This Rusty Blue Necklace by MARIE FLY FLY is a great example of vintage meets modern. The speckled Czech glass beads combined with the industrial look of the hammered copper hoop and chain really pop…and at just $34, they’re a steal!

Isn’t this clutch sweet?! This is by MOSEY who’s tag line is: “Recycled, Reconstructed, Re-loved,” so you can’t beat that. This Araucana Pocket Clutch is made of soft, felted, boiled wool with a vintage button. Check out the sweet surprise on the back: egg shaped cotton appliqués in a vintage calico print….too cute. This piece measures 6” x 5” and is a mere $22!

It must be my wee bit o’ Scottish blood that draws me to the kilt. There’s nothing sexier than a lad in a kilt, but why can’t the lassies get in on the action? Well, we can if you wear this vintage kilt pin! This would look great as a fastener for a hand knit wrap or scarf. This pin is made of steel wire and vintage beads by SUPERFAY.

These little beauties by FOUNDLING feature a couple of vintage Lucite and faceted stones with a delicate brass chain connected to a cool brass ring (check them out up close) for $25.

This fun “>ring by THE BROKEN PLATE is actually handcrafted from…you guessed it, a broken plate. The vintage 70’s silver adjustable ring setting completes the look.

These super-duper-cute baby hair clips made by DETAILS just make me smile! The Monogram clip on the left and the personalized one on the right are entirely hand-sewn. It’s no surprise then that they use only high quality wool felt on these beauties! Their entire collection for babies and toddlers is a must see!

You can check out all of these designers and more on Etsy, my go-to international boutique for all things indie!

This first piece is one that I can’t seem to forget after adding it to my Stylefeed over five weeks ago! It’s so beautiful and organic, yet modern at the same time. It’s made by Amy Moore of Honey Bee (a seller on Etsy). She refers to her pieces as “wearable sculpture inspired by nature,” which is so spot on. This cuff of solid sterling silver is cast and impressed with the texture of a peeled hickory branch. She then oxidizes it to enhance the pattern and brushes it for a matte finish. I must not be the only one hankering for this beauty because, the hand-cast piece is back-ordered for 6-8 weeks, but I think it’s totally worth the wait.

One designer that is known for her modern wood inlay pieces is Amy Bengtson. She is a fellow Northwest girl and one talented designer. Here are just a couple of her new pieces:

This piece is part of her new graphic series where you can pick your wood (rosewood-dark brown, bloodwood-red or maple-blond), color and pattern. The one-inch square necklace is etched on both sides and hung on an 18-inch chain. This piece is the Anika pattern in bloodwood/silver.

This Josephine necklace is part of Amy’s Beat collection. I love the simplicity of the mod shapes. It’s available in Rosewood (dark brown), Bloodwood (red) and Maple (blonde). Shown in Rosewood with sterling silver findings. These pieces start at $68.

These unique little gems from Demimonde Jewelry (another Pacific Northwest artist) are actual twigs that have been covered in gold leaf. The asymmetrical look of the brass bird and chalcedony charms is too cute.

These are also from Demimonde. The wood grain design is hand printed on both sides on balsa wood, which is very light weight. The combination in a teardrop shape is oh-so-modern.

These glass cabochon hair pins from Dejarnette are so faux bois! I would wear these little cuties every day.

These simple wood disks by Sharma Designs (also found on Etsy) framed in silver make great everyday earrings for the jeans and t-shirt girl.

So give these new classics a try…there are a multitude of options and styles to choose from.

This stunning wooden briefcase is designed by Japanese designer Takumi Shimamura. I love wood-accented accessories, but I have NEVER seen a briefcase made out of wood, let alone so sleek, modern and one-of-a-kind! This talented industrial designer used an ecological, thinned Japanese cedar with a water- repellant finish. It’s large and wide enough to accommodate most laptops, has sturdy canvas edges, double zippers, and inner pockets. These are hand crafted in Japan and each one is as unique as is the cedar tree it came from, and for $299.99, it stacks up nicely with more traditional versions.

The next company I want to introduce you to is as clever as their slogan: Craft meets Technology. Dbclay is a company from Portland, Oregon that creates unique wallets called pocket art. They are true innovators in the design world. Db developed a custom textile and a proprietary printing technique that takes conceptual art and photographs and transfers it onto their eco-friendly Tope fabric. Tope is strong, durable and water resistant ,and is the only product of its kind on the entire planet! How many companies large or small can say that? Cool and eco-friendly, now that’s a combo I can live with!

This ode to the 70’s design is actually a copy of an old wooden box transferred onto their Tope fabric.

I also love the Madras model, particularly the contrast of the gold wheat against the blue horizon in this photo series.

CYBEROPTIX TieLab hails from a top-floor studio in downtown Detroit. Their designs reflect their environment and background in industrial/electronica music. The founder, Bethany Shorb, created the costumes for Skinny Puppy’s 2004 world tour and is a performer herself. Their aim is to take the ‘old establishment’ tie and turn it into a subversive anti-establishment one, and I think they’ve definitely succeeded! Cyberoptix uses eco-friendly waterbased inks on their 100% silk charmeuse and microfiber ties, like their best-selling Exhaust Pipes design.

In this design, they took a Victorian skeleton key and repeated it into a tartan design….genius!

Another company that creates sublime, hipster ties is Sovereign Beck. Their designs aren’t for the faint-of-heart and definitely speak for themselves:

The Beetles design on the left and the Overlap design on your right, both sell for $90.

22designstudio is composed of a group of young designers from Taiwan. This masculine ring is one in a series made of cement and stainless steel. These young artists use environment, texture and human behavior as their design inspiration. The exterior was drawn freehand by the designer. The rough uneven cement outside is a great counter-balance to the smooth stainless on the inside.

I hope these pieces are either inspiration or motivation to look outside the box when it comes time to add an accessory or two to your wardrobe (or to help your guy update his look). Happy Hunting!

Oh, and one more thing, you’ll never guess where Kim lives. She’s just minutes from the Peterson Automotive Museum in L.A…how fitting! All Kim White handbags are proudly made in the USA.

You won’t need a tag for this clutch. It has CAMARO written all over it! A 1983 Camaro to be exact. This bag has a great spring frame that allows it to open and shut with a snap. The cut-out gives you the option to hold it in your hand or under your arm.

It’s hard to find an optical print like this on a handbag! This vibrant blue with black version (from a vintage 1980 Ford Mustang print) is so striking and versatile from weekend to work.

This style is a great shout out to my favorite decade, the 70’s, in style, textile and color. Brown and orange happens to be one of my favorite color combinations and so classic 1970! I love the distressed brown leather with the oversized grommets. It’s hard to believe the fabric is from a AMC! The adjustable strap goes short for just under your arm, or extends to a messenger, across your chest style.

Kim also found some vintage floral upholstery fabrics from 1950 – 1970…what luck! This yellow floral bag reminds me of my grandma’s soft sofa draped with a crocheted throw! The simple shape, coupled with the contrasting dark brown leather, really shows off the funky pattern. This would look so cute with a denim and corduroy ensemble…don’t you think?

You can check out her entire line and add your favorites to your StyleFeed at her site.

Every component in her work is handmade, from her hammered circles, to the tiny balls placed on those circles. No two pieces are truly alike so you are getting a true ‘original’ from the artist/metalsmith herself.

You can choose from five collections on her shop page: Signature, Preface, Layered, Egg and Bean and Steel and Gold (my ab-so-lute favorite)!

Her SIGNATURE collection is a combination of her most popular, original pieces. I think this necklace is so great for everyday, subtle yet unique:

It was only after the birth of our second baby that I was truly inspired to design the first HARDWARE bag. This bag had to feel hip, and fit my new lifestyle with two toddlers in tow. Add to the mix my textile background coupled with my love of industrial and post-modern design and the first HARDWARE handbag was born. I’m now focused on slowly building our brand, while still maintaining our ‘indie’ roots.

So, because I’m so busy juggling my family and business I do virtually all of my shopping online. I’m inspired to buy most all of my personal and home accessories from indie designers that I admire for their original point of view. My goal is to introduce you to some of these designers that I’ve known for awhile as well as those I’ve just discovered.

Because we live amongst a sea of knock-off designers and logo crazy fashionistas, I want to bring to you fresh, independent design that inspires you to buck the latest trend and find your own personal ‘indie’ style. And I’m sure you’ll be able to direct me to new designers as well!