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Our Artisans
Elwira Miezal
Elwira Miezal is a Polish artist based in Pasadena, California. Her years of work as a Hollywood set designer, along with a great appreciation for handmade art, have led her to a creative exploration with clay. She draws inspiration from colors and textures in nature, as well as the shapes of the human body. Elwira strives to balance structure with fluidity in her work, employing organic forms as a reference point. She creates her pieces using stoneware with minimal amounts of glaze, and utilizes her bare hands as a tool to allow for a more intimate connection with the materials.
“I never know what I will make when I come to the studio until I touch the clay. We talk to each other, and everything unfolds as I start playing with my hands. It’s like having a love affair.”- Elwira Miezal
Alpaca
The Kapri Family in Kathmandu, Nepal, creates beautiful woven and knitted goods using the same traditional practices that were passed down to them from their ancestors. They tend to their family land, shear their alpacas, and loom fabrics in a workshop that has been in the family for generations, handed from one to the next for over 30 years. In their own words, “Consistency of quality and sustainability are our main focus.” Mojave Desert Skin Shield is honored to support the craft of the Kapris’ family-owned business, sharing their beautiful cashmere and wool with our customers.
Goldsmith
Michalis is a professional goldsmith with 23 years of experience of designing and creating precious jewelry. After attending the gold and silversmith school in Athens for two years, he worked and perfected his craft there for seventeen. His workshop is now located in Chania, a beautiful and sunny seaside city on the Greek island of Crete. Michalis draws inspiration from the nature around him: the beautiful blue sea, the sunlight on a hot day, their olive trees, the colors of the summer sunset, and even a simple walk around the harbor. Using only genuine and high-quality materials, every piece of his jewelry is crafted with love and care.
Cobbler
Born in Japan, Tom grew up watching his grandfather’s craft of cobbling, and was constantly impressed by his split-toe socks and shoes. Still wearing the styles to this day, in 2015 he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and began to make shoes for a living as well. Now living in the United Kingdom, Tom hates low-quality and fast fashion products; he always strives to make shoes of the highest quality for his customers. Through traveling to different countries to learn various, unique skills, Tom is constantly inspired to keep improving his shoes, and truly appreciates all the support that allows his craftsmanship to thrive.
Leather
Since the very beginning of MDSS, our beautiful leather bags have been manufactured by two extraordinarily talented artisans in Kyiv. What started with one design turned into a friendship and a fulfilling creative collaboration with these exceptional artists and human beings; a journey we have grown on together. We are donating half of the profits from the sales from their exceptionally crafted pieces to UNICEF and the humanitarian convoys in Ukraine.
