OUR STORY
Handmade in Louisville.
Not outsourced. Not mass-produced. Not shipped in from overseas. Every Modern Makerie bag is cut, sewn, assembled, and finished right here in Louisville, Kentucky. I design, test, stitch, and inspect each piece myself — in small batches — so what you carry is built to last. This isn’t fast fashion. It’s craftsmanship with intention.Functional. Beautiful. Made by hand — thoughtfully built to move with you.
BRAND VISION
Designed for Real Life
I don’t design bags to sit on a shelf. I design them to be used — every single day. Spills happen. That’s why most bags are lined with wipeable oilcloth interiors. Zippers break on fast fashion bags. So I use durable brass zippers made to open and close thousands of times.Fabric matters. I choose high-quality designer canvas — and design my own patterns — because your bag should feel as beautiful as it is functional.And when I can, I incorporate upcycled materials. Because creating something lasting will always matter more than creating something disposable. Every decision is intentional.
MEET THE FOUNDER
“I didn’t start Modern Makerie because I wanted a business. I started because I wanted to make something better.”
Hi, I’m Kate — the founder, designer, and the one behind the sewing machine. Modern Makerie started by accident. A friend asked me to make a bag. Then someone else did. And then I couldn’t stop. Ten years later, every bag is still cut, sewn, and finished by hand in Louisville, Kentucky. There have been seasons where keeping this business alive meant hard decisions — selling our home, rethinking everything, and rebuilding with intention.But I stayed. Because I believe the things we carry every day should be beautiful, durable, and made to last. And because creating something meaningful — with my own hands — still matters to me.
