behind the brand
Hi, I’m Kristen, and this is a little bit about who I am and how I got started with leatherwork.
I am a creator. Growing up I wished that I was more “creative.” I wished I was musically talented, or good at painting and drawing, but I have since learned that creativity can come in so many different forms, and this, this combination of design and using my hands on canvas and leather, this is my space.
I am a wife, to Isaac Haines, the man behind Fieldwork Company, he is a super cool creative individual who always pushes me outside of my comfort zone. He doesn’t believe in limits, and dreams as big as he possibly can, and inspires me on the daily
I am a mother, to three wonderful human beings, who teach me something daily. Sawyer Luna, 8, is a wild child, she loves creativity, in all of its forms, and is a nature babe at heart. Poppy Ray is 5, she is firey and silly, she is shy if you dont know her, and wants to connect always if you do. Forest June is 3, my little adventurer. They are all a big part of why I love what I do, I get to show them daily that they can pursue their passion as their career. That there are no limits to what creativity can look like. They spend their days watching parents create, from sewing to photography, making templates, and working with hardware. Sawyer especially, she gets to be a part of all of it. She knew how to hammer a nail when she was 14 months old, could use scissors by 16 months, and now loves to help mom stitch leather, and has her own projects. They are my heart. We live together with my husband on a small hobby farm in eastern alberta, with 2 horses, 2 mules, 2 cats, a dog, and chickens and turkeys.
I have my degree in Fashion Merchandising, because there was something about the way people dress to present themselves to the world that fascinated me, that the clothing we put on our bodies was a way to show the world a bit about us, without having to say a word. But after working in the retail industry for years, I just didn’t like how it worked, I hated the ethics behind trying to “reach goal” and trying to “make a sale” so when I became a mother, I knew I didn’t want to go back to that world. I wanted the freedom to be able to be present in my daughters life, and not sacrifice that time to be a part of something that I didn’t even believe in. So when my husband basically tricked me into becoming a part of fieldwork and learning how to sew (if you want this story message me, its hilarious) something clicked into place. THIS was it, this was what I wanted to do, this was a way for me to show my creativity, as well as my love of design. And so began the journey.
xx
image by MIllisa Martin Photography