On the fourth day of our Holiday Gift Guide, we are highlighting five fashion apparel and accessories brands that are innovative, unique and devastatingly stylish. They might be small brands however they attract fashionistas in the know who want to walk in a room knowing they will not only look fabulous but don’t have to worry about their outfits being replicated.
The designers we are featuring have an aesthetic that involves love of textures, colors, techniques and value sustainability. We picked a few of our favorite pieces from each collection which was not easy, so we encourage you to look further on their sites (yes you can order from their online shop too) and to witness the variety of holiday gift options they provide, especially at all different price points.
Mary Jaeger fine accessories collection is inspirited by both eastern traditions and contemporary western design. inspired by my passions for color, texture and pattern she uses shaped resist dyeing techniques synthesized with voluminous silhouettes and a love of hand-crafted construction and couture details. Beginning with woven and knit natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, alpaca and cashmere, she proceeds to selectively dye and shrink portions of the fabric or garment multiple times. Her fine cashmere shawls use sustainably sourced cashmere yarns hand-woven in a family-owned atelier in Katmandu and are individually designed and dyed in Jaeger’s atelier. The intersecting lines of this shawl are inspired by a classic watch plaid. This shawl is season-less – the perfect wrap for chilly summer evenings and air conditioned rooms. Any woman would treasure Mary Jaeger’s collection as a holiday gift. $$-$$$
100% fine cashmere
hand-woven
individually hand dyed using shaped-resist techniques
Maria de la Orden is a relatively new fashion brand founded in Madrid by Maria de la Orden and Laura de la Révélière. The brand has taken off in its popularity by offering a colorful and eclectic collection that is disarming feminine and flirty. The Riza pants featured are offered in bright jewel tone colors with contrasting piping and is indicative of the brand’s love of playing with color and pattern with feminine silhouettes that are fun yet sophisticated pieces of clothing. The Niza pants are made in a Fushia corduroy fabric. They have a straight cut and a high-waist with a nacre button fastening. The two white patch front pockets and side linewill provide a retro touch to your look! Mix and match with our shirts and sweaters to play with the pockets for an eye-catching total look! 100% Cotton. Made in Europe. $$-$$$
Voz, which means “voice” in Spanish is a Benefit Corporation ethical fashion company whose mission is to protect the livelihoods, well-being, and cultural values of rural indigenous women globally. They pay living wages for every textile and sewn garment, and use sustainable fibers and processes. VOZ was founded in 2012 by Jasmine Etoile Aarons, and today provides over 100 jobs throughout their supply chain. The Che Crop Top featured is made of soft and luxurious Baby Alpaca and features the Che symbol, signifying human unity. $$-$$$
100% Baby Alpaca hand-loomed in Chile by Mapuche weavers
Founded by Jillian Kaufman Grano and Fulani Steven Hart, Archerie seeks to play with patterns and silhouettes that are modern yet invite color and sophistication that works well from the job place to evening wear. Its made for the woman who would like to stand out in the room, but for all the right reason. Wilhelmina is our version of what a shirt dress should be. Full button front. Off center waist tie. Just enough stitched down pleats and shirring at the waist and on the sleeve to give it just enough femininity. 100% poly crepe. Rust Geo.
Kai D. Utility offers a highly curated selection of men’s clothing and our pick is one that is a customer favorite and a perfect gift for the man in your life, cashmere! The brand is Moray and the cashmere hair is from Outer Mongolia. These are often lone herdsmen who live out in the gers (yurts in English) in the steppes of the Gobi desert, lush and green in the summer and frozen all winter. Moray ensures the herdsmen are paid fairly and the herds can be fed during the winter with hay and corn and are not too large (which leads to malnutrition and starvation of the weaker goats). The yarn is spun with more twists than the industry standard (due to the long Mongolian fibers) our cashmere pills less. To prevent pilling machine wash. Use a wool cycle and non-biological detergent. (Biological detergents contain enzymes which can damage hair. Cashmere is actually a hair not a wool. Hand washing is also an option with very lightweight items however be careful not to kneed the garment like dough, just stir in the warm water and let it soak. Made in 100% highest quality Mongolian cashmere. Mock neck style. Slim fit. Suggest to go one size up. Made in Mongolia. $$-$$$
May these choices not only be helpful in your gift giving but new sources of fashion for you to delve into and support as local, small businesses with high quality products, unique design, sustainable slow fashion and artisanal skills they hope to pass on to the next generation.
On the third day of our “Twelve Days of Christmas Holiday Gift Guide” we are featuring five handbag brands that range from heritage brands to relatively new independent brands. Their designs are unique and created by master artisans who have the knowledge of generations at their hands. Along with a consciousness of making a product that is as sustainable as possible, these brands work at using the materials wisely whilst creating fashion pieces that provide excellent gifts for the holidays.
Moi and Sass, is a handbag and leather goods brand founded by Latin Americans Moira Laporta and Alessandra de Osma, designed in Madrid and made in Spain. This relatively new brand has a minimalist aesthetic as it incorporates high quality leathers whilst utilizing the craftsmanship of Spanish leather artisans. The “Muna Mini Tote” is your everyday bag to carry all of your essentials in style. With a surprisingly spacious interior, this bag is crafted from Italian calf leather and features two handy external pockets to easily store your phone and small valuables. All Moi & Sass products are Made in Spain. $$$
Patent of Heart is a handbag brand founded by Turkish designer turned New Yorker Elif Ayakin. Patent of Heart creates handbags and small leather goods with inspiration from multiple cultures and are crafted by men and women artisans all over the world. We love this new style the “Mina Wristlet and Crossbody” which is small but holds the little important things. What is also great about giving the Mina as a gift is that Patent of Heart donated proceeds from their sales to help the education of young women around the world who don’t have much access to classrooms and learning. Win/Win! $$
Kempton and Co. is a handbag and lifestyle brand that was founded by English designer turned New Yorker, Fiona Kempton. Kempton’s equestrian and sailing background heavily influence her designs and creations seen mainly in her choice of materials and hardware yet are remarkably perfect for both country and city life. Kempton and Co.’s Henley Fold Up Bag, is our choice for the perfect holiday gift as they state: “The Henley Fold Up Bag combines our simple brass detail with a durable wax canvas. Trimmed with bridle leather straps, brass zipper and buckle, this is the perfect tote for transitioning from carrying it all to emptying out, and turn into a slim convenient package. Measurements: 14" H x 14" W x 9" ,Folded: 7" H x 10" W x 1."Handle Drop: 5"- 8 1/2" Adjustable.” $$-$$$
For those in the know, Connolly is an English heritage brand founded in 1878 by a small family of saddlers and shoe-smiths. As the car industry grew, Connolly became the go to leather upholsterer for the interior of world renowned automobiles such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Jaquar and Aston Martin. It is still a family run business and has since grown to a respectful leather goods and lifestyle brand in their 142 year old history. Their small leather goods make for excellent holiday gifts for the men in your life as for those in the know, know how special it is to have a Connolly product. The Tan Hex Medium Leather Wallet reflects Connolly’s signature aesthetic, the hex ½ medium zip wallet has only the finest details. Vintage palladium hardware is made in Italy to the most exacting standards. Made of natural vegetable tanned leather the tan hex half medium wallet has white stitching and a two-sided zip that are carefully finished. Owning a Connolly product made be the closest you can get to being inside James Bond’s Aston Martin. $$$
Joyn Bags is an ethical, fair-trade handbag brand founded by husband and wife team Mel and Dave who moved to Rajpur, India and started working with female artisans who were victims of abuse and human trafficking so that they may have another chance on changing their lives by craftsmanship and making handmade leather goods. Our choice for the guide is this beautiful Mini-Weekender that was designed for those who happen to travel a lot. This Mini-Weekender is made with durable canvas material. It has two external pockets with snap buttons that fasten securely. It has one internal zipper pocket, a phone pocket and miscellaneous pocket. It has a removable leather pouch insert inside that functions as a divider and another compartment. It fastens securely with two hidden magnets at the base and two dog hooks on either side. When this leather insert is removed, it can be worn as a crossbody. So if you’re at your destination, and you want to ditch the heavy load and head to a party, your crossbody is right there, no extra carry-on needed. Full grain leather with Block Printed Canvas internally antique gold hardware. $$-$$$
As you see our choices ranged from large weekenders, to small wristlets, to small leather goods for both men and women in all price points. Each choice has an incredible story on how the brand originated and their unique design vision . These choices make for exceptional holiday gifts that will be sure to be treasured for a long time.
On day two of The Local Artisan Guide Twelve Days of Christmas Holiday Gift Guide we are featuring six local and international artisan jewelers with influences from Italy, Japan, Thailand, Holland and New York. We chose small independent jewelry brands that range in all price points that not only have a unique vision in their creations but work to create ethical and sustainable collections. We have chosen pieces from their collections as gift recommendation however we encourage you to research and do a deeper dive into their creations.
Dutch fine artisan and artisanal jewelry designer Judith Haas creates unique pieces that reflect her diverse art background . Born in Holland, Judith Haas now lives and works in her studio in Brooklyn creating a collection of jewelry and fine art. Our selection is inspired by fellow Dutch artist Piet Mondrian and is entitled “Half Moon Mondrian Necklace”. It is fine silver partially oxidized, with 24k gold leaf pendant. 15 inch Sterling Silver chain with 2.5 inch extension chain ( 17.5 inch total) Ask for costume made length. Haas creations are surprisingly affordable and a great gift for lovers of art.
Thai jewelry designer Nakamol creates pieces that are made by the over 200 Thai family and friends artisans in her native Thailand. The “Paloma Statement Earrings” are dazzling statement earrings that gives oomph to your casuals. Materials: faceted crystal, lapis, agate, wire hook. Measurements: 3" drop. Nakamol creates a beautiful collection that is very affordable.
Italian jewelry designer Ilenia Corti Vernissage is a fine jewelry and accessories designer. She grew up in a family of artisanal jewelry designers and her creations have crossed into the world where fashion meets nature. Her maximalist style is full of color and precise detail where the beauty of nature is transformed into eye catching creations. Here we have a piece from her “Attendiamo Amore” collection, an intricate mix of golden skulls, snakes, gemstones and floras. The name of the cuff bracelet is “Limbo Cuff Bracelet” Price upon request.
Japanese goldsmith artisan Yoshinobu Kataoka is a master jewelry designer whose creations are sparkly minimalist masterpieces made in Tokyo. Although his designs may be minimal, they visually pack a punch. We see that in “Diamond Snow Flake Ring-Old Mine” The description for this ring is as follows, “A Winter’s Timeless Love Affair. With its captivating, beaming, icy white, old mine-cut diamond nestled in the center, surrounded by a sweeping halo of brilliant tiny diamonds and accents on the fine milgrain-edged band, the Diamond Snowflake Ring–Old Mine enchants the hearts of true lovers of winter’s serene flawless beauty. Reminiscent of the sophisticated style of the 1800s, this one-of-a-kind piece brings back the class and elegance of those golden old days.”
Ref: ka0148ab
Band: width 1 mm thickness 2 mm
Diamond (center) 0.695 ct. G color, clarity SI1, Old Mine cut.
Rome to NYC transplant, Claudia Desideri is the artisan jewelry designer behind Desideri Designs. Her jewelry collection is unique in that she specializes in Swarovski crystals and gold or silver metal intwined wire. The pieces are colorful and range from minimal to statement within the collection. “Capri Blue” is a conglomeration of Desideri’s Italian heritage and many travels to the Mediterranean Sea. The pieces are very affordable especially for their unique beauty and quality.
Jacto is a sustainable, ethical jewelry brand handmade in NYC that uses ethically sourced upcycled fish bones with nickel-free recycled metals. The creator, jewelry designer Melanie Maggio was inspired by discarded seafood waste to create a highly specific, unisex jewelry collection. “N/S Jaw Necklace” is a necklace that was made from an upcycled jawbone from a barracuda. Made with 14K gold-filled bezel and chain. These one of a kind items are custom made to order and can be customized if you wish to add special requests and/or engraving. The collection is affordable especially since it is made in NYC and sustainable.
These six jewelry brands have a wide variety of aesthetics, prices, materials and purposes. What they all have in common is that they are led by the heart of an artisan. We encourage you to explore their collections more fully (just click on the captions for their websites) and consider them as holiday gifts for your loved ones (or yourself).
