Meet the makers: Christine Kelly

Christine Kelly in the world of architecture is a renowned name. With over twenty years experience, and her own company, Christine looks forward to each new project and challenge that comes her way. From her firm Crafted Architecture, to her new design venture [Crafted Bags LLC], the team at #clutchmadefactory sat down with Christine to discuss the process of developing her product with Clutch Made in the USA. Keep reading below to find out more about architect turned designer, Christine Kelly, and how she manages both endeavours with the help and support of our factory.

What inspired you to reach out to Clutch Made to start or develop your business journey?

For the past 10 years,  I have had the idea for a tote bag geared toward architects as well as other design and creative fields and had no idea how to make it come to life. I was poking around on the internet one day and luckily found Clutch Made. It sounded like this was the perfect company to work with to help develop my idea into a beautiful bag.

Describe your brand and your products in 5 words or less.

Totes to support your creativity

Tell us a little bit more about what inspires and drives your brand.

Crafted Bags plays off the name of my architecture firm, Crafted Architecture LLC. As an architect, I am always carrying not only my lap top and notebooks but also sketch books, rolls of drawings, sample boards and tape measures to meetings and site visits. Crafted Bags are totes designed to carry all of the elements of an architect, artist, designer, or engineer’s life in a functional and beautiful way. No more digging into the bottom of an endless tote to find pens, your phone or a notebook or a scale. My bag has specialized pockets for everything, including horizontal storage for large rolls of drawings and vertical storage for scales, rolls of trace, water bottles, etc.

How has your experience been bringing your products to life with Clutch Made?

I design buildings for a living, but I am not familiar with the process of creating an accessory and Clutch Made guided me carefully through each step of the process. It was so nice being “the client” and reviewing the tech pack and fabric selections from the Clutch Made design team. They made it all look so easy and I am thrilled with my first prototype.

What sets your products apart in the world of American Made accessories?

I know how many different types of materials, drawings, samples and devices people in creative fields need to carry. Crafted Bags are tools designed specifically to support architects, engineers, artists and designers. There is a place for everything that is easy to access whether your out in the field on a job site or meeting with a client. The bag is beautiful, functional and durable.

If you could give one piece of advice to emerging designers what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to put your ideas out into the world, especially right now, during the pandemic. The universe needs to see more creativity and beauty and others will be inspired by your leadership.