To our Moms and all Mothers who have taught us swag, style, beauty, jazziness, grace, laughter, healing, and being powerful. Who introduce us to patience, acceptance, being grateful and humble, showing class and being devoted. Who told us to follow our heart, keep it real, living a life of giving, fall in love, and being open minded. To love ourselves, to being committed, having self-respect and doing the right thing, and experiencing unconditional love. To say nothing if you don’t have anything nice to say. Always represent Mom well in public through manners and appearance. Never stop learning no matter how many years you’ve lived. Take care of Mother Earth. And to pass all of this knowledge on to future generations. T. Michael is not only a master in building stunning bespoke leather products, but he has the talent to create word symphonies into beautiful poems. We decided that there was no better way than to honor Mother’s Day by sharing this poem he wrote years ago for his Mother. Enjoy! Blessings from Above Going from one child to another I love what you made us become, Mother Your beauty and grace makes you a queen And your children are proof of your winning team I do not see you often but I miss you much You have an everlasting effect that keeps me in touch I thank you for your support and trust If it were not for you, I would be in the dust I remember those times when you gave us an inch and we took a mile This was knowledge gained as our lessons started to pile Teaching us each day was your mission And wanting the best for us, you were wishing I will never forget those hot meals right before sunrise Hearing you call […]
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. […]
“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will every see it. You’ll know its there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.” – Steve Jobs As Beau Satchelle launch nears, we wanted to pay homage to the leather creators and innovators of our past. The evolution of luxury handbags have a rich and storied history in Europe; many trends and designs grew out of the fashion styles of the French and English, although America designers have put their unique influence on this beautiful accessory. So let’s take a look at the evolution of the handbag….. In Ancient Times, (evidenced in both Nubian and European civilizations), pouches were used by both men and women as a fundamental part of our development as humans to collect food and to transport items. The earliest were made from animal skin, cotton or woven plant fibers. During the Middle Ages, the purse, was made more so with round pieces of leather and a drawstring, had another utilitarian purpose (storing coinage) for men long before women adopted them as a fashion accessory and the need to carry personal items. Many of the early designs for women had to do with the style of the dress (including wide skirts, material in the back of the skirt, slimmer skirts) as to whether these early bags were worn underneath or outside the skirt. In the New World, European pilgrims discovered Native Americans used leather pouches for medicine bags and other pouches of all sizes to preserve and transport items from food […]
