of the community where our Co-ops and coffee shops are sandwiched between farm stores and bakeries.  Without these unique small business all of our towns become cold, identical, and isolating cement jungles.

Q: What sets you apart as a maker?

A: Our unique partnership sets us apart, Justin is a doctor with a great intuition for writing healing body care recipes  I’m an aesthetically obsessed designer with a love of nature and community: I make sure we present our goods beautifully and share them with as many people as possible.

Our brand is unique because we don’t shy away from long lists of healing ingredients.  We are not afraid to invest in the best ingredients because we know when you try the product you will agree its superior and worth the extra nickel.  We keep cupboards full of zinc, aloe, shea, cocoa butter, hemp, calendula, arnica and so many more.  We also feel strongly that once you have made a product that exceeds expectations it deserves beautiful packaging because every detail matters.  What’s better then having the best lip balm on earth in your pocket?  Having the best lip balm in the cutest tube with the sleekest label that really speaks to your refined sense of style and taste of course.

Q: What are your goals as a maker?

A: Somedays our goal is just to keep up with demand but ultimately our goal is to build a pole barn studio that can double as a community center for maker classes and kinfolk dinners.  

We are always committed to polishing and perfecting every aspect of our product, the recipes of course but also he packaging. It shows in our reviews people are surprised how much they like it when it arrives.

Q: Why be an independent business owner?

A: Freedom! Every kind of freedom you can imagine:  set my own schedule, choose what to focus on, work from where I want, wear what I want and make anything I dream up.  The only thing stopping me from being this free is when the orders are pouring in at which point the customer is the boss.

To learn more about Justin and Holly and all of the wonderful products they're making at The Little Flower Soap Company, visit their website www.littleflowersoap.com.

Chaps

Celeste Shaw owns the most charming cafe in Spokane, Washington. Chaps is a place unlike any other. Truly a place you want to return to again and again. Recently we sat down with her to learn a bit more about her and a bit more about the inspiration behind Chaps.

Heath: Did you grow up in Spokane?

Celeste: I was born and raised in a Montana two dot town, where the west has an enduring impression on the people who have lived there or been raised in its possession. It’s a place where the prairie meets the mountains, the mountains meet the sky and the sky goes on forever, it’s the home of our legends, our heroes, and outlaws. It’s our romanticized past and present. 

Heath: Was Chaps something you dreamt of creating as a kid?

Celeste: Not really dreamt of, I think I was born to serve; indeed my childhood on a farm nurtured this.  

Heath: Who taught you to cook, and when/how did they teach you?

Celeste: My earliest memory of life with my grandmother Selma, a Montana homesteader, was waking to the mouth-watering aromas of baked bread and fried summer sausage.  Simultaneously, those smells embraced the delicious aroma of a freshly boiled cowboy coffee. Slabs of smoke-cured ham steak toyed with my tiny nostrils like a siren song.  I would lie beneath fresh clothesline dried sheets and dissect the air for scents that could only come from the magic of her primitive kitchen.  Chokecherry preserves, creamy thick gravy, mounds of fried potatoes seasoned just so with a crunchy outer crust, oatmeal to ‘die for’, uh huh-comfort food.  So as a tribute to my sweet Selma, Chaps was built and created in a 1912 original farmhouse. 

Everybody has his or her own idea of what constitutes a comfort food.  More often than not, foods described as such are conjured from memories of past times and places that were safe and inviting, warm and friendly, loving and nurturing.  It isn’t comfort food unless it offers you contentment thinking about it, as well as of the person who made it for you. The food is straight forward, and unpretentious.

Real comfort food embraces all of our senses. The enchantment of preparing food, which brings solace, is mysterious. We are all vulnerable to the sweeping affection we have within our memories of a personal story or experience told through delicious recipes and charming reflections of eating and sharing.  It teases our noses and seduces our eyes.  Taste buds are in suspense, which in turn triggers emotions and memories. I love to listen to the sizzle of my favorite dishes in a griddle or the crunch of that first anticipated bite.  Comfort food has the power to commence imagination and to transcend us through time. 

But the real truth is that by the end of my very first day I knew, sitcom moments notwithstanding that creating Chaps would become a love story and it has. I love it.

Heath: Is there a particular type of food you like to cook?

Celeste: As above comfort food

Heath: How did you decide to create the theme of Chaps?

Celeste: My Mother and My two adorable Norwegian Grandparents Hans and Selma Tveten raised me on a farm in Montana. My Grandparents were homesteaders staking claim in the early 1900’s for a section of land in Northeastern Montana. Selma a child really was quite tenacious to bear the true hardship evoked on early homesteaders. She was a quintessential mother and farmers wife. After her death I needed to return home to Montana to a now abandoned farm to acquire some of the items I wanted to save before things were destroyed by nature or looters. It was remarkably difficult to go; painful really, I couldn’t do it. It was all I knew of life, where I learned to feel safe, to know faith, to know the earth, it felt poignant. I struggled with the ability to say goodbye to those memories and the 100-year-old house that would soon be swallowed by the earth. 

A friend presented me with the gift of a pair of perfect red ruby slippers made exclusively for my feet. “Go home Celeste” she said. I drove the 28 hours from Washington to “Home”. 

It was then while stuffing my car with everything I could hold, I found a letter. The letter was written to my grandfather from his mother in Norway. He longed to leave home to be a real cowboy, to have his own land, to raise his own family, his own crops, and his own life. His Mother knowing she would never see her son again said no.

Relentless, he earnestly pleaded. I often wonder what she must have felt as she sat writing him the love letter of her life, saying goodbye, and sending him with a pair of Chaps, her blessing, and giving him freedom. 

Chaps was created as my tribute to Montana Life, food and faith.

Heath: Chaps has been included in many Food Network “best of’s”, how did you come up with those recipes, and why do you think people are so enamored with the cafe and food?

Celeste: Many of the recipes are reminiscent of the food I had prepared for me as a child by my grandmother Selma. It’s always amazing to me that it’s a common day for chaps to have 75 people waiting in line to eat. I cant quite put my finger on what creates this almost magical environment. Food? Maybe it’s really good. Ambiance?  The 1912 farmhouse turned dining and bakery is wonderful and engaging. But there is something so sweet about the authentic embracing of knowing everyone’s names, sharing in their lives, seeing people come together in one place and visit as neighbor, laugh, kids running everywhere. It’s this that feeds their soul not just their bellies. 

Heath: What are your hobbies outside of Chaps?

Celeste: Freelance writing, international medicine, love to junk. My favorite hobby is to be home on my own farm.

Heath: Do you still practice nursing?

Celeste: Yes, but at a minimum. I will travel to Rwanda in October to perform Open Heart Surgery on children and young adults. 

Heath: Ben tells me you are planning to work in (Africa/South America?) soon to help the communities and people there through healthcare, how did you decide to do that? Is it something you have done before? 

Celeste: I have been working with in the international medical community for 22 + years. I have now traveled to Mexico, South America, Philippines, Africa, Romania, and many locations in the world. ​

Maker | Vermont Farm Table

Maker | J and B Custom Leather

How did you get started with leather?

Leather goods have always been a part of my husband's life and my life. Growing up, we both lived on horse farms where we used multiple pieces of leather equipment every day. A few years ago my husband and I met, and I learned that his mother made leather goods. Her specialty is riding chaps for people who show horses, but she has created numerous leather products throughout her 40+ years of experience. In 2013, we decided to move from Georgia to Kentucky to be closer to his family and learn some of their knowledge of the horse and leather industries. My initial goal was to learn how to create riding chaps, but God soon set another goal in front of me. Dog collars. The area of Kentucky we lived in was extremely rural, and I was having a hard time trying to find a job that wasn't an hours drive away. Spinning my wheels, I came across some beautiful and unique collars that my mother-in-law had created the previous winter. She said she didn't have any real luck selling them. All I could think was that there was no way they wouldn't sell if we could show them to the right people. I had heard quite a bit about Etsy before and thought that would be the best place to start. I soon had potential Etsy customers asking if they could have custom designed collars, and the rest is history  

Were you always interested in owning your own business?

If you would have asked me in high school, I would have said absolutely. If you would have asked me four years ago, I would have said I had other plans in mind. In high school I devoted my life to anything business related. I took every marketing and business class that was offered. I was a part of a marketing and business organization, DECA, in which I competed at multiple levels in entrepreneurship. I had originally entered college as an Agricultural Economics major with the intentions that someday I MAY own some sort of business. That dream eventually faded into something that seemed a bit more realistic. Out of all small businesses, 80% fail within the first eighteen months. That figure alone was a constant reminder of an unsure future in the small business world and my ideas weren't all that new or grand. A year or so later, I changed majors to Early Childhood and Special Education following one of the best experiences of my life. I was a counselor and member of the barn staff at a camp in Colorado called Camp Chief Ouray. The kids were amazing, and the life there was so wonderful that I was sure that working with youth was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I returned back to my life in college, changed my major, completed the required courses, student taught, and received my degree and certificates. Somewhere towards the end of my college career, I met my husband and that is when life started to drift back towards my original career path.

How did you learn to make leather goods?

A lot of my leather knowledge I owe to my mother-in-law and father-in-law. She helped teach me the basics of leather work and sewing while he helped teach me how to stamp leather. Also, some of my knowledge also came from trial and error. Once I learned the basics, I would make test products and "tweak" things as I went along. It is all a continuous learning process, especially as trends come and go.

How do you get ideas for products?

My customers are my number one resource for ideas. We allow our customers to design their own collars or customize pre-designed. This helps guide us in directions that others may like. Our customers have created some really unique pieces that my husband and I would have never thought of. Once we get done with a custom piece, we decide if it is something we would like to offer the rest of our customers. Then we make small changes so it is not an identical design. Our other source for ideas is the products and ideas on the internet - not just leather goods but anything handmade. We want to keep that handmade, one-of-a-kind feel alive, and we love creating designs that capture those feelings.

What are your inspirations?

Our biggest inspirations are the West and Southwest. I have been fortunate enough to have had the chance to visit many places in Native American and Cowboy country. I've visited Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona which all offer an abundance of different inspiration for our work. We actually have a collection called "The Southwestern Collection" that has a piece named after a city in almost every state mentioned. Each state has it's own unique set of characteristics. For example, Texas is cowboy country so we have our stamped leather collar and our hair-on-hide collar named "The Dallas" and "The Fort Worth". Our collar made with real turquoise cabochons is named "The Santa Fe" due to the amount of turquoise products you find in the area.

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

Owning horses and being outdoor enthusiasts have a huge impact on our designs and the way we create our products. Living on a horse farm, you have to have equipment that is of outstanding quality, or it will not last through the daily grind of dirt, sweat, and wear. If a horse's bridle can last for years and years, then why can't a collar? (Unless Mr. Pickles decides to make a yummy leather snack out of it :P) We use some of the highest quality leathers and materials the industry has to offer.

Our love for the outdoors has also had a huge impact on how we create our collars. Although we have various collections that are all based on completely different styles, our "Rustic Canine" and "Everyday Hunter" collections really emphasize more natural designs. Earthy colors and antiqued metals attempt to imitate things you may find while walking in the wonderful outdoors.

What has been your biggest lesson?

Not undercutting ourselves is a huge ongoing lesson. The handcrafted market is such unique market that the price and quality of the products can not really be compared to something you would buy in a franchise store. Each handcrafted piece, no matter if you buy from us or someone that makes wooden spoons, has so so so much time and money invested. Each one of our pieces takes at least two hours to complete between both my husband and I. Those two hours are just the creation part. The time we use to talk to customers, order products, take pictures and so on isn't even included. Before we had even opened our business, I read many articles about setting good and fair prices for handmade goods. Stubborn me, I didn't listen to them. When we first started, we had our prices very low. We hoped that our one-of-a-kind pieces could be marked at a price where almost anyone could buy them. Unfortunately our dreams and desires didn't work out so well. We were making such a small profit margin there was no way that out business could make it without increasing our prices. We still don't have our products at a full retail markup, but we hope to find other ways to increase efficiency or cut costs so our products can be used and worn by more individuals.

What's your favorite thing about owning your business?

Being able to work with my husband is by far one of my favorite parts of this business. We both share in the same joys and disappointments of the business and help each other up when one is feeling down or unmotivated. Creating and growing this business with him has been wonderful, and I couldn't ask for a more hardworking and dedicated partner for this journey.

My other favorite part about owning this business is creating custom designs. I love creating designs that customers have developed or new ones that my husband and I have drawn up. It is such an amazing and rewarding feeling to see something go from a leather hide to a finished product. When customers receive their custom products, I always look forward to the response emails or letters. We are always humbled by the gratitude our customers pay us.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

To keep on and never give up. Just like with life, owning your own business does not have a secret recipe. Each business takes its own unique set of instructions to keep it going and make it successful. There are so many different directions to go and when a lot of your choices don't seem to be working out it can be quite a let down. If you don't keep a positive attitude and keep moving forward, all can seem hopeless. Our business venture has been such a roller coaster ride since the first day we opened in 2013. We know we have a unique product, but trying to find a way to keep the orders coming in has been a serious ongoing equation. Sometimes I am not sure that my abilities or skills will be enough to keep the business going. I consult my husband or my parents and they soon remind me to keep trying.

Why should people support small business?

Supporting small businesses doesn't mean that you are buying just another product. You are buying a product that will in turn support a family, a dream, and a passion. Additionally you are potentially giving to a business that helps and supports different organizations in your community. Many small businesses try to help raise money and awareness for various organizations at local and national levels. This year we plan to dedicate at least three months where a portion of sales are donated to organizations focused on youth and dogs. Small businesses also tend to have a much better customer service standing. Lots of handmade companies offer warranties and guarantees for their products. Small businesses usually go out of their way to meet their customers needs and to make them happy.

What's been your biggest challenge in owning your own business?

Trying to find a balance between our business, family, and personal life has been really rough. If you let it, your business can really consume you and all your time. Since all of our products are handcrafted, it takes almost double the time compared to a simple retail business. My husband and I handle customer service questions, design new and/or custom products, order materials, manage our website and Etsy, converse with potential advertising and social media partners, develop advertising partnerships, post social media pictures and messages, stamp nameplates, cut out products, dye products, sew products, apply adornments, photograph products, edit pictures, package orders, deliver orders to the post office, input accounting information, and vend dog and horse shows. The list goes on and on. Having all of this to do between one and a half people (since my husband also has a full-time job) can be really overwhelming. Because we are trying so hard to have our business take off, we sometimes don't make enough time for the more important things in life. Once we get a little further in to the year, we hope to be able to add one more member to our J&B team and help everything smooth out.

Maker | The Fare Trade

Meet Jake Ahles and Max Block, the duo behind The Fare Trade. Recently we started working with them and finding out how they started their amazing culinary-driven masterpiece. The Fare Trade is a curated collection of ingredients tested and loved by a hand-picked up-and-coming chef or culinary professional delivered monthly to your door. Each month Jake and Max team up with someone new to bring their subscribers and customers a new box full of diverse and unique ingredients from many local and small-batch culinary brands. We sat down with them to learn more about how they started their company and were able to test out one of their boxes for ourselves.

How did you get started in the kitchen?

Jake: Max + I both grew up with families that cooked together. When we moved off campus in college, we rediscovered our love for food and found ourselves visiting local farmers markets and family-owned gourmet grocers in the area. After graduating and at the time unemployed, it was the perfect opportunity to develop my kitchen skills. I walked into a restaurant called District, under Chef Kris Morningstar, and asked if I could observe. Luckily they said yes + after a few weeks I was offered a position!  It was an amazing and worthwhile experience.

Were you always interested in food and cooking? Photography?

Jake: My passion for food and photography both stem stem from my father - who is both an amazing cook and photographer. My weekends were often filled with helping my dad in the kitchen or going on photographic adventures - learning the basics of photography in the days before digital. 

Max: My family works within the food industry - buying and selling liquor licenses nationwide - so I grew up surrounded by the world of restaurants and chefs. I always wanted to find out how to build on that momentum and luckily The FareTrade has allowed for an amazing extension of that lineage. 

Who taught you to cook?

Jake: I initially learned how to cook alongside my father. My family ate dinner together nearly every night + I often found myself helping with the prep.  My professional kitchen skills stem from Chef Morningstar, where I learned proper culinary techniques and build off the foundation that was laid for me growing up.

Max: Growing up my family made it a point to eat dinner together as much as possible. My brother and I were each given one task from our father to accomplish, be it stirring a risotto, making the salad dressing or plating the dish. We didn't realize it at the time but we both gained a skill-set that after we left home for college provided a great launch-point for cooking on our own.

How do you get ideas for photo shoots?

Jake: Particularly for photoshoots with The FareTrade, we like to let the food outline the shoot. The ingredients in the products or the recipe/finished dishes inspire us not only in the kitchen but for the photo shoots as well. 

What inspires your ideas for new products or recipes?

Jake: The producers of the products are really who inspire us. There are so many amazing craftsmen and women across the country right now. The monthly chefs get the credit for the recipes 100%. The dishes are created solely based on the chef's imagination of what they would cook in their restaurants or how they would use the products at home. We do craft our own recipes on our blog, The Trade, in which we try to challenge both our team + our readers while making dishes that we would want to eat ourselves.  

Max: What's amazing about The FareTrade is that it is something very collaborative - from the producers to the chefs to the community of members. We're constantly inspired by the passion for their craft and it in turn inspires us to provide a platform that showcases their talent in the brightest light. We also think of The FareTrade as a "New Culinary Adventure Each Month" - playing on that idea of sending our community on a vivid and delicious adventure is inspiring in itself. 

How do your hobbies influence what you make?

Jake: The FareTrade is a perfect amalgamation of my greatest passions - food, photography + travel.  Being able to share these passions with The FareTrade’s community is affirming and rewarding, to say the least. 

Max: What The FareTrade seeks to accomplish really represents us at our core. A passion for food is what drives us everyday whether its recipe testing, speaking to chefs, or experiencing a new restaurant. Food is what truly connects every person - there is nothing more authentic than getting around the table and sharing an amazing meal with those you love or those you've just met. 

What has been your biggest lesson?

Jake: Trust your gut. There are often multiple sources of information and opinions (which should be listened to and weighed) but ultimately you know what is best for your company. 

What's your favorite thing about sharing your recipes and products?

Max: We're thrilled to be able to provide home cooks and food fans exclusive access to the nation's most talented chefs who help them change their cooking forever while also introducing them to amazing ingredients they've likely never heard of. All from the comfort of their own home.

What's been your best advice you've been given?

Jake: Be persistent. Starting a new business is a daily roller coaster with highs and lows. You need to have the courage and strength to get through the low points to reach the highs. 

Max: My mother gave me a paperweight years ago that says "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" - I look at it every morning and it gets me ready to conquer the day.

What's been your biggest challenge?

Jake: Ultimately we love building and growing The FareTrade. While every day presents new challenges, that is part of what brings the joy and excitement of running a business.

Max: There are obstacles everyday in running any company but at the end of it we get to do what we love and that's amazing. Any challenge we've overcome has resulted in a better understanding of what The FareTrade is. And most likely a nice glass of Scotch. 

Maker | Feral Watches

As part of our Maker series, we wanted to catch up with one of our favorite makers of women's watches. We love watches, they're a classic accessory that is actually handy. Megan Hollenback started Feral Watches after a trip to Oahu left her wanting to create something unique. We asked her to tell us a little more about her brand and her wrap watches.

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Who are you:

Megan Hollenback of Feral Watches. I am an identical triplet and mom to two fun kids. I love to camp, fly fish, surf, bike, travel, eat, and drive a VW van.

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What do you make:

I design women's wrap watches. They are fun and feminine time pieces that wrap around the wrist 2 or 3 times. 

Why do you make:

We are just trying to do something different. Incorporate personal style and an aesthetic that we enjoy into what we create. The world is so accessible in terms of creativity and for me it is just fun to explore that. The canvas I chose just happened to be watches. 

Why support makers:

With so many big brands backed by money and large companies it is hard for us little people to stand out and get our products out there. But if you pay attention, the little companies are the ones pushing the envelope and the bigger brands follow suit. Every little bit of support and appreciation really validates what we are doing and pushes us to go bigger and better.

Tell us a little more about how you started Feral: 

We wanted a watch that was different. Something that reflected our carefree lifestyle and went well with our colorful stack of floss bracelets wrapping our wrists. There was something to be said there - looking at our arms stacked with memories to remind us of the adventures we had traveling the world. We knew we had to bring that same feeling to our daily life but in the best way possible. We wanted to have a timepiece that was simple. Fun. Different. When the dust of our traveling feet settled in exchange for sandy toes on the North Shore of Oahu, the wrap watch was born. 

Feral began making wrap watches by hand using unique faces and suede cords. Inspired by salty hair, winter swells and everything under the sun, we knew we had created what we were looking for - something to reflect who we are. We are free spirits. We are creators. We are lovers. We are feral at heart. Our collection of beautiful wrap watches double as bracelets, making them more than just an ordinary time-teller. Feral's fun and feminine timepieces add structure to your wild side by keeping you punctual. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air'.

Why keep Main Street alive:

The coolest stuff comes from Main Street!

Maker | In Blue Handmade

Q: How did you get started with In Blue?

A: In 2008 I quit my job in the music business in Chicago and moved to a small farm town in Southern Illinois. I bought a sewing machine on the way down in an attempt to be more self-sufficient. As fate would have it, I loved to sew, and I have been sewing for a living since! I started In Blue later that year, and now we are a team of 10 full time makers working in a large studio space in Asheville, NC. We service more than 300 wholesale accounts and boast the highest sales record on etsy.com in leather goods. 

Q: Were you always interested in creating leather goods?

A: I always loved leather, but it took me a while to realize it was something I could learn how to do.  When I started sewing, my dad encouraged me to challenge myself and sent me a remnant hide of leather from eBay. I played around with it and I loved it. Seven years later, I know that leather is definitely the medium for me! Hi dad! 

Q: Who taught you?

A: I learned most of what I know about leather-working through a wonderful person named Frank who lived right outside of Asheville. He passed away a couple of years ago, but he spent hours showing me amazing old leather patterns and tricks of the trade. 

Q: Did you know you would start your own brand, if not what spurred it?

A: I don’t think that I had a plan when I started my company. I was not sure what would be next for me when I stopped working in the music business, but I knew that I needed a creative outlet. This was not premeditated­ it was just life falling into place. The company and brand have evolved so much over the last 7 years, and so much of that has been due to my amazing team of leatherworkers, who have become like family. My team helps me define our brand with their dedication to our community, our environment (love these mountains so much), and our customer base.

Q: How do you get ideas for photo shoots?

A: We work with an amazing social media consultant and photographer: Chelsea Laine Francis. She handles most of our concept shoots. Chelsea lives in Austin, TX, and we phone conference and talk online all of the time about photoshoot ideas. She makes our vision come to life, and she adds a touch that we feel completes our aesthetic fully. 

Q: What are your inspirations? What inspired your products and you?

A: Music! Mountains! People! I made my first leather journal after watching Chuck Ragan play a show in Memphis, TN. I remembered working with him when he was touring with Hot Water Music, and then seeing him play solo sparked an idea. I kept wondering how he had created this amazing folk music, and I pictured him writing in a leather book. I drove straight home and started to create a leather journal. 

Q: How do your hobbies influence what you make?

A: My hobbies include playing guitar, reading, and spending time with my friends. My friends and the music we love have a giant influence on what I make. When I have a creative block, the thing that is most likely to pull me through is the perfect record or album, front to back, loudly played in my studio. My friends influence me through their conversation and their movements. I often think “so and so could really use a bag that included these features...” and then we will release a bag with a specific person in mind. 

Q: What has been your biggest lesson?

A: I’ve learned that, as the business grows, I must be adaptable. . We are constantly under review, and that can be emotionally challenging. Learning to handle rejection along with rejoicing in our successes can be a rollercoaster, but it is such an amazing experience. To be this invested in my daily work is something that I know I am lucky to have, and I hope that it translates into our product. 

Q: What's your favorite thing about creating and sharing your bags and leather goods?

A: It never stops feeling great to have such an amazing response to our product. This morning we watched the band Houndmouth play on the David Letterman show with our guitar strap. We are lucky to outfit some of the best and brightest young writers and musicians in the country, and it is an honor to do so. We love to see our product in use, and we cherish pictures of our customers using their journals, musicians playing in our straps, or seeing people on a random train in NYC carrying an In Blue Handmade bag. 

Q: What's been your best advice you've been given?

A: The best advice that I have ever been given is to “go my own way”. We do not have a standard business model, and we never will. I think that, especially in handcraft, it is important to forge your own path and make sure that you have a system that works for you. Being educated on standard business models is important, but when you’re creating a handmade product you really have to make your own decisions in order to help the business grow while staying true to your vision as a maker. 

Q: What's been your biggest challenge?

A: Keeping up! We are so lucky to have so many amazing orders, and we are constantly hiring new team members to help with production. It means several 3am nights in my studio heating up ramen noodles. My dogs have beds here and the coffeemaker is always running. I love it though. I thrive on it. It doesn’t seem like work, it seems like life in action.