9 Summer J.Stark Must Haves

In the tornado I lost so many of my favorite totes, one of those was an OG J.Stark tote that had been a key piece in my tote collection (yes I collect American made totes) for many years. I love that I have gotten to watch so many American made brands and makers evolve and grow over the years…and lately J.Stark, based in Charleston, South Carolina has moved back to the front of the pack as one of my perennial favorites. Their use of bright colors and crisp modern designs in my opinion have brought a welcomed air of modernity to the classic American art of leather goods and handmade bags. These are the nine pieces I’m lusting after this summer…

Alder Saddle Bag, Bonnie Belt Bag, Bristol Backpack, Bryant Large Duffle Bag, Franklin Tote Bag, Penrose Tote Bag, J. Stark x Bitter Southerner Sentinel Backpack, Sentinel Backpack XL, Woodbine Logo Tote Bag (click on the photos for links)

Old World — Polder's Old World Market

In the mountains of southwest Virginia Polder’s Old World Market has hand crafted a slow life that brings the entire family into the business.

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WE LIVE TOGETHER, WORK TOGETHER, EAT TOGETHER AND PLAY TOGETHER. Polder’s Old World Market is an extension of our daily life. It is the expression of all of our creativity, personality and skill combined. It is part of us. Each of us have our different roles in the business… some of us write and capture beautiful images that give people a window into our world, some of us are master carvers and produce the dreamware that is the heart of our brand, some of us keep in touch with the customers or package the orders for shipping. Together we make a great team.

We have lived and farmed in Virginia for almost four years now. Before that we lived in Northeast Tennessee for five years, but most of our lives we lived in Florida. That is where we started building our handcrafting business, and also started learning about homesteading and farming. We had always wanted to move to the mountains and farm, and we feel so blessed to live and work in this beautiful place. My Dad was born in Detroit, Michigan, but he says he is a Virginian at heart. I love waking up to the mist hanging over the ridge tops. I love walking through a grassy pasture in the morning and the grass being so wet with dew that my shoes fill up with water and slosh when I walk. I love the wildflowers and cool evenings and the slow pace of life. I’m okay with driving for forty-five minutes to go grocery shopping. This is a good place to live life.

Before we started carving spoons for a living my Dad was the plant manager of a large railcar repair corporation in Florida. When the plant shut down he had to decide whether to take a better paying job that would require travel so he would only be home on weekends, or to do something entirely different. He decided to do something different. The first thing we tried was to start a parking lot maintenance business (not very romantic), but the economy wasn’t thriving, jobs were hard to come by and we couldn’t make ends meet. We were learning about homesteading on our little quarter-acre plot of sand and we began taking baked goods, seedlings and little arts and crafts type stuff to local farmer’s markets to try to make some extra income. Then Dad carved his first wooden spoons with a terrible set of bench chisels we bought him for Christmas, and our farmer’s market customers loved them! They began encouraging us to build a website, and we began dreaming of the possibility of making a real business out of our skills. We came up with the name Polder’s Old World Market and began trying to flesh out our branding. But we knew we didn’t want to build a business in Florida… we really wanted to be in the mountains. So we decided to make the leap.

It wasn’t until after we had moved to Tennessee that we really began to focus on our wooden kitchen utensils. A neighbor told us about Etsy, and we opened a shop there. We were so excited when we got our first order! Looking back at how terrible our first product photos were, it’s hard to imagine how we ever got that first order, but I remember it as clear as day. Back then, orders came in slowly enough that I could remember each customer’s name and what state they were from off the top of my head. Those days are long gone, though I’m still familiar with the names of our most supportive customers. Our Etsy shop became very successful with the help of so many lovely customers, and eventually we opened our website, which allowed us to more fully develop and express our branding. We named our wooden utensils “dreamware” because, after all, it’s “the kitchenware of your dreams”.

Originally we worked with whatever wood we could get a hold of. I miss those days, really, because I remember some of the stunning and unusual “scrap” wood that was given to us in Florida and those were some really gorgeous wooden spoons! We make a large enough quantity of dreamware now that we’ve narrowed it down to several wood types that we can consistently keep in stock. I dream of one day offering a wider selection of “limited edition” wood types again.

One of biggest decisions we made in the area of change was to broaden our brand to include products made by other crafters. We have always kept dreamware as our main focus, and it remains our main source of income, but we decided a few years ago that we wanted to support other makers and also offer beautiful products that were complementary to our craft. This has allowed us not only to offer our customers a greater variety of products to choose from, but it also frees us up from personally making every item we sell, which was an obstacle to our growth for a while. When choosing complementary products to offer alongside our dreamware, we limit ourselves to items that are exceptional and unique, made in the USA or vintage, and meet the same quality standards as the dreamware we make.

I think our biggest challenge has been navigating the natural limitations of handwork without holding our brand back from growth. We have a big team, but we are still only humanly capable of producing a certain amount of handcrafted product each week, not to mention all the time and energy it takes to run other aspects of the business. It has taken a lot of creativity and brainstorming to find ways to save time and become more efficient without losing the charm and integrity of our product and brand.

Another enormous challenge for us, perhaps even larger than the first one I mentioned, has been learning to adjust to the algorithms and censorship on social media and across the web. Speaking completely frankly, our brand has experienced serious difficulties in getting the exposure we need since the infamous algorithm changes on social media platforms, as well as the filtering of promotional emails that Google started some time ago. We recognize this is a challenge for many small business owners who depend on social media and email marketing to communicate with their customers, and we are looking forward hopefully to a time when selling online isn’t quite as challenging as it has become over the past couple of years.

Our biggest strength is probably the fact that we face every decision and challenge of running a handcrafting business as a family. We are team players and we work at this together. It is a priceless thing to be able to tap into each other’s skills, perspectives and ideas. There is no doubt that the combination of all of our personalities and skill sets is what makes Polder’s Old World Market possible.

For us, supporting Made-in-the-USA and American entrepreneurship is a way of expressing our love for this beautiful Country that we have the privilege of calling home. The concept of the American Dream was born from the idea that, here in the USA, anyone can work hard at what they are passionate about (whether that be farming, selling books, or practicing medicine) and create a wonderful future for their family. This opportunity still exists, or my family could never live the life we are living. But there is no doubt that overseas manufacturing and big box stores have stolen something from America. We would love to see more and more individuals and families getting back to the principles of craftsmanship and entrepreneurship that helped make America the incredible nation it is. It would be such a beautiful thing to see. If we all do our part to support the small American businesses and makers around us, we can strengthen our communities from the inside out. We can make a difference!

I think living slow comes naturally when you live twenty minutes from the nearest gas station and you have a large family. We don’t have a TV and we don’t live near a mall. We entertain ourselves by playing board games, visiting the local cafés and taking long walks. Our days are full of hard work, but we also get to enjoy kayaking, holding puppies, splashing in puddles, hunting for mushrooms in the mountainside and sitting on the porch watching the sunset. Our internet connection is painfully slow, so even working online can be an exercise in taking a deep breath and slowing down. To us, the benefits of this slow paced lifestyle far outweigh the inconveniences. We are so grateful to live this life.

— poldersoldworldmarket.com

Montana Territory Hat Co.

MY NAME IS COURTNEY GREEN, FOUNDER, DESIGNER, AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT THE MONTANA TERRITORY HAT COMPANY. I am a mother, a daughter, an artist, a runner, a cowgirl. I create handmade custom Cowboy hats in Bozeman, Montana.

I grew up riding horses and drawing. When I was little you could always find me hiding away with my sketch book, my fingers often grey from shading with charcoal pencils, or in the barn spending time with my horses. After college I worked in the fashion industry as a designer and buyer. I loved it, but I always knew I belonged in the Mountains. When I finally made the move to Montana, I wanted to create something that pulled from my background in fashion and design, and my love for art and the American West. I wanted to commit to something that was rooted in and inspired by Montana. I love product that feels like art. Slow, deliberate, intentional. Product that will last a lifetime and accumulate stories along the way.

Before I started the Montana Territory Hat Company, I worked in the fashion industry as a designer and buyer. I absolutely loved it, I think mostly because it allowed me to pursue my business degree, but still stay connected to art and the process of making something. It was still art, but on a massive scale. I learned so much about building brands, creating an immersive experience, product development, and a greater appreciation for the power of photography. I always felt pulled toward makers and brands that could make you feel something through imagery, design, fabrics and style. I worked for Abercrombie & Fitch for 11 years. I feel so lucky to have been there when I was, and even more proud that I left when I did. I was there when building brands was like making movies. It was an immersive, sensory experience. We were building a fantasy through imagery, design, product and copywriting.

During college, I worked at a bakery and I loved everything about it. There is such a romance to creating with your hands and making people happy. When you work at a bakery, you get up absurdly early to go start the pastries and breads. There is nothing like the early morning smell of bread baking and coffee brewing. I loved it. In the early days of my career in Fashion, I still felt connected to some of those creative, sensory elements that I felt at the bakery. As the retail landscape began to change, I still loved what I was doing, but I had lost my connection to “why.” Retail became so big. It turned into a quick race to the bottom in terms of quality and price. I realized that what I really wanted was to make something real. Something that I felt inspired by and could inspire others with. Something grounded, timeless. Not about trends, or planned obsolescence. I wanted to make something grounded in values. Things that last. I wanted to make a product that held a place and a people in reverence. I love products designed for life. Things that are bigger than themselves. I have always loved hats. There is a quality, a history, an identity. Every hat has a story. As a child, I wanted to grow up to be an artist, a designer, and yes, a cowgirl.  My hats fulfill all of those dreams for me.

I am a maker because I believe in product that feels like art. Classic designs, quality construction, thoughtful details, built with a sense of pride and purpose. Something “inspired by the past, to be lived in and loved today, and passed on to future generations.” These hats represent the preservation of a place, a culture and a way of life. I do believe that felt is always in season, especially in the form of a Cowboy hat.

I am an observer. I find inspiration and story literally everywhere. I am endlessly inspired by the Montana landscape and the people and personalities that have shaped the culture of the West. My work has a bit of juxtaposition between high fashion and Old West. I love going to rodeos and art museums, finding inspiration from both Western vintage and high-end fashion designers. I have always loved the artistry, courage and storytelling that is built into a seasonal show and collection. I love photography and the composition, color and emotive quality of an incredible image. I find inspiration in architecture, interior design, a great book. Inspiration is everywhere. Anything built with an intention towards quality and an eye for good taste. I love artists, photographers, musicians and designers who stand for something enduring and timeless. Designed for longevity. A celebration of the past. A nostalgia for the best of who we are. I am always inspired by natural beauty, in both people and place. Ralph Lauren, Peter Lindbergh, Edward Curtis, Richard Avedon. There is an alchemy that exists in the tension between ruggedness and beauty; romance and resilience. Timeless. I have always been inspired by the American Cowboy. The romance and ruggedness of the West. I love the way Cowboys handle themselves. There is a quiet pride. A work ethic. A sense of purpose. A gentleness mixed with courage, tenacity and resilience.

My advice for anyone starting out would be, no matter what it is that you are into, take the opportunity to fall in love with an idea and then fight like hell for it. Let yourself try, fail, and try again. The path does not have to be linear, and it is ok for it to evolve. Start without knowing everything. Just start. You have to do the work. There are no shortcuts. It is hard. Hard is ultimately what makes it rewarding.

I think the key to getting your product out there is to find people who connect with your brand. Who believe or are inspired by what you believe. You inspire them. Tell them a story. Make them feel something. Once you make them feel, they will find you.

I have never worked harder than I work right now. I believe wholeheartedly in what I am making and why. Every time I touch the business through the product, the copywriting, the imagery, the story, is a chance to improve. Is it easy? No. Absolutely not. But I never wanted it to be easy. Anyone can do easy. That would be a boring way to exist. You have to show up. Every day. No matter what. I suppose finding the motivation to do the work has been the easy part. When you love what you do, you find the resilience to persevere born out of passion and purpose. Looking toward the future, I would like to continue to grow this business and expand on opportunities to immerse people in the story, while staying small and special.

I am endlessly curious. I hope to always have questions. The bigger, the better! Some nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned as a maker that I believe can be applied to everyday life are:

There is no replacement for hard work. That is where the magic is.

Be honest. No matter what.

Find something you love to do. If you can figure out a way to turn your passion into a purpose and a business, you won’t regret it.

Find your own voice. It is very clear when a product or a perspective is not your own.

Be a good human.

Be so inspired and energized by your own life, that you have the confidence to let other people live theirs.

You do you!

Respect, hold in reverence, and fiercely protect and honor the natural world. We are only borrowing this Earth for a very short period of time. We are one of many inhabitants, coexisting. Live softly. Only make and do good things.

When it comes to supporting maker-made and American-made businesses, I think the key is to find and support people who are driven by good intentions, who truly believe in what they are making, who are driven by something more than just money. I firmly believe in capitalizing on opportunity and building a profitable business. But only if at the core, there is pride for a job well done, a bigger purpose. A “why.” Regardless of where they are from or what they are doing, there are makers, cowboys, ranchers, farmers, artists, photographers, business owners, all over the world who are worth supporting and feeling inspired by. It’s not about where they are from, but about their “why.” Do you believe what they believe? Are they supporting causes and a way of life that is worth believing in? Does it make you feel a sense of pride and connection to support them?

To me, living authentically means that you do what needs to be done. Take pride in your work. Be honest. Be firm but fair. Have boundaries. Live and work with a sense of pride and purpose. And be willing to walk away from anyone or anything that asks you to compromise your values. I try to bring these values to everything I do, including my hats. I never. Ever. Settle. Everything matters. One of my favorite quotes has always been “the way you do anything is the way you do everything.” I firmly believe this to be true, and adhering to this ideal helps ensure the quality of my brand and product.

For many years, I struggled with how to bridge the divide between work and my personal life. I  found that when I began this company, and created a business around something that I truly love to do, I felt the tension between work and personal dissolve to a degree. I love what I am doing, and I believe in what I am creating. My business is so thoroughly fused with what I love to do, that I find my work and personal life very connected and balanced right now. I’ve been very fortunate to have my family as my biggest champions throughout my journey as a maker.

I hope you’ll come explore my world of handmade hats. Ordering information can be found on my website, www.MontanaTerritory.com.

All In — a Conversation with Revivall Clothing

Laura Fisher is the founder of RevivALL Clothing located in Bozeman, Montana.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM CLEMSON WITH A DEGREE IN ANIMAL SCIENCE, I WORKED AT A MAKEUP COUNTER IN THE MALL, AND LATER AT AT&T WIRELESS. Though I was making good money, it became apparent pretty quickly that my creative mind was not a good fit for corporate America. After a year, I decided to save up money and put myself through a second degree in Fashion Design from FIT in New York City.

I learned to sew from my Nana when I was young and we started making these little frogs stuffed with rice—essentially Beanie Babies before they were popular. I remember the joy of picking out the fabrics. I always chose a different material for the top and the bottom of the frog. I started selling them to my friends at my elementary school. A few years later, I got into horses and they kind of took over my life. It wasn’t until I was a junior in college and spending time in the “lots” at jam band shows that the sewing bug hit me again. I started making patchwork clothing and selling it. When I lived in NYC, I found tons of scrap fabric in the dumpsters in the building I worked at. (It was a building that held a few manufacturing businesses, and I worked for an accessories designer). I took those scraps and started making them into things and selling them at the Flea Market on 1st and Avenue A every weekend. I think the main reason I started making clothes was because I couldn't find things to wear that I felt truly represented my style. From then on, I realized that selling my goods was fun. It was like a mystery every time I made something, to see who was going to be drawn to it. Also, I truly think there was a validation that I was seeking and receiving from selling my goods directly to customers.

I’m a maker because it was the only option for me. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. At times when my business has struggled and I wondered how else I was going to make money, it felt defeating and uninspiring. I could never find another job that brought me joy and fulfillment like owning my own business and being creative. I have owned a clothing store, produced fashion shows, and started a manufacturing house. They all brought me joy but making the leap to creating my line full time was where my heart was all along; I was just scared to take the risk. When I moved to Montana, I did a show and bombed epically. It was a five-day event and I sold maybe five things. Every day was torture to sit and be surrounded by my beautiful creations but not have anyone interested in them. I had a total meltdown and posted about it on social media. Another clothing designer that I knew from Oregon reached out and gave me the best advice: she told me to stop doing shows and put all that time and energy into selling online. That was five years ago, and it was the best decision I ever made for my business.

In addition to myself, I also employ a full time Operations Manager, a Virtual Assistant, and five seamstresses, and hopefully soon, a new manufacturer in Tennessee. It has not always been easy to build this business. There have been many challenges, especially with finding American manufacturing and people to sew for me, and I’m fortunate to have a great team.

As a child, I wanted to be a farmer and live in the country with all of my animals. No one ever told me it was possible to create things for a living and be successful. Even when I went to FIT, one of my professors told the class we should expect to be getting coffee for people at a design house for years and maybe work our way up to a higher position. I would tell everyone not to listen to him and that they could do whatever they dreamed of. This was before Etsy was big and Project Runway had been invented. I believe that both of those mediums made it more acceptable and possible for makers to support themselves and their families.

My creative process starts within. I believe it’s a direct communication with the Divine. A force that exists outside of me that I have practiced listening to. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and sometimes it’s a thought or idea that keeps coming back until I listen. I am always true to myself and am dedicated to honoring and trusting this connection that is essentially instinct. Many times I just design what I'm wanting to wear at the moment, or things that I've been inspired by from the past or currently. The clothes I make and fabrics I choose are never because of what's “in style” at the moment. When you make timeless, wearable pieces, they never go out of style.

Since I started making things from scraps out of dumpsters in NYC, a seed was planted in my mind that brought awareness to the waste of the garment industry. I vowed never to use new materials so as not to participate in the making of new things. I believe if we stopped making fabrics and clothing today, we could still clothe our population for decades to come. After Hurricane Katrina, I spent nine months living in a tent in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, organizing and helping run a relief kitchen and donation center. After a few months, there came a point when I had to create something. There were literally tons of apparel and home décor being donated that we had no way to keep clean and organized. I realized again how disposable the garment industry was. The fact it was easier for people to send clothes than food was disturbing to me, and I started making things from the donated curtains and sheets with a donated sewing machine in a tent.

The beginning of my collection was making dresses out of men’s shirts, sheets, and curtains. They were all one of a kind. Photographing and listing each piece took so long, and many times the piece someone loved wouldn’t be their size. I realized in order to be successful, I needed to make batches of things in different sizes that I would only have to photograph and list once. This is when I discovered deadstock fabric. Deadstock is the leftover fabrics from the garment industry.

My customers have been my biggest source of support since I began my business. They are so supportive, complimentary and loyal. They believe in me and what I create. They live in my clothes and send me photos and stories about them. It never ceases to bring me to tears of joy to hear their stories.

My goal for RevivALL is to have a successful business that can employ and pay 10 employees well (that includes myself). I also want to be an innovator and voice for anti-fast fashion. It’s very important to me to try to educate the public and masses about the problems of fast fashion, and to help people think about their choices when they are buying something. How to explain the reason for handmade and American made things being more expensive, and how to shift the system so that more people can afford to buy it. It is a very privileged thing to be able to afford slow fashion and handmade things. How can we make it more accessible and possible to pay people well and keep costs down?

On a personal level, I pray that my family and I get to buy on a farm in the country in Montana where I can have horses and all the other animals, where I can walk around the land without seeing another human, and where I can commune with and steward the land responsibly.

Some advice I can offer to those embarking on a new business venture is to take business classes, listen to podcasts, read books, take marketing classes, etc. Also, don’t wait until the timing is right or whatever ducks are in a row, just start making things! Do some local shows, get feedback from customers, listen to what they say, and adapt. Personally, I’ve found that Instagram has been the most successful way for me to get my products out there to the public. And you can find my clothing at my website, www.revivallclothing.com.