Behind the scenes of the new Marloe x Dressember bag
Circle bags, backpacks, totes, oh my!
These are the three beautifully-crafted, handmade handbags produced by the company Marloe.
We are excited to partner with Marloe for a Marloe x Dressember bag (mark your calendars for November 1st)!
To make you equally excited, we talked with Marloe’s founder, Analisa Jimenez, about her passion for handmade products and the importance of buying with a purpose.
The Beginning
Analisa founded Marloe in 2014 after she quit her full-time job as a visual merchandiser. The transition wasn’t easy. Analisa was unemployed for a year and felt creatively stagnant. So, as all of us do, she taught herself how to sew, because she wanted to challenge herself and fill a creative void.
“I just had all of this time,” she said. “I chose sewing because my mom had a sewing machine that was collecting dust and I have a natural knack for problem-solving and making things with my hands. I always want to do things the hard way, even if it drives me crazy.”
Analisa expected her first consumers to be her friends and family, but instead, they were people out and about in the community. “I was doing a lot of tasks running around the city and used my first tote to carry whatever I needed and that’s when people would stop me and ask, ‘Where did you get that tote?’ I would give people my number and they would stop by my house to pick it up.”
And it snowballed into Marloe.
“I chose sewing because my mom had a sewing machine that was collecting dust and I have a natural knack for problem-solving and making things with my hands. I always want to do things the hard way, even if it drives me crazy.”
The Process
In an effort to keep her business sustainable, Marloe has a set of signature designs.
She explained, “I personally go to the supplier and I have them open every single hide because you really have to inspect it. I do not like to be wasteful and leather is costly, so you want to make sure you’re getting a hide that’s as close to perfect as possible. It’s not lost on me that this was an animal and I want to respect that this is material that’s valuable.”
Once the supplies are in-house, it is time to put the bags together.
Every single step is done by hand: tracing the patterns onto the leather, cutting the fabric, placing the pieces, and gluing them together. Even the sewing machine has a person behind it.
I must have expressed amazement because Analisa added, “It seems so fast in my head, but now that I’m saying it word for word I’m like, ‘Oh my, that’s exhausting!’” Analisa even takes the time to custom make all of the dyes for the edge coat, a small detail which goes a long way.
I asked Analisa why she loves what she does, and it became clear that she’s the epitome of a mover and a shaker. Between making the handbags, answering emails, and delivering orders to downtown LA, there is no typical day at Marloe.
“It’s frustrating, chaotic, a lot, and exhausting, but it’s also what I love about it. It keeps you alert, on your toes and it makes the day go by so fast. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The Power of Buying Handmade
Analisa explained, “When I first started—I always wanted to promote handmade and the importance of supporting local artists and how it can boost local economies. The whole point of handmade is to be conscious about what you’re making and ensuring that it will last a while.”
When Analisa first started making her handbags, people assumed she was a part of the DIY trend, but with the emergence of the wave of slow fashion, buying consciously and paying attention to how products are made, people now understand the significance of her choosing to make quality, handmade products.
She added, “I don’t care where you’re buying your bag as long as you’re buying consciously. Think about where your product is made and make sure that it’s going to last you a long time. If you don't like my bags, don’t buy them. Buy something that you’ll love through ever-changing styles.”
Final thoughts
I ended our interview by asking Analisa why she decided to partner with Dressember:
“Through this partnership between Marloe and Dressember, I hope people realize that these issues are very real. Brands, no matter the size, should be more involved in getting consumers to pay attention and changing the wasteful, ‘more, more, more’, mentality of consumers. I think we all should be aware of this and do our part to fight it.”
If you’re looking for a handbag that will be with you through every lunch date, errand run, or stroll around a farmers market on a sunny Saturday, stop by https://www.shopmarloe.com/leather-shop.
And don’t forget to look out for the exclusive Marloe x Dressember handbag, coming November 1st.
About the Author
Madeline Van Husen first decided to be a part of Dressember while procrastinating physics homework her senior year of high school - and the rest is herstory. When she isn’t too busy hosting hot chocolate parties, asking people the 36-questions or avoiding the dreaded side-hug, you can find her curled up reading a good book, creating playlists on Spotify or drinking copious amounts of tea and/or frozen hot chocolate. Maddy is a senior at Boston College, and wants to be like her mom when she grows up.