1. How did you get your start in the handmade community?

I've been a creative person since childhood but started working as a creative professional in 2007 when I started working in a photography lab. I learned so much about color, composition, style and developed an intense eye for details during my 5 years with them. After that I started my Etsy shop while in between jobs and it slowly grew while I worked in the textile industry. During this time I started sewing without fear and tried pattern making, fabric dying and doing whatever I could with fabric. It was during this time I started sewing bags and other accessories. Designing handbags was a natural transition for me because I am a little bit of a bag hoarder.

2. What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?

All of the fabrics I use are hand crafted by myself in my home studio. I hand dye, hand print and digitally design all of my patterns before sewing them into handbags, pouches, wallets and other accessories.

3. What or Who Inspires you?

The ocean and the night sky. There's nothing like a vast expanse of nothingness to get my creative mind churning. Watching the soothing waves along the Pacific Ocean or the twinkling stars in the Milky Way inspire a calming feeling of being a spec in a huge magnificent universe filled with wonder and endless possibilities.

4. What is your creative process like?

I start with a small idea and try lots of variations. My goal is to always end with a product that is unique and aesthetically works from the smallest detail to the overall piece. I'm not afraid to scrap plans and start fresh. Some details remain as a framework to build on with new ideas and details. Trial and error is my friend, I learn whenever I can. I refine my designs and patterns until I have a beautiful, professional and meticulously sewn item.

5. What is the coolest artistic tip you have ever received?

“Through the mere act of creating something—anything—you might inadvertently produce work that is magnificent, eternal, or important.” - Elizabeth Gilbert
Just get started. So many times I overthink and get all anxious about the idea of something I have in my head, that I don't even start.

6. What can we expect to see from you at Jackalope?

Indigo dyed shibori fabrics, bright colorful patterns, canvas bags, tote bags, women's wallets, makeup bags, accessory cases, cross body purses.

7. Where can we learn more about you?
www.starlightbags.com or say hello on Instagram @mariashacreaw

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
Our style is modern minimal and responsible rebellious. We make architecturally inspired, versatile silhouettes that work for today’s fast-moving lifestyle. Our brand revolves around salvage material and thoughtful process, making product that balances elegance with environmental integrity.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
We have a unique relationship as best friend and business partners, each with different backgrounds and expertise. We both quit corporate industry jobs to work towards environmental change at something we believe is the future of design and production. Working with salvage materials is not easy, and our various experience in architecture, material development, detailing, and high design allows us to transform these materials through a complex process of research, testing, prototyping, and problem solving until we reach the perfect balance of construction and design.

We handcraft everything in our small studio, and know what it takes to make something long-lasting, strong and useful.

Every sheet of filter cloth that we get is unique, dyed to a particular color by the beer during its life in the big brewery.  We sort material on a gradient from lightest coppery tones to a deep patina of dark grey. Beer Brindle means that the cloth has been dyed naturally by hops and barley during first life manufacturing. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
We are constantly exploring Los Angeles, inspired by the incredible natural landscape that surrounds us, and also by the history, culture and industry of the city. In the mountains and beaches around LA, we camp, hike, rock climb and swim. We spend time at our local library. We take Rewilder field trips to places as varied as the Puente Hills Material Recovery Facility (to see how our trash is processed), the Gentle Barn (to commune with animals), and the Craft and Folk Art Museum (to learn weaving skills).

Our name is inspired by the rewilding of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park (wolves were reintroduced into the ecosystem in 1995 after being killed off 70 years earlier). The results were dramatic, starting a cascade of growth and change that brought back many animals, regenerated plant life, and even stabilized the riverbanks.  This amazing transformation inspired us to take the name Rewilder and begin our own transformation, giving strong, valuable materials a second life. 

When do you feel the most creative?
We work most creatively during those instrumental phases of development, when we find a new material to explore from design concept to physical experiment. Working with salvage materials takes many failures before finally finding the right design details, and we have piles of failed tests in sewing, cutting, and painting – each one teaching us something new. We also work creatively on limited edition pieces that allow us to test details at a small scale. The creative meetings for these projects have no boundaries, and often our wildest ideas will become seeds for other projects. We use our creativity to keep moving forward, designing toward an overall shift in the way things are designed and made.

What is your creative process like?
Everything at Rewilder is under one roof. We design, sew, paint, silkscreen, brainstorm and collaborate in our small Hollywood studio. We are simultaneously filling orders and drafting new patterns. Everything is hand crafted here, which allows us to have creative control over the entire process and end product.

 What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?
Jenny:  Try anything. We learn everything about our materials from the process of experimentation, and the inevitable failures that come from testing. Even when our ideas don’t work, we will discover something valuable and interesting from the process.  

Lisa:  Spend time with your materials. Working with one material over time makes you an expert, which gives you the ability to be truly creative.

and

Ask for honest critique.  Our long term success comes from honestly understanding our strengths and weaknesses.

Where can we learn more about you?  
Rewilder.com

SHOP Rewilder at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.