LEAVING THE COTTAGE : THE RISE OF THE ETSY DESIGNER

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Has Etsy become the new Vogue? The way fashion and bridal bloggers are hailing some of those artisan/designers whose one-of-a-kind products grace the site, you'd think so. This new genre of fashion star seems to have left the cottage (remember the term cottage industry?) and moved on to a bigger niche. Here are a few names: Bonzie, Twigs and Honey, -successful designers- both on Etsy. This is a wonderful evolution we're seeing in that the artisan has finally become a trendsetter. Once upon a time artisans were locally-based, selling crafts at nearby fairs and boutiques. They had to source materials and sometimes cottage out their work, going through middlemen to sell their products, which typically resulted in lower profit margins. Today, thanks to high tech and the age of the internet, that middleguy has been sent on a hike down the road. Artisans now have not only a presence but also influence in the fashion world, building a client base on their own sites and Etsy Stores. Add to that wearable art publications like Ornament and Raine Magazine featuring these talents. Today, one-of-a-kind designers have a wide renown that twenty years back could only have been built on a local basis. They are also faced with a challenge. Will they expand as a company or concentrate on keeping the product line small and unique? Can they do both? It will be interesting to see how these designers and others channel success. My observation over the years is, the more successful a line becomes and the more products manufactured, generally the quality of that product goes South. We can help Etsy artists by buying their products and celebrating in the handcrafted quality that goes into each creation. This can mean giving those artists due shout outs and promotion on our blogs. This can also mean paying more than we would for something mass-produced or store-bought. But believe me, that little bit more we shell out even in these hard times can support and keep these artists going in more ways than you can ever imagine...