If sustainable leather goods with a cult following are your jam, look no further than Cincinnati-based Baqette. You can find this brand all over Instagram posts from local influencers taking their Baqette bags and purses abroad and bragging to tell the tale. Baqette offers pops of color with a mix of purposeful practicality and luxury. Take it from me, this can easily be a gateway to a purchase problem but the heart wants what it wants. Top it off with a super cool and stylish owner and maker, Quinn Mcilhargey-Nicholson, and it is a match made in leather heaven.
Let’s start with the first stitch of Baqette’s origin. How did it all come to be?
I’ve always loved working with my hands and stretching my creativity. In the early days (2012) post college i toured my uncles furniture company, including the warehouse full of leather scraps. I got to take some pieces home and play around and things have slowly grown from there!
Who taught you how to sew?
I taught myself in high school when my mom gifted me a sewing machine and later inherited a heavy duty 1960s Sears Kenmore from my Grandma which was strong enough to dabble in leather. 10 years later I took an Industrial Sewing machine class at Sew Valley before purchasing my first industrial machine in 2022.
I love that some of the leather you use in Baqette bags is repurposed. Why is that important to you?
The fashion industry is a huge source of pollution and using upcycled leather makes a much smaller dent in waste. I feel passionate about creating long standing pieces that don’t end up in the landfill after one wear.
Your eye for color combinations is unmatched. Where do you pull inspiration from?
Thank you! I pull inspiration from everywhere. I often am drawn to a particular color then work with that color to find it’s best match. I’m a huge fan of home, design, and fashion magazines; art museums; nature; and people watching in big cities- you never know what will spark the inspo.
How has Essex Studios in Walnut Hills, where your workshop is located, benefitted your business?
It is a dream you have a studio space- something I’ve dreamt of my whole life. Any creative person knows you can’t easily switch your creative brain on & off and having a space to go to, where my projects can live in progress and in that creative mess allows for productivity and inspiration to flow freely. I’ve also LOVED inviting people into my space to shop and tour.
What is on the horizon for Baqette in the new year?
I would love to focus on sourcing! I use a mix of upcycled and conventional leather and i’d love to lean in to better sourcing for the conventional leather- using a tannery that aligns with our values and provides that color inspiration that fuels this business.
Where can people learn more about Baqette bags and shop your beautiful creations?
Check our my website www.baqette.com, follow me on instagram @BAQETTE, join my email list and come to the Essex Art Walk in December! I will also be doing some local pop ups and markets- check for that information on my website and instagram.
Love these local business spotlights? See more from Your Neighborhood Guide, Lauren Ashley Scallon.
