When we first saw Madelines work, we knew partnering with her would be amazing. Madeline is a graduate of Philadelphia University, and her these collection featured some seriously incredible pieces are centered around the female form. 

Here is a short description of Madelines inspiration- 

"For those of you who don’t know me personally, I’m Madeline Halsey, the woman behind Fruits of Our Labor! Throughout my entire artistic career I’ve always had a fascination and strong appreciation for the female form and along with most young women, I’ve struggled with loving my own body.

At age 17 I discovered that my hymen was still completely intact, at 18 it was surgically removed. A few months later I was diagnosed with Vaginismus, a mental disorder common in victims of sexual assault. At 19 I was diagnosed with Vulvar Vestibulitis a physical disorder where my hips grew inwards and pressed my pelvic floor muscles together creating external pain. I was then diagnosed with Endometriosis which causes internal uterine pain. Through many years of mental and physical therapy I was able to overcome these obstacles to form a loving a nurturing relationship with myself.

At 20 I painted my first fruit vagina. My vagina has quite literally formed me into the woman I am today and sparked the brain child that is Fruits of Our Labor. I chose to paint vaginas for me to cope with the pain mine caused me and to normalize what it means to be a woman. I am proud of my story and I hope it inspires other women to be open and honest about theirs. Thank you 🍋"

How badass is Madeline?! So now you can see why I am so pumped to be working with her. She hand painted 6 pieces of vegetable tanned leather for us, and I made those pieces into clutches, fanny packs and one tote. These pieces are all very unique, and since we used vegetable tanned leather, they will patina beautifully overtime. The items will be available in store and online as of today! Keep scrolling to see some images of the bags we created together!

Find more of Madelines work by clicking here ---> Click me