Modern fashion is a business built on three words: more, next, now. Decades ago, designers like Guccio Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo got away with spending years refining their signature purses or heels before growing into head-to-toe looks. These days, brands that start small-batch may stay that way for a decade, tops. Between the rising costs of creating goods by hand and shoppers’ social-media-inspired pull to wear a different outfit every day, specialists are now forced to become generalists. The quest to craft an end-all, be-all white T-shirt ends in a full suite of basics—plus coats, skirts, and tote bags. Nap dresses now come with sister matching sets and accessories for all waking hours. A former bag-only label launched with the motto “fewer, better” now makes apparel, outerwear, and travel items in step with the fashion calendar.
When a brand goes from selling one category to one hundred seemingly overnight, a savvy shopper has to wonder what’s lost. (Usually, it’s durable materials, slow production, and the human touch.) It’s why a simple, standalone, handcrafted piece now feels less like a product being sold and more like a hidden gem to cherish.
