Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Chard Kowarick.
Hi Jamie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started a version of Fado Made when I was in high school in 2006, after learning how to knit. At that time, I sold under the name Fado Creations. At first, I mainly sold scarves and hats to friends and family, and eventually expanded into a couple of boutiques around my hometown of Sandy Hook, CT. As a lover of fashion and art throughout my adolescence, knitting was my first experience of turning something I thought of into an actual product.
When the time came for me to choose where to go to college, I found out about the Footwear and Accessories Design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology and was ecstatic when I was accepted. At F.I.T, I learned the various ways to construct accessories such as handbags, shoes, and belts out of leather, as well as different stitching techniques, leather manipulation, and exactly how to design and construct high-quality items.
Once graduated, I felt the urge to continue expanding Fado Creations, now with the knowledge and ability to offer handbags and other various small leather goods. I wanted to mainly focus on the handmade aspect, and very rarely would I use a sewing machine. For a few years, I sold my accessories in a handful of stores around Connecticut, and at least a craft show per season.
Skip to 2016, I was working part-time on Fado Creations, while nannying and attending Yoga Teacher Training when my husband (then fiancé) was offered a job in Knoxville, TN. In a matter of a month, we packed up and moved down south. The first year of transitioning Fado Creations to a new state and city was not the easiest. I found it incredibly hard to juggle the deep feeling of homesickness I experienced with the search for my client base as I tried to make sales. I worked hard to build my brand and was met with mild success, but after a year and another job change for my husband, I looked to teach yoga full-time in order to make more money as we prepared for our wedding.
What was intended as a short hiatus, turned out to be much longer than I intended; I did not feel the motivation or inspiration to make it again until August 2020. It could have been from the stagnation of the pandemic, or a build-up of creativity, but I was ready to try again. This time though, I rebranded and started to focus more on custom orders, rather than run myself tireless making certain styles in every color, and try and guess what my ideal customer would want. What Fado Creations once was, is now Fado Made. Made-to-order, and made for you.
I’m not exactly sure what is different now, could be from more maturity, or from knowing more people after living in Knoxville for almost five years, or because I changed my business plan, but I have been constantly busy with incoming orders for the past 14 months. My hope is that Fado Made will continue to grow and will allow me the opportunity to make it my full-time job within the next year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My struggles mainly came between 2016-17, when my husband and I relocated to Tennessee. I felt like a fish out of water, lacked confidence, and suffered a bit from what you might call imposter syndrome. I second-guessed everything I did, lacked inspiration and motivation, and questioned why I even wanted to have an accessories brand, to begin with.
These feelings and thoughts were so overpowering, that I essentially gave up and decided to focus on building a career in teaching yoga. When I look back now, it may have been the best thing for me, as through yoga I met numerous people and started networking without even intending.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
To sum it up, I make custom leather goods. I specialize mainly in structured handbags and draw inspiration from the box bag purse style which was first introduced in the 1930s and gained more popularly into the ’60s. I love to pair retro styles with more modern shapes, patterns, and design elements; such as pockets that will fit your phone. All of my custom bags and best sellers have been named after the people who inspired or commissioned them.
What sets Fado Made accessories apart from others is the handmade-yet-luxury quality that I strive for when designing and constructing each item. I always try to give my customers something well worth their money, that will stand the test of time and will age well with use. I offer a lifetime guarantee on every product, with free repairs if needed from broken hardware to snapped stitches.
Fado Made is known for custom work, and in the past year, I’ve been asked to make a wide variety of different bags in all sizes, a pouch specifically for forest foraging, refillable notebooks, backpacks, and sandals, just to name a handful. In that time, I have yet to find a project that I have not wanted to tackle. Another thing I believe Fado Made is known for is the hand stitching I use on each leather good.
Decorative stitching was something I learned while attending college in a course that focused on various leather techniques. I loved the bold statement it made and decided it would be a great way to distinct my accessories from others.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be from the summer before I started 4th grade when my parents surprised me with a dog. The morning we got her, my dad told me to get dressed as we were going out for a surprise. Already knowing that my parents wanted to get a dog, I assumed that we were going to a breeder to meet puppies, so I wore my favorite t-shirt with a golden retriever on it in anticipation. Instead of a breeder though, we ended up at the pound to meet the newest addition to our family, Libby, a German Shepard mixed pup.
Libby was even more special to us because my dad found her one early morning while driving to work. At first, he thought she was a coyote, but upon a closer look, realized she was an abandoned dog. Libby was very shy when he got out of his truck, so he got her to come over to him with a bag of potato chips, and he saw that she was malnourished and covered in fleas. My dad got Libby into the bed of his truck and drove her over to the police station, where she was transported to the pound, and an ad was placed in our local newspaper seeking her owner. After a couple of weeks, she was still unclaimed, and my dad requested to adopt her.
From that time on, I have always had pets. Currently, my husband and I have two dogs, Riley (a Mini Australian Shepard) and Luna (a Lab Beagle mix), and a handsome cat named Blinkin.
Pricing:
- Custom handbags – start at $150
- Custom backpacks – start at $210
- Custom wallets – start at $65
- Custom sandals – start at $110
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: fadomadeco.com
- Instagram: fadomadeco
