A large part of my creative work involves making special-occassion handbags. In a sense, they are sculptural pieces. I don’t use machine dyes, each piece is hand-cut, I often use remnant materials, and frequently use a ruler and a pencil to draw the pattern directly into the material I am using. I make a lot of one-of-a-kind work. I do the bulk of my handbag business at special events. For me, there is something very important about making something and sharing that process with the person who is buying it. People often ask me for a card, and if I am online. I have this website, but it is not the focus of my business. I think that there is something impersonal and isolated about the experience of shopping online. I aspire to be the kind of designer whose work you can’t find online- whose work is shared through story-telling.
CLICK HERE TO SHOP FOR KENT STETSON HANDBAGS ONLINE
OK, so first of all, I am sooo sorry for being such a flaky blogger. If you have hit my site multiple times in the past month, I apologize, I feel bad for you. I have given you nothing new. Here’s a brief recap:
Addicted to the olympics 8/8/08-8/25/08
Property management overdrive 8/26/08-9/4/08
Brooklyn/New York City Go Go Go 9/5/08-9/7/08
We stayed at Storey and Ravi’s gorgeous new condo in Brooklyn on Friday
We saw a matinee of the riveting too-many-awards-to-count play “August:Osage County”
Partied with Scott + Tracy Schiller (Hollah!)
Stayed in a dreamy suite at the Roger Smith Hotel in Manhatten (see the pics below)
palatial bathroom
we had a living room with fireplace in our hotel room!
Enigmo for iPhone defeated in 3 days, just shy of 1 million points 9/8/08-9/10/08
I’ve also found time to make a bunch of bags, and I sold these two paintings (Thank you!)
“MAPPING IT OUT” 2008 acrylic, metal mesh, sequins
“FOUR SQUARE” Inkjet on canvas and silk, wood. Images derived from digital interference patterns
I found it peculiar that the fine arts are in the same category as sports in the Dewey decimal classification. With the olympics approaching, I have discovered that there are sports that truly cross the line from athleticism to the inspired. Take some time to check the listings and see if you can catch any of these magnificent sports:
Rhythmic gymanstics
Sports Acrobatics
Synchronized Swimming
Russian synchronized swimming demonstration
trampoline
power tumbling
Most of these sports will not get ample air time, but check your listings, if you catch them you will certainly be amazed.
And lastly, one sport missing from the olympics, dear to my heart. Watch this and you will be amazed!
Those close to me know that my lifestyle involves a faithful yoga regimen and strict vegan diet. As a handbag designer, my commitment to social responsibility and the environment is paramount. I do use a fair amount of leather and silk in my creations. Part of the reason for this is my belief that the energy required to create synthetic materials, combined with the fact that many of these man-made materials require thousands of years to biodegrade, are significant factors that justify the use of animal products in some of my work. Still, about half of my designs are vegan. I also choose to ship many of my bags in a pine wood box. The wood is milled locally, and comes from providers who believe strongly in re-forestation. By using the wooden case, it is my belief that the handbags will last longer- and encourage buyers to enjoy their purchase longer, hopefully consuming less over the course of the years in favor of the timeless quality my handbags represent.
I am proud to create bags that use every local resource I can find. Providence is still a hub for the costume jewelry industry, despite much of this industry moving overseas. It takes a lot of components to make a bag, and I feel that the fuel consumption I am able to conserve by using local manufacturers for my supplies decreases my burden to the environment. With a local economy that is struggling, it is my hope that I can help to stimulate the businesses who provide me with such outstanding service. I am proud to use many local businesses, including the following companies:
G & A Plating
Van & Company
R & R Polishing
Lorraine Fabrics
Rainbow Leather
Abea Leather
Wolfe E. Myrow
W. E. Jackson
And many more…
Today as I drove off from the market on my daily fresh food shopping I started thinking about the amount of gas I use just driving to buy groceries. I wondered about the environmental impact of this, and starting thinking about a market carpool. I don’t know why, but my mind meandered and I began to ponder about how difficult it must be for elderly people who are no longer able to drive. I wonder if my trips to the supermarket could be a useful way to run some errands for someone who can’t just make a run out to buy groceries. I imagine being confined in my old age and wonder what will happen if I am in this situation. What if I don’t have children who can take care of these things? This scary realization makes me think of people who are alone and need some company and perhaps a hand with simple tasks. If you are reading this and you have any suggestions how I might be able to get involved with helping ease the burden on some elderly person in my area, let me know. I want to help.
Yesterday I awoke and went downstairs to admire the two dozen “Chain Reaction” clutch bags lined up on my dining room table ready to pack up and ship out with my orders next week. I noticed that the chain fringe that dangles from the bottom of this fabulous clutch had lost its luster. I took out some white vinegar and attempted to polish the chains and to my horror the plating came right off, leaving a horrendous stain on the cleaning rag. My mind started whirling, imagining the stains to my customer’s fabulous clothing. In a fury I took one of the pieces of chains to a plating factory and they confirmed that the chain was badly plated. I took apart all of the bags and removed the chains and had them plated with 24 carat gold. Several hundred dollars and less than 24 hours later I got my chains back, fabulously shiny, and I just finished re-inserting them back into each bag. I could have just ignored this problem and wished it away, but chances are good that it would have come back to haunt me later. I made the only choice possible, and I hope that my extra effort helps these bags fly off the shelves and into the wardrobes of fabulous women across the country. Cross your fingers for me…
Here are some new samples for spring. My first larger day bag, and a special evening bag with an embroidered pattern of dripping paint on silk.
This was an amazing week, soon I will have made bags for the following stores:
Annie Creamcheese- The Shops at the Palazzo, Las Vegas, NV
Patricia Field- New York, NY
Fred Segal- Santa Monica, CA
Body- Beverly Hills, CA
Nordstrom- trend- Topanga, CA
Karol Richardson, Newport, RI
More to come…
Amazing…
