Karie Reinertson makes beautiful handcrafted bags under the name of Shelter. I first saw her work on Madesmith and was intrigued to find out more.

How did Shelter begin? Shelter started in the Green Mountains of Vermont when a couple of generalists got together and wanted to collaborate. Soon after, we moved to Asheville, NC, and have been focusing on canvas and leather bags, alongside home and cabin design/build. My favourite combo! Do you make everything yourself? For the most part, yes. When we have larger orders, we work with a worker-owned sewing cooperative here in North Carolina to help with certain aspects of the bags. What is your favourite part of the making process? Designing is my favorite part of the process. The transition from idea to tangible piece is an incredibly satisfying process. I also love working with leather. It feels like a collaboration - leather is a beautiful, sturdy, and challenging material to work with and it deserves time and respect. What materials do you use? I use the highest quality canvas, waxed canvas, leather, and hardware I can find. I also use ikats and African textiles. I like to mix different patterns and textures together. Where are you stocked? Boutiques in the US and abroad, and online through my own web shop. Exclusive collaboration pieces can be found online at Madesmith. Do you have any exciting plans for the future? Yes, super exciting plans! Soon I will be offering a collection of one of a kind and bespoke leather inlaid handbags. More on that soon... To follow that journey, please follow us on Instagram at @shelterprotectsyou and @theceremonycollection

Thank you Karie!

Photographs by Jen Altman for Madesmith

Moving Mountains is a brand new design studio that produces bags and jewellery with a refined sense of simplicity and artful functionality. Designer Syrette Lew originally hails from Hawaii but is now based in Brooklyn, where she uses her skills as an industrial designer to create beautiful clean-lined handbags and accessories.

I love quality basics which are designed to last a lifetime and Moving Mountains fits that bill perfectly. The Compact bag is a careful study of shape, volume and proportion which is just big enough to hold all your daily essentials. The Suspension necklace is equally considered, with a single cord of waxed cotton interwoven through a solid brass bar hanging gracefully in the balance.

With plans to expand into men's accessories and home goods, I look forward to seeing what the brand does next.