Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessy Rusch.
Hi Jessy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in rural Wisconsin in a modest log cabin built by my family.
I found creative inspiration in my mother and fathers’ vinyl record collection and in fashion magazines that my mom subscribed to. By the time I started high school, hundreds of neatly stacked fashion magazines lined the bedroom my little sister and I shared.
At eighteen, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where I went to college and was mentored by the owners of Bop (now Shopbop.com), at the time a bourgeoning brick and mortar. It was there that I cut my teeth in sales, as a general manager, a buyer and as a model.
My love of music (and serendipity in the form of a snowstorm and touring musicians) brought me to Austin. My fashion trajectory continued at the city’s most prominent boutique, By George. My geographic trajectory included a globetrotting job with the antique jewelry shop Bell and Bird. Simultaneously, I started making one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that were timeless, personal, and versatile, incorporating objects and design elements I discovered on my travels. I included symbolic tokens of our mortality, Memento Mori themed skulls into my work after my fight against a rare form of incurable cancer, followed by an equally debilitating autoimmune disease. I wear them to remind myself of that difficult chapter in my life and, most importantly, as a reminder of the fragility of life. To live presently is to live fully, for our past is gone and the future so uncertain. At 24, doctors said I’d never see the age of 30. Here I am at 41, healthy, happy and creating special items for special people, representative of me and my unique journey.
Today, a rural earnestness, vintage trade beads, vinyl records and custom hand-braided leather accessories are staples in my designs, along with other materials as unorthodox as my childhood. My work reflects a distinct urban sensibility cultivated far outside the boarders of a small town. The transition from pastime to fashion line was an organic one. I wore my handmade jewelry and leather bags, strangers wanted them, commissioned pieces, and JESSY MADE was born.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Aside from my health challenges, running JESSY MADE by myself, wearing every hat, it can be overwhelming. So much time and thought goes into each custom leather bag I make. My leather process is mine alone – I taught myself, it’s all about the details. No rushing it. With just my hands, there’s only so much I can make. I want to scale my company and currently, I am trying to figure out how I can do that without compromising my process and the finished product. What’s the best way to go about doing that? I wish I knew that answer.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I make leather accessories and jewelry for men and women. My leatherwork is custom and made-to-order consisting mostly of leather bags and guitar straps. My jewelry is made from rare old trade beads that are steeped in various symbolisms that I hold dear. I use these materials to make jewelry that’s indicative of an era long passed. For example, one of my favorite “found” old beads were made in the 1800’s in a little region in the north of France called Briare. They were made from a gorgeous porcelain-like material, in beautiful matte colors, and fit together like the vertebrae of a serpent – symbolic of rebirth and rejuvenation as the snake sheds its skin. Much time is spent sourcing these and other old trade beads that I’ve developed an affinity for, I then restore them once found. It’s truly a labor of love, but the final result is well worth the time and effort I put in. Another material I collect is old vintage vinyl made of a material called vulcanite, which is the end result of heating rubber and sulfur to an extremely high temperature. It’s the same material used to make LP records and I’m a bit of a music junky growing up in a musical household. I was drawn to Austin because of the music scene here, so this material was just begging me to do something cool with it… like wear it! My collection of vintage vinyl has become a little out of hand. I’ve a large basket overflowing in my studio. All the vivid colors I’ve found over the last decade in various sizes… quite impressive if I do say so myself.
My leatherwork is unique aesthetically because it’s entirely made by hand, no machine, all seams are braided together with leather. I am self-taught as well, so I guess it’s not a surprise my work is easy to spot out and about once you’ve owned one of my leather pieces/ follow me on Instagram. It has a very distinct look and vibe. There is no need to put my name all over every item, I think that’s cool. Brand logos covering products has never turned me on.
People seem surprised when I tell them I have never taken a class or course on leatherwork, but I find rules to be confining especially when it comes to creativity. I envision what I want the end result to look like, then I make a corresponding paper pattern for each style bag. Every cut, punch, stud, braid, etc. is done by my hands.
I make bucket bags, totes, backpacks, clutches, guitar straps, a belt here and there, and never the same thing twice, which keeps things exciting. Who wants to have what someone else has anyway!
I’d say I am most known for my leatherwork versus my jewelry, but it depends who you ask, I guess.
I am most proud of… that I get to do my own thing AND that this thing makes women and men feel special. My clients get really excited watching their commission come together via my Instagram. Most people have never had the opportunity to design something for themselves and then watch how it’s made. I think that’s pretty cool… being a part of that experience is the most satisfying, fulfilling feeling I’ve ever felt. Delivery day is pretty exciting, I often get nervous, I want everyone to love what I’ve made them. I take it all quite personally. Watching a woman or a man put on something I’ve made is quite cool. Never gets old.
How do you think about luck?
I think you get out of life what you put in… personally and professionally. Good and bad things happen to everyone, it’s part of living and self-growth. Not sure I really believe in luck. I do believe in karma however. Do onto others as you wish upon yourself.
Contact Info:
- Email: jessy@jessymade.com
- Website: jessymade.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessymadellc/
Image Credits
Ryan Goodrich
