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. […]
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. […]
