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About reMade USAreMade USA is a design company that upcycles* used materials to make
one-of-a-kind objects. Our mission is to create beautiful, long-lasting,
well-made products that positively impact the environment, our users
and our makers. All products are hand-crafted in the USA. Our first
line is a range of bags made from used leather clothing and scrap.
We are inspired by closed loop upcycling* as introduced by William
McDonough in Cradle-to-Cradle and
committed to the principles of sustainable design outlined by The
Designers Accord. I see reMade USA as part of a back-to-basics, holistic approach that
is in line with the way I try to live my life. It sees beauty
in the past, praises a lifestyle of 'making do' and has a deep appreciation
for things have been cultivated by hand– be it tomatoes from a garden,
a piece of wood from a salvage yard, or a bag that has been hand-crafted
from an old jacket. In the end, I am trying to lead a life of authenticity
and responsibility, doing what I love and attempting to be as good
as possible. Every reMade USA bag is a limited edition of one and bears its own
serial number that reflects its uniqueness. We source our materials
in a variety of ways. Thrift stores and scraps from the upholstery
industry are our main sources. We also accept donations of all kinds
of leather. If you would like to supply your own jacket, we do take
special orders and will make you a bag based on one of our current
designs (at a discount of $20). About Shannon SouthI like to call myself a creative entrepreneur who designs products, furniture and websites. I started designing accessories over 15 years ago, after a three month stay in London, studying at The Royal College of Art. I spent my Saturdays at Portobello Market in Notting Hill, poring over the clothing and accessories and feeling unbelievably inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of the independent artists and designers I met. I've moved around quite a lot, lived in London again, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, San Francisco, and the longest, New York City, where I currently live. Each experience has been eye-opening and had a distinct influence on my view of the world and my work. In 2003, I enrolled in the Masters in Industrial Design Program at Pratt Institute. As part of my studies, I went to Copenhagen to study furniture design at Denmarks Design School for a summer. Immediately after graduation, I moved to Netherlands to work with internationally acclaimed product and interiors designer, Marcel Wanders who taught me the value and the beauty of 'the story' in design. (I also grew used to biking as sole source of transportation and I learned that red wine and bicycles do not mix.) Every year, since October 2004, I have volunteered at technology
and innovation conference, PopTech in
Camden, Maine. It has provided amazing opportunities to meet incredible
people working at the forefront of environmental and social issues
around the world and has given me a solid source of awareness and
knowledge that I could not deny when forming reMade USA. I believe
that the more knowledge a person gains on the issues our planet is
faced with, the less they can ignore their responsibility. My
hope, through reMade USA, is to create awareness through beautiful
products, while leaving the tiniest footprint possible. Making a bag from your jacketThe most beautiful bags are those that have embedded personal stories
and sentimental value. Creating a bag from your personal jacket gives
a second life to the piece and an emotional connection far greater
than a store-bought bag. I've had multiple customers bring out-of-style
jackets from memorable trips to Italy, one customer used her father's
old Peace Corps jacket, a husband made a bag for his wife from his
20-year old motorcycle jacket, another made two clutch bags for herself
and her sister from their fathers old jacket that he got on his honeymoon.
So many people have leather jackets sitting in the back of the closet-
out of style, but too valuable to give away. |
