The art of leather accessory design has layers of processes that only the artisan’s hands involved or a leather aficionado can appreciate. A well-made luxury bespoke bag takes 20-40 hours to make and entails hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, hand-sewn saddle stitches; all done with hand tools, two needles and thread. The choice of leather is a vital decision as to the ultimate look and feel of the product to ensure the owner’s delight of the product each time it is used. With those values and work ethic driving us, we are especially proud of the latest creations of our Master Leather artisan, T. Michael. This year, the number of requests to expand our luxury clutch offerings has amplified. Particularly with the upcoming holidays and celebrations looming on the horizon. As promised, it is our pleasure to introduce the first two bags that involve our eveningwear collection: The Grace Bespoke Clutch Bag (pictured above) is making its debut this November as a true one of a kind for Beau Satchelle. As with all of our products, it was necessary that we, first and foremost, provided good design and superior craftsmanship. The clutch’s design has a concave shape and is petite enough for a woman to comfortably carry in her hand. The leather is made from Italian lambskin in silver metallic and feels amazingly soft. The interior is made of black goatskin to contrast the silver exterior. This luxury jewel is sewn with fine waxed black thread and the edges are hand painted and hand burnished in black. An interior sleeve was created to provide accessibility for a Smartphone and keep it separated from other items like keys and makeup. The remaining interior has just enough room to carry a few personal items for that special evening out. A nickel chain […]
A favorite time of the year for Beau Satchelle is in October when one of Metro Detroit’s premier non-profit organizations educate and promote the growing cut and sew industry in Michigan. Their annual FashionSpeak is part education, part networking, and all about the business of fashion. It is a time for professionals (designers, manufacturers, retailers, buyers, and bloggers) in the industry from veterans to college students to meet and learn from each other. So here’s Beau Satchelle’s takeaways from a packed day of learning: The morning began with Lauren Kirsch Weiss who serves as a buyer at Freeds of Windsor who shared tips on surviving trade shows from two standpoints that of a designer displaying their lines and secondly being an efficient tradeshow buyer. From a designer’s view it comes down to doing good prep work prior to the show (especially reaching out to potential buyers), presenting the best of you and your designs during event, and solid follow-up post show. The second speaker was Amy Dietrich, a product development expert and design consultant at Restoration Hardware whose topic was “Determine and develop your best product” and we have covered many tips that have been in previous blogs which boils down to doing your homework about your product, your customer and your competition. Karen McDonald, a public relations expert was the presentation that was key for Beau Satchelle. She offered a number of suggestions on creating a public relations plan for an emerging design business that included having good photography, a strong website, developing a press release and 3 to 6 talking points, know media’s deadlines, and practice interviewing. Karen also invited Rebecca Voigt, stylist editor from Hour Detroit, a local luxury magazine and RJ King, editor of Dbusiness an online business magazine that focuses on Metro Detroit businesses to […]
In Michigan, the signs of the summer season coming to an end is the sudden cooler temperatures, the leaves are starting to turn, back to school ads run non-stop and Labor Day weekend has arrived. In the United States, Labor Day is observed every first Monday in September to recognize the contributions of American workers. When it comes to celebrating the worker in Detroit, our city’s landscape is rich in manufacturing history that dates back to the auto lines created by Henry Ford’s factories in the early 1900s during the industrial age. The auto companies (Ford, GM and Chrysler) created many ancillary businesses who became suppliers to what we, back in the day, affectionately called the Big Three. What outsiders not familiar with Southeastern Michigan may not realize is that other industries have grown significantly in this region out of the auto industry including design and engineering. The last several years we have witnessed tech companies large and small make Detroit their new home. With Detroit’s growth, we have seen other industries steadily showing interest in being a part of Detroit’s revitalization. What is exciting for Beau Satchelle is the emerging garment industry that is receiving major buzz in the last couple of years. Fashion is finding a home in Detroit! The East and West Coast have been the dominant force in the cut and sew garment industry for many decades in the U.S. and unfortunately once manufacturers took those jobs overseas for cheap labor, materials and other financial reasons, this country lost valuable skill tradespeople. So in the last few years, the industry is observing a pivot with designers who are purposely deciding to manufacture in the USA or are returning to the states and looking for manufacturers who can handle smaller orders. This is where Detroit can make […]
Last week, we were extremely honored to be invited to participate in an exclusive affair, The Wine and Accessories Social Tasting Open House with one of the hottest up and coming businesses in Detroit. House of Pure Vin, the signature wine retailer located in the heart of downtown Detroit, opened its doors last year and is the talk of the town! Curating their extensive wine and champagne selection is Master Sommelier, Claudia Tyagi, only 1 of 3 in the State of Michigan and 1 of 147 in North America. House of Pure Vin offers the most amazing wine tastings events which take place weekly offering bottles from vineyards throughout Michigan, across the United States and internationally. As we mentioned in a previous blog, we partnered with House of Pure Vin to create bespoke wine leather accessories that included wine journals for wine connoisseurs, hobbyist and wine lovers who desire to document their tastings and wine carriers of varying sizes and preferences. This was our first advertised public showing of our products and we were anxious to collect feedback from wine lovers on their interest in adding to their wine accessories. We were fortunate in that House of Vin not only allowed us to showcase our wine accessories, but we also displayed our collection of luxury goods ranging from some early vintage Bedrock Beauty pieces to the latest Beau Satchelle creation “the Michelle Bag” inspired by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. So our takeaways from our first formal showing. A lot of hard work to make sure everything was perfect. The final touches on completing the accessories to be shown, creating the signage, being prepared for onsite sales, creating line sheets, and even creating the exterior packaging for each product. Believe the hype….Metro Detroiters turn out to support Detroit local businesses. […]
Unbelievable! We are half way through the summer. Many Michiganders seriously cling to this time of the year with our warm weather because Michigan winters can be brutal. Although, Mother Nature has been quite kind the last two winters. Grudgingly, there is an appreciation for our four seasons in that it reminds us that life has its own changing seasons and time waits for no one. Almost three weeks ago, the citizens of Great Britain voted to leave the European Union which according to economists impacts their currency value, trade agreements and immigration policies. Needless to say, the global economy has been impacted and for now, the cost of purchasing goods for consumers in the United States has become favorable. There is no denying that we are all impacted, not only things that happen in our country, but when global changes take place (whether it be political, economical, technological, or social changes). Although Beau Satchelle, is a small luxury brand, we even recognize the impact of “Brexit” and other world changes. Buying certain premium leather and supplies from our friends ‘across the pond’ in London has suddenly given us a price advantage. The ability to level the playing field by introducing our products to luxury consumers in not only Europe, but Africa, Asia and the Middle East is an inspiring challenge. In addition, the luxury consumer tide to search for more independent, artists whose values stress integrity and quality has been a blessing for us. As we share our mission statement, please keep in mind that in this ever changing society, we continue to evolve and play our part in helping build a better community. -AJ Beau Satchelle’s Mission Statement: Beau Satchelle provides fine bespoke leather handbags, cases, luggage, accessories and connoisseur specialties to those who crave individuality and one […]
As we continue our first year launch of Beau Satchelle, we have had the privilege of being invited to attend private events or showings to display our current designs. We love the fact that what draws enthusiasts of leather to our products is first and foremost, the undeniable craftsmanship. Our expertly constructed leather products exude a rich elegance, that just can’t be found anywhere. Without fail, those being introduced to the world of premium leather will ultimately ask why our journey began with leather versus other textiles, as the foundation of our creations. As snobbish as this sounds, there is no other textile that can stand up to the beauty, scale and strength of what leather can do. Leather is extremely versatile and can take on many forms for styles. Besides, Leather is natural and a by-product that would be waste if there were no leather products and artisans to create leather goods and other leather luxuries. Depending on one’s preferred taste, leather can be developed into a raw, western look for a rural farmer or hunter; take on a more sleek and security-led function that a biker would prefer; perhaps have a more earthy, bohemian style for a hipster; or lastly, have a European flavor so artfully constructed that its home should be in a metropolitan museum. But no matter your choice, lovers of leather understand this about bespoke leather…it’s ability to stand the test of time. We believe this, for three reasons: 1. Bespoke Leather is Absolutely the Perfect Accessory Available with beautiful, sophisticated clean lines combined with classic or contemporary colors. Bespoke leather accessories are notoriously flexible, easily paired with a wide variety of casual and formal ensembles. What’s exciting about bespoke leather is that it is not only focused in the fashion arena, but can transform […]
I love Beau Satchelle and perhaps there will soon be a blog for the owners of our bespoke leather products. Our heart and soul goes into the building of our beautiful bespoke Luxury leather products. We realize, currently, we are a minnow in a vast ocean of leather manufacturers and artisans. However, we aren’t fearful of the challenge (actually, energized) to keep growing and perfected our offerings until we can be heralded as a top contender in the world of bespoke luxury. So when a piece is written about a master in the business, it is to only bestow much respect to one of the finest of the leather and luxury fraternity. Hermés… just saying the name conjures up the word “indulgence”. Truth be told, I am a fan, not just because of the bag itself…but the amazing brand that has been carefully built around both the Kelly and the Birkin bags. In the month of April, the auction house, Privé Porter, who curates unused, coveted Hermés Birkin handbags, broke the record for the most expensive handbag ever sold for $298,000. The 2008 Birkin made in Rouge Braise Crocodile featured 10.08 carats of round brilliant cut diamonds and 171 grams of 18-carat white gold hardware. It is elegant and the craftsmanship is unparalleled. According to the Wall Street Journal, a few days later, the Birkin was delivered by Brinks armored air transport to a Los Angeles buyer’s representative, who describes his client as an American billionaire. As we say in Detroit… “That’s ballin”! So as we grow our bespoke leather start-up, we will constantly drive ourselves to never lose the focus and respect of the art of leather crafting. We are dedicated to our values and the culture that solely embrace our clients who invest in our bespoke luxury bags […]
Beau Satchelle has begun the countdown to launch! It is our hope to bring you on our journey of building our brand to contend in the luxury lifestyle market. It has been a splendid, yet humbling experience preparing for the introduction of Beau Satchelle – crossing our T’s and dotting the I’s, completing the business plan, consistently writing and posting blogs by incorporating luxury lifestyle with our leather products and of course, the production process. As entrepreneurs with our new launch in the luxury leather category, it is just never enough hours in the day! After a number of months of turning our visions into designs, which then were made into templates and then sourcing the right hides, threads and tools, T. Michael has diligently crafted a line in a few areas which will be revealed in the coming weeks and months. What has been particularly interesting in the last several months is our participation into the world of wine. We were thrilled to be asked to design and showcase creations that are used exclusively by wine connoisseurs and lovers of wine in the areas of leather backpacks and messenger wine bottle carriers and leather wine tasting journals, along with bespoke leather accessories for the wine tasting world. And, as per request, we would also like to mention extending into bourbon and whisky tasting journals as well. We are anticipating that this project will cater to a market wanting heirloom quality luxuries for a lifetime of memories in which we are perfecting to serve. T. Michael has always preferred to work his magic in bespoke items for the high end and affluent market that searches for one of a kind items, whether for home, fashion or travel. This pathway will allow us to offer other specialty merchandise for the discerning […]
Today, news broke on our local stations that our city will be visited by the Commissioner of the Major League Soccer (MLS), to meet with two of our wealthiest Detroit ambassadors, Quicken Loans owner, Dan Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores in bringing a MLS franchise to downtown Detroit. From a diehard sports fan viewpoint, these are exciting times for our fair city. To be one of the few cities in the country that host a professional soccer team along with the Lions, Tigers and Red Wings (come back home Pistons!). With 4 professional teams in the heart of downtown Detroit, over half of the year, fans will be experiencing some type of professional sporting event on a daily basis. My point is that the announcement is more evidence of the revival of Detroit to be a contender with other metropolitan cities as younger and sophisticated adults flock to our city not only to work, live and play, but more importantly keep their dollars in the city that can offer a range of products and services from the inexpensive to the luxurious. City leaders, who work to bring tourists to our city are seeing an increasing uptick in conventions and out of town visitors. They rely on retailers, restaurants and other small businesses to provide a “Detroit” unique experience and offer products and services that reflect our amazing community. We are a city under constant construction, including renovations of buildings in downtown led by luxury hotel developers such as the Westin, Hilton, and Four Seasons. All three Detroit casinos, Motor City Casino, Greektown Casino and MGM Casino offer high end rooms as well as boutique shops to match. Entrepreneurs see Detroit as the new frontier as start-ups and tech companies have discovered our city as a viable alternative to […]
I find history fascinating when studying people, events, and decisions that were made in the past that influence our present day. Innovation, creativity and necessity have developed processes, inventions and products that makes life a breeze compared to our forefathers. Consider this. Tools originating from stones and sticks to hunt animals for food, harvest farm land and construct shelters are now robotic marvels. Wax and oil used for early lighting in lanterns brought about electricity, and now the invention of solar panels use the sun for energy. Horse drawn carts were the early babies of automobiles that now use engine ‘horsepower’ to travel. Early books were bound by hand; parchment paper sewn with thread and cased in wood or leather covers or a combination of both, then adorned with jewels and gold leaf are now made with machines. (Although these type of handbound books are very beautiful and quite rare, there are Master Bookbinders still binding these type of heirloom luxuries for a hefty fee!) Fashion is no exception. The original adaptation of clothing was used as coverings to shelter the body from the elements. Sewing needle artifacts date back to 19,000 BC to sew skins together for body coverings. Throughout time and travel to other climates, clothing was still used first as protection, but other purposes came into play including the use for decoration. Clothing became more practical as history progressed and began to take on more status and wealth meanings. As technological advances came into play (with the emergence of weaving textiles, spinning techniques for yarn and silk production, and advances with cotton production) fashion became more stylish and decorative depending on the locale and culture. Segueing into Beau Sathchelle’s arena…. accessories. The early accessories made from vegetation, animal hides or textiles were made out of pure necessity. […]
