Why you should buy handmade from a designer-maker, crafts person or artisan…

When you buy a bespoke, personalised item you’re buying something unique - most often something that’s been created especially for you. You can’t get more special than that!

But there’s so much more you’re buying into that you possibly haven’t consciously thought about…

Picture those super wealthy types - you know, those glossy people that enjoy living in a world where the things they surround themselves are one-offs: works of art, tailored clothes, shoes that have been hand-stitched to their exact foot measurement! Well, when you buy a bespoke handmade item direct from the creator, that’s exactly what you’re doing too (albeit on a slightly more accessible budget).

Think of it as your chance to live the high life on a budget!

That item you buy - whether it’s a treat for you, or a gift for a loved one - has been made with so much care and love that it’s likely the designer or craftsperson feels a pang when they package and post it to you. They’ve spent time on it for you, they’ve packaged it up themselves and posted it. They’ve been through every stage of the creation process - and all for you! Forget those things that have been designed by a team, put before a board for approval, sent to a factory to be made, stuck on a pallet and shipped to a warehouse, and finally shoved in a box or envelope by someone with no idea who you are. The person you’re buying from is the same person who’ll be making your item, who designed it in the first place, and who’ll be packing it up and posting it to you and saying ‘thank you’ for your custom. And you know that your purchase supports that person and their family - that small cottage business that was built from a dream and a talent, to support their loved ones.

There’s always a story behind the item too - it could be that they were inspired by their surroundings, by a colour they saw in the sky that morning, by a song, anything! And that means that what they’re creating is a part of them. You’ve no doubt heard the phrase ‘made with love’ - and it truly has been!

Buying ‘designer’ in its truest sense

Not only that of course, but you know that the item you’ve bought is unlike any other. There aren’t a thousand of them in shops up and down the land. What you buy will be unique. It’s hard to find originality on the high street—nearly everything has gone through a filter process, from the designer down to the shop floor. See what prickly Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ says about the subject!:

“What you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.”

OK, her character was pretty mean, but you get the idea! So just imagine, you’re buying that cerulean sweater (or whatever) direct from the person who came up with the idea in the first place!

So next time you find yourself shopping for a gift, seriously, put aside the high street and seek out something special. Something you or your loved one can treasure and cherish.

Sarah :)