OUR POINT OF VIEW

Ann Howell Bullard's unique savoir-faire in the handbag space is based on years of developing and refining raw materials and paint and construction techniques.

Our leather is sourced from the top 1% of European hides produced, and is vegetable-tanned, dyed all the way through, and semi-finished at the tannery. When it arrives at our studio, we cut and hand-paint the leather using special paint that we specifically formulated to work symbiotically with our tannery's finishing process. (This is much different than painting a pre-made bag as an afterthought!)

Over the years of establishing our technique, we've paid obsessive attention to the way each bag wears, ages, and develops that elusive, delicious, one-of-a-kind patina. We are OBSESSED with patina, and loathe anything that looks too plastic or pristine or perfect. Our raw materials and construction techniques are designed to create an heirloom piece that collects stories from a life well-lived and loved, eventually becoming your favorite vintage handbag. 

SUSTAINABILITY

We believe a healthy, vibrant, equitable, sustainable industry is one that honors and uplifts everyone involved in its creation and consumption: from the original spark of inspiration, to the raw materials used, to the hands that touch the product along the way, to the way the finished product is consumed and the role it occupies in a person's life. Our guiding principle is: 

Only make a few things, make them the absolute best way you know how, and turn them into art.  

AMBITION IS LIMITLESS, ACCESS IS NOT

We donate 5% of profits from all direct sales to Black Ambition, a non-profit initiative that works to close the opportunity and wealth gap through entrepreneurship.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Ann Howell Bullard designs for imaginative, independent thinkers who embrace complexity and look to fashion + art to get lost in a dream world of mystery and magic.

After spending most of her life painting on things, Ann Howell Bullard founded her line of hand-painted leather handbags in 2015. The brand worked through several iterations, selling to retailers like Free People and Anthropologie before finding its true voice in the luxury space, creating heirloom pieces that explore fashion as art.

Listen to Ann Howell Bullard's story on Laura Vinroot Poole's podcast, What We Wore, here.