Each piece, he said, "is hand-blown, and it's a long process with all handmade materials.
A display of Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu's work near the Chinese city of Fuyang sets the tone, with tactile pallets of reclaimed tiles, crushed rubble and rammed earth laid out on the floor, showing the handmade materials used in their recent restoration of the village of Wencun.
"For people who are looking to explore the world of handmade materials, I think the most important thing is to educate yourself on the process.
Several textile manufacturers were exploring handmade, luxury materials.
On a sleepy stretch of Atlantic beach, everything about the lodge, from the layout to the handmade construction materials, is eco-friendly.
All handmade images are material tricks, of course.
The atmosphere throughout is of handmade simplicity, local materials, vast light and restraint.
Some pieces are antique, or at least retro (check out Mad Men-era bracelets that spell out names such as Peggy and Marilyn), while others are handmade from repurposed materials.
"People move up the career ladder, they have a bit of money and they want to spoil themselves with something handmade from natural materials, with a nice bag and a leather case," said Mr. Barder, who began his rod-making career by repairing a broken rod as a teenager.
(No more burlap-sack beige!) Its underwear, camisoles, and 1940s-style stockings are handmade from sustainable materials sourced not far from the company's St .Louis and Chicago offices.
Smith begins this process by constructing massive handmade paper collages, pulling material from drawn cut-outs and photo lithographs.
