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THADDEUS
DU
BOIS

''The Huntress'', tote, wool,leather,hand forged and welded steel $2000
''The Vampire Slayer'' mini messenger, hand stained leather, black suede interior,hand forged and welded steel, $800 ''The Submariner'' clutch, Tooled and stained leather, hand forged and welded steel, $550
"The Huntress", tote, wool,leather,hand forged and welded steel $2000 "The Vampire Slayer" mini messenger, hand stained leather, black suede interior,hand forged and welded steel, $800 "The Submariner" clutch, Tooled and stained leather, hand forged and welded steel, $550

Comments: [post a comment]

1. Thank you so much for sharing. Your work on your website is overwhelming. Truly inspirational. This is a welcome change from the usual designer of the day.I wish I had a friend like you..your energy is contagious!! from a fellow bagmaker - Joy Liotta Horvath from CT., July 16, 2009.
2. Your bags are so cool! - Johnna Marie Holloway from Indiana, July 16, 2009.
3. Thaddeus these are really wonderful! Nice aesthetic, creative and interesting. I like the Submariner clutch. - Brenda Roper from NM, July 16, 2009.
4. Very nice Thaddeus! Congrats! You already know how incredible I think your work is! -Nic - Nicole from CA, July 16, 2009.
5. Hi this is Ellen, from the Ornamental Metal Museum today! So glad you told us about this website-and these bags are just beautiful works of art, just like your helmet at the museum. You have a bright future! Best of luck, I'm going shopping now... - Ellen from Tn, July 16, 2009.
6. The bags look cool, like a work of art, but I would be afraid to carry one, I would stab my 4 year old in the eye and probably hurt someone while doing regular chores like errands...bound to stab the old lady at the UPS store with the bag. Cool looking but definitely not wearable for any woman that has children or has to run around town. - Tara S. from USA, July 19, 2009.
7. Hi Taddeus, I feel your bags are very original, but I feel your work is a little bit agressive...I do agree with the lady that says she would be afraid to stab her son...it is true, this is a nice piece of art, but not wearable art! - diane from florida, August 02, 2009.
 

My bags are really individual like I imagine we all are as people and I suppose the main theme behind them are an aggressive individual confidence. I'm learning to combine heavy leather with my steel work which is allowing me to accomplish more of my sculptural handbag ideas. In August, I'm meeting with a company to talk about bringing some of my forms to production so that I can attend trade shows.

I'm using steel, leather and fabric, I use steel because I really enjoy working with it, it does what I tell it to more than any other material. I don't know who my target audience is really, I suppose it could be anyone, I don't think there is one defining characteristic to describe my target audience. My inspiration just happens, it comes from God, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because I can't sleep and sketch out stuff, or just yesterday I saw a handbag on the dash of a woman's car that was passing me on the highway and a full blown design based on what I thought I saw just jumped into my head. I think what makes my bags so special is that I make them. The pattern, if there is one, the steel hardware, the sewing, all of that but each one has a name and a story to go with it as to why it exists and what it's purpose or use is.  In fact, until this year all my handbags were made in Spenard, Alaska my own self proclaimed New Fashion Capital of the World, so they were all signed Made in Spenard, Alaska.

It all started when I was working at Nordstrom in Men's Furnishings/Clothing. We were slow in my department, again, and I was watching all these women go crazy over handbags just across the isle. A woman I was dating at the time said "Why don't you make handbags?" I said because that's dumb, I don't want to make handbags. She said it's really all about the hardware, you could make some cool hardware for a handbag. My mind opened up and I realized what she was saying and I've been dreaming of handbags and designs and making drawings and bags since that day in 2004. To me it really is about the hardware and that is one of the reasons my bags have so much steel on them, it's like their skeleton or exoskeleton so that they come alive and take on their own life.

The only story I can think of right now is when I was trying to make my first or second bag and someone said I needed to make a paper model to work out my designs. Maybe they said pattern but I heard model. I cut out paper and was taping and trying to glue stick stuff together and what I ended up with was the dumbest looking piece of crap you could imagine. I was so frustrated, I thought forget this paper model stuff, I'm making real handbags, not paper ones! So, the next couple I made by just cutting out the material and fitting it as I went along.

What would make it all worth it is if I'm handbag designer of the day! Does it get any better?! I've sold a couple also and that sure makes me feel good when people like them enough to part with their money, it's encouraging. I've also given a lot away and they all enjoy carrying my works of art, but to get something that's in my head outside and created in reality, that's worth it all, just to see what used to be in my imagination.
 

 
What is your name? Thaddeus Du Bois
Where are you from? Indiana and Alaska
Where do you live now? Tennessee and Indiana
How old are you? 36
Do you have a design background? Yes.
Do you still have a day job? No, just a degree in art.
What year were your bags born? 2004
Bag brand name: Thaddeus Du Bois
What is their retail price range? $200 - $2000
Where can a shopper buy your bags? www.thaddeusdubois.com  
For more information, contact: www.thaddeusdubois.blogspot.com 

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