Etsy: A viewpoint plus ten talented designer makers

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Etsy- I think you've probably heard of it by now.

The e-commerce website, created by Rob Kalin, Jared Campbell, Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik and focused on handmade goods, vintage items and supplies, now has over thirty million users and celebrated its ninth year of existence last month.

It has become a loved service for artists, designers, dressmakers, crafters and vintage enthusiasts, being an accessible way to get their creations out to the world, displayed in their own shopfront.

Full time Etsy sellers are promoted widely on the website, but as most sellers are working independently with the relatively high cost of supplies and using a commerce site with so many sellers, even a profitable side business can be difficult (although possible) to achieve.

Etsy has had it's controversies, struggling with a clear definition of "handmade", or to be more honest, distorting the meaning to questionable proportions. From October 2013 it now allows drop shipping and lets factories be involved in a seller's process, all still under the "handmade" description.

Being a website that contains hundreds of thousands of mini operations and hundreds of thousands of people behind them, Etsy and it's sellers have held the weight of all sorts of stereotypes, from knitted vagina salesmen, extremely optimistic pricing, pretentious dropouts, owltrepeneurs (you can have that one for free) and the more traditional craft stereotype of grandmothers making homely knitted hats and christmas cards.

One thing that's apparent to me: Etsy enables people to create and sell what they love in a very well designed format. If you're a full time employed person looking for something to do with your life that makes you feel yourself again, if you're unemployed and looking for something useful and fun to do with your time that might help you make a bit of cash and get attention drawn to a skill you have, if you're a stay at home parent that wants a creative project, or a working artist looking for another platform... you might find that Etsy's what you need.
 
Being a seller myself who loves all the handmade aspects of the website, I've created a list of ten fantastic designer makers. Creators of unique vegan leather bags, felt brooches, contemporary tyre jewellery, arty metal jewellery, headwear and more...

1. Lannarfelt

Orange Peacock Butterfly Brooch, £13.76

2. BoeJackDesign

Burgundy Leather Shoulder Bag, £37.10

3. TedandMag

Oxidised Sterling Silver Ring, £16.75

4. LivelyLeafDesigns

Modern String of Pearls Collar Necklace, £64.14

5. Paralife

Custom Size Cork Clutch/Phone Pouch, £24.53

6. Marten Lab

Vegan Leather Handbag, £118.79

7. Mesuleena

Pocket Mirror featuring original illustraion "You At Last", £5.39

8. Heathen Clothing

VEER Men's Sportcoat: £165.14

9. FranticAboutFrances

Berry Delight Knickers in Retro Fabric, £34.00

10. Ladybirdesign

Men's Slim Leather Wallet, £17.35

Fun Fun Fun

Sixties Style appears to be a key inspiration for designers' 2014/2015 fall/winter looks. Several fashion houses including Gucci and Saint Laurent have created designs reminiscent of clothes worn during the youth oriented phenomenon dubbed "Swinging London." 

Jane Asher

  

At Gucci- pastels, tans and muted shades were everywhere; on traditional biker jackets, knee length boots in buttery leathers and python skin.

Gucci Fall '14 collection, model Josephine Le Tutour

Models wore long, wispy feminine hairstyles reminiscent of Penelope Tree. Dresses were shifts and a-line silhouettes with pointed collars, front panels, halter neck bodices and ruffled necklines. Suits with cigarette trousers and single buttoned blazers in golden yellow and dusky pinks sat smartly over silky blouses. Outerwear also included classically constructed pea coats with flat mirror buttons and luxurious fur jackets.

Gucci Fall '14 collection, model Nadja Bender

Flawless designing seemed to be the quality at the forefront of this collection. Embellishments were either subtle or primarily functional: flat metal buttons, tight ruffles matching the garment fabric to edge a neckline and shiny zips and rivets- all adding the final polish to the beautiful cuts and fabrics. The one purely decorative element was the panels of studs and geometric gems.

Gucci Fall '14 Collection, model Ine Neefs

Saint Laurent Fall 2014 Collection

Saint Laurent's collection had an overall darker mood, accented with long straight fringed haircuts evocative of Jane Birkin. There were pea coats here too, this time as big boxy creations in black wool and monochrome tartans. Dotted throughout the looks were lengthy capes in brown toned tweeds and simple grey blazers grazing the wrists. 

Saint Laurent Fall '14 Collection

There was lots of sparkle throughout these outfits; red and gold glitter, beads, metal studs and sequins. There was a flash of contemporary print; a multi-directional illustrated gun pattern, printed silvery gold on black. Halter neck party dresses, velvet shifts, dark wide-brimmed felt hats, and tartan minis were other highlights of this collection. 

Saint Laurent Fall '14 Collection

Eye make up consisted of heavy black lids, with lashings of mascara on the bottom lashes bringing to mind Mary Quant's painted lash style. Lips were left unpainted.

Saint Laurent, Fall '14 Collection

These are both gorgeous reinventions of a loved era that is so often drawn from for inspiration. If you find yourself in love and want similar looks for a high street price you're in luck. Topshop currently offer a great teddy fur peacoat, a baby pink suit blazer and cigarette trousers, and a baby blue leather look satchel. 

If you like to support independent designers, Better Stay Together offers a great velvet mini dress. Bag Magic offer a beautifully crafted faux leather tote, HatsNCompany have designed a black wool felt floppy hat and ShamrockArts have a classic tartan mini skirt for sale.

Better Stay Together, Velvet Mini Dress, £35.90