Anke began developing her talents for textile design as a seamstress at a dressmaker’s studio in Germany and later on while getting a degree in fashion design. She discovered that while it was nice to have other people construct her designs for her, she missed making things by herself. Anke later moved to the United States, and we’re sure glad she (and Alice the goldendoodle, one of our canine members) ended up in Ann Arbor! Keep reading to find out how she uses the Maker Works textiles area to create beautiful luxury handbags, accessories, and art pieces from high-quality leathers in all colors of the rainbow.
Anke Eichstaedt
Ann Arbor, MI
Designer & Entrepreneur
Elophina
What can you tell us about your business and areas of interest?
I started [my handbag business] making bridesmaid's purses and can proudly say that my purses accessorized many weddings. Later I recovered my passion working with leather and my new collection was created: Elophina! Today I make leather bags and accessories, jewelry, and leather wood inlays.
One of Anke’s gorgeous leather wallets, lovingly made by hand on the Consew industrial sewing machine at Maker Works.
What is your relationship to Maker Works and how did you get involved with the shop?
I have a background with degrees from Germany in both dress making and fashion design. I had done some projects in college and wanted to get back into it, but didn’t have access to the equipment. I got involved with Maker Works after I took a tour of the shop and noticed the industrial sewing machine.
Belt bags in a gorgeous array of colors If you’d like to support more makers like Anke, you can sponsor the tool that makes them possible!
How has Maker Works, access to shared tools, and a shared community impacted you/helped you reach your goals?
It’s a work place to go to that’s out of the house and accessible. The interactions with the people at Maker Works are very helpful in finding different and new ways to approach my work. It also increases my motivation and curiosity about tools that I otherwise wouldn’t think of using or have the capital to try out on my own, like the laser cutter.
What would you say to others about your experiences with Maker Works and why is it a valuable part of the community?
The community within the shop is fantastic. It gives people with different interests a place to explore things and learn a variety of skills that they would otherwise be unable to. I also appreciate not having to deal with maintenance or repairs of the equipment; they take care of that.
Leather and fabric crossbody bag embroidered on the Amaya Bravo CNC Embroidery Machine at Maker Works.
Anke showing off her beautiful wares at one of the many art fairs she attended this year.
I’ve learned so much about different ways and places to promote my work through networking with others at the shop, and the people there have helped give me the confidence to put my work out there at some fairly prominent art fairs.
We love being able to support talented makers like Anke with the space and specialized tools they need for their craft, but we can’t do it alone. Donate to Maker Works Community Workshops today to help keep the shop accessible!