Brand Spotlight: One's To Watch
Shoppe Object plays host to the most compelling representation of the home and gift market — from industry icons to niche makers. While impossible to choose favorites, each week we introduce you to brands you need to know now. Let this serve as a guide on your never-ending but ever-fruitful quest for the beautiful, the inspired, the innovative and the well-made.
Leah Singh
Leah Singh features a collection of handcrafted textiles that mix traditional Indian craft techniques with modern, geometric forms. Designer and founder Leah Singh works directly with artisans in villages across India using embroidery, weaving, and printing techniques that are native to the region. Her philosophy is to rejuvenate these age-old, traditional crafts by transforming them into modern objects.
FLOR DE MARIA
Flor de María is a chocolate edibles brand born from a desire to showcase the flavors of Latin American cacao and give back to local producers. While most infused chocolates are made from mixing hemp with third-party, untraceable, and unremarkable chocolate, Flor de María makes their own chocolate from beans they’ve sourced through direct relationships with local producers to ensure a fair and sustainable supply chain. Making their own chocolate from scratch gives the brand the ability to adjust the flavor in the cacao –by adjusting roast, processing, and other factors– and perfectly pair it to their certified organic, hand-cultivated hemp-derived CBD.
Inspired by Australian roots, Merry People offers a modern twist on the classic waterproof boot. Their best-selling Bobbi boot seamlessly blends fashion and function with natural rubber and a neoprene lining. Built for all-day comfort and available in a range of colors to match your style, their boots allow you to enjoy any activity, in any environment, rain or shine.
il buco vita
From New York’s famed il Buco restaurants, il Buco Vita is a tabletop and home décor line inspired by the colors, materials, and objects that make their restaurants so authentic and inviting. Each of their Italian artisans works entirely by hand in small batches, using local materials and methods passed down by craftsmen of generations past.
ixöq
ixöq (ee-sh-auk)—which means woman in the Mayan dialects Kaqchikel and Tzutujil—is a women-operated social enterprise working with local artisans from Guatemala to create unique, sustainably sourced, handmade totes and decorative containers, all woven from recycled plastic cord. Their mission is to honor the traditions of and provide support to women artisans of Guatemala through a partnership focused on the design, production, and sale of fair-trade goods. ixöq adheres to the principles of sustainable fashion, ecological design and sourcing, and ethical production. Proceeds directly support the women, their communities, and their futures.
CUSHENDALE WOOLLEN MILLS
Cushendale textiles balance unrivaled provenance with contemporary designs. Six generations of the Cushen family have been spinning and weaving wool in Kilkenny Ireland since 1778. Today, Miriam Cushen works side by side with her father Philip, continuing to run one of only two vertical mills in Ireland where Irish fleece is crafted into lifelong yarns and textiles. Cushendale textiles in Irish wool, mohair, and lambswool are made in small batches, ensuring exceptional care at each unique and delicate stage. Skilled craftsmanship, hand precision and premium wool are key to achieving the Cushendale quality mark.
