Page 36 - Montecito Journal Glossy Edition Winter Spring 2012/13

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formal tops and clothing, and “for high school winter ball, I made a fleece dress
and it was awesome. It was twenty degrees outside and I had this lightweight
polar fleece red dress and it was great. We’ve always kind of marched to our
own beat in my family, and my beat has been loud and different, but it’s fun!”
The Bags
Emily started her company because the bags she wanted to buy were “beyond
my reach and I want to offer my customers a product made by somebody who
cares, wants to make them because they love it, and not go above five hundred
dollars.” Every piece in her line is currently made by her, from cutting and
sewing and picking out the leathers, to punching every hole and spending the
hours putting them together by hand. Not to mention her “trusty little
Singer” sewing machine she bought at Target for one hundred dollars.
“I’ve been told over and over again I need to hire somebody to make
my bags for me and to also raise my prices,” says Emily noting she may
eventually have to hire someone to help assemble her bags – she is getting
to the point where she can’t physically do them all. “My hands get beat up,”
she states. But as far as raising prices, she isn’t sure. “For me, it’s not about
how much I’m making or how much time I’m spending, it’s about wanting
to have an awesome product out there that people are going to like, different
from what everyone else has, doesn’t have a logo on it, and is really cool.”
“My bags are made of leather and leather,” says Emily with a laugh.
“Each hand sewn bag is lined with suede, finished with leather detail, and
the bigger bags have an interior leather pocket.” Her line is made up of
one of a kind pieces that include: shoulder bags, clutches, totes, carry-ons,
diaper bags, and bags made of hair on hide with studs and fringe. “I am a
really dodgy sewer with zippers, so I am a little ahead of myself because I
want to make a duffle bag, but until I know how to do zippers correctly
there will be no duffle bags in my collection.”
Emily explains, “My bags aren’t meant to be perfect because we’re not
perfect. No two bags are alike just like none of the women who buy them
are alike and that’s what makes them special and what sets them apart.
These are soulful and made with heart.
“My style is Western with a kick,” says Emily, adding, “I tend to lean
toward the classic conservative side with my own little twists and turns
in between, and I use natural colors because I don’t want my bags to be
seasonal. My bags have a sophisticated look, but embrace the cowgirl spirit.”
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