Founded by Ayfer Zeybekoğlu in memory of her son Burak Salman, Istanbul-based ALLBYB Dizayn creates handcrafted designer bags that bring Turkish weaving traditions into contemporary form. Women artisans across Turkey handweave many of the bags—some requiring up to 10 days of work—while local ateliers shape the leather pieces with equal care. More than 80% of the company’s workforce is women, linking its distinctive accessories to both cultural heritage and women’s economic independence.
BembienFounded in 2017 by Yi-Mei Truxes, Bembien is a Greenpoint, Brooklyn accessories brand creating timeless handbags and lifestyle pieces by hand in small batches. Its rattan basket bags, handwoven leather designs and silk scarves connect modern silhouettes with artisan techniques passed down through generations; a single handbag can take up to 10 days to complete. Bembien works with local, women-led weaving communities around the world to help sustain craft heritage.
Creative WomenFounded in 2004, Athens-based Creative Women creates handmade home textiles and decor through fair-trade partnerships with more than 1,400 women artisans in nine countries. Its collections pair traditional techniques and natural materials with a mission to preserve textile heritage while helping women build economic opportunity. The brand is especially distinctive for connecting shoppers with the makers behind pieces such as handblown recycled-glass tumblers and Tanzanian Iringa baskets.YORK, PA
EittemFounded by Creative Director Erin Saluti after six years of research and development, Eittem makes sculptural handbags that function as both wearable accessories and art objects. In its Manhattan atelier, a small in-house team individually carves salvaged American walnut and refines each numbered piece by hand over several weeks. The inaugural collection launched in 2024, with limited-run bags designed to be carried, collected, and passed on.NEW YORK, NY
MARAKIFounded by Ethiopia Begashaw in Brooklyn in November 2023, MARAKI designs leather bags and accessories in New York and has them handcrafted in Ethiopia by women artisans. Its pieces pair adaptable, everyday forms with Ethiopian cultural identity, including Amharic names and stories. The brand produces in small batches and works with Ethiopian craftspeople whose leather-working practice dates to 1996.BROOKLYN, NY