Founded 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.
ALLBYB DizaynFounded 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.PHILADELPHIA, PA
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
bixi awotanBorn in León, Guanajuato, Mexico—a city rooted in leather craftsmanship—Bixi Awotan creates handcrafted leather handbags and accessories with timeless designs and artisan character. The family-run brand produces in limited quantities using carefully sourced, environmentally responsible leather, so each piece carries its own natural variation rather than a mass-produced finish. Bixi Awotan has been creating leather handbags and accessories for more than a decade, with a showroom in State College, Pennsylvania, and retail presence in Mexico.CARY, NC
Closed MondaysFounded by designer and photographer Bekka Palmer, Closed Mondays is a Brooklyn, New York, design and manufacturing studio making handmade baskets and home goods. Palmer, who learned to sew from her grandmother at age six, builds the studio around colorful, made-to-order work and a four-day-week philosophy. Every basket is made by hand in the Brooklyn studio and proudly made in NYC.BROOKLYN, NY