Erin Myles and Nicole Deponte like the small city feel of Providence. To them, the city has just a little more dirt under its fingernails, and, as small business owners, this is essential.

The pair recently found themselves in flux: Deponte had moved to Providence to get away from the big city feel of New York City, and Myles had left a 10-plus year career as a jewelry designer in the local costume manufacturing industry. The conversation to begin Asterluxe was an organic opportunity that fell into place while living as neighbors in the West End of Providence.

Asterluxe has had a good response since opening in October. “People are excited to have something new and special in the neighborhood, and engagement in our workshops has been growing,” says Myles. “We’d like to continue to engage more people in our neighborhood and across Rhode Island, and make Asterluxe and the West End neighborhood a destination for food and great shopping.”

The shop’s tagline, “Abode, Adornment, Atmosphere,” describes its focus on the home, the body, and the space between them. Fittingly, the boutique sells handmade, small-batch goods with a focus on women makers and wellness.

“We want Asterluxe to be a destination away from the chaos of our busy world, a place where you can feel cared for while also supporting our community of American-made makers and artists,” Deponte says. Asterluxe supports its makers in many ways, including monthly blog posts on their Maker Profile blog that introduce readers to a new artist that the shop carries.

As makers themselves, Myles and Deponte feel it’s important to educate customers about the importance of handmade and its place in our culture. “We both take immense inspiration from the stories of our makers, their daily rituals, sneak peaks into their workdays, and their catalysts to create,” says Myles. “We want to bring that inspiration to our community.”

To provide this inspiration, Asterluxe has begun hosting workshops at the boutique. The most recent workshop in a series called “Crafting for Good” focused on bookmaking and completely sold out. The workshop was hosted in collaboration with local maker Christian Roy, and all proceeds were donated to a local charity, Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island.

With an online shop set to open this summer, Asterluxe is poised for expansion beyond Providence and into the greater New England area. “Asterluxe brings together our love for our neighborhood and our goal to support makers and artists across the country,” says Deponte.

Erin Myles and Nicole Depont–owners, Asterluxe
Providence, Rhode Island
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The post Asterluxe: Abode, Adornment, Atmosphere appeared first on Take Magazine.

For Maine leatherworker Jasmine Clayton, her work and her life are “all one big art project.” Clayton has been sewing with a machine since she was eight when her mother gave her one as a birthday gift. “That sewing machine traveled with me to college and beyond,” she says.

Clayton spent most of her early life making pillows and doll clothes. Her bag making started a decade ago, completely by chance, when she had some fabric leftover from a previous project. When a friend suggested she try leather, Clayton knew she had found her medium. Today, Clayton operates her shop devoted to handcrafted leather goods, Kurier, both in a Portland storefront and online.

Originally from Maine, Clayton moved to Englewood, Florida, while in middle school, returning to her native state in 1994 to attend Maine College of Art as a photography major. The professors instilled a sense of craftsmanship in Clayton. “They made us realize if we wanted to be successful in the art world, it wasn’t just about the concept,” she says. “It had to be made well. It had to ‘work.'”

Jasmine Clayton, Ellis handbag, photo by Scott Mohler

Clayton attributes some of her success to where she lives. “I don’t think I would have ‘made it’ if I wasn’t in Maine where a hard worker is seen as a quality,” she says. “People here have a sense of respect for handcrafted items.” Her community in Portland, where her studio sits above her shop so she can spread out her materials and bounce back and forth, has been her support system.

Clayton uses leather made in the United States or Italy, starting each piece by making a hard paper pattern. “I hate to waste materials, so making it from paper first allows me to work out the kinks before I cut any leather,” she says. “Once the sewing needle hits the leather, the hole is there for life.” Each bag is handcrafted, one at a time.

Jasmine Clayton, Lenore handbag, photo by Siobhan Bogle/Maine Tinker Photography

Clayton always knew she was meant to be in a creative field but didn’t delve into it until after her divorce when she saw a help wanted ad for a fabric cutter for local designer, Jill McGowan. Around the same time, she saw a quote that spoke to her: “If you don’t follow your dreams, you’ll spend your life working for someone who did.” While she loved working for Jill, and her business partner, Jolene McGowan, Clayton knew she had to work on her own dream. Not long after, Kurier was born.

“It’s not always easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” Clayton says. “I’ve meet so many interesting people. You’d be surprised how much you can learn about a woman from a discussion about her purse.”

Jasmine Clayton – Leatherworker, Kurier
Portland, Maine
Website
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Top image by Scott Moher

The post Making the Cut with Leatherworker Jasmine Clayton appeared first on Take Magazine.