When we decided to make our very first belt – The Felix – we knew immediately that our friend Agnes Baddoo would be the perfect collaborator. We have loved watching as Agnes has extended her own line of cult-favorite leather goods – each one hand crafted by artisans in LA – and the experience and insights she has gathered from that pursuit were invaluable to the process of bringing our vision for the Felix belt to life.

Joining forces with Agnes was a joy in more ways than we can count and, of course, an exciting extension of our commitment to supporting women in the workforce and our dedication to ethical production. Now more than ever, supporting local artisans feels vital to this mission – a way to support not only the craft and work of these skilled makers, but also to build the power of local, independently owned businesses, and, ultimately, to engage in a more mindful and environmentally conscious mode of production – one that requires less transport and, in turn, has a lesser impact on the environment.

A few of us (including our model Alex Noiret!) were lucky enough to accompany our footwear designer Fran on a visit to Agnes’ studio a little while ago to meet her team of artisans and to check in as our belts were being finished up (another perk of local production!). Pablo, who is responsible for making each of our belts, walked us through the entire process, from the embossing and the intricate hand painting (using natural pigments) to the manual aging process that gives each piece the perfectly worn-in, vintage feel that we love. See below for a look behind the scenes of the making of the Felix Belt!