I grew up on a cattle ranch in Eastern Washington, living most of my childhood roaming the land that my grandfather tended to for decades. At a very age, I was able to discern the notion of quality over quantity - it was as if it was woven into my being as I witnessed the way my family purchase things with great intention, knowing that they would last longer and therefore, produce a greater return in the long run. This notion is woven into the DNA of TEDDI JOELLE, but I’ll get into that in a minute.
When I left home and went to university in Southern California, I became fascinated with understanding why people make the choices they make, what gives them purpose, and why they pursue the things they do. So naturally, I got into the field of psychology and eventually moved back to Eastern Washington with my husband, Ty, where I got my MA in Psych.
From the time we left Long Beach, California in the summer of 2014 to starting my masters program, I came across my grandfathers old leather working tools on our family ranch and decided to hand-stitch a clutch for myself out of curiosity and an innate love for creating with my hands. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was in that first clutch that TEDDI JOELLE was born.
I have always had a love for design, especially in regard to one's style and the way we choose to present ourselves to the world. The wardrobe choices we make each day says a lot about who we are and the things we value in life - this is so fascinating to me and is the very thing that fuels my heart behind TEDDI JOELLE. I questioned for the first few years of the company, if my passion for psychology and love of design could somehow live together, and eventually realized that they have actually been married since the very beginning.
My ultimate vision for the company is to create pieces that withstand the test of time, use, and trends. In order to achieve this, we use only the highest quality materials, with the utmost respect to the people and planet. Each of our pieces have a distinctly minimal, timeless aesthetic - aligning with our desire to create beyond fast-fashion trends and produce things that will truly take you through the years. I believe less is more in all aspects of life, and our designs are a natural outpouring of this belief. We strictly use vegetable-tanned leather sourced from tanneries out of Tuscany that hold the highest environmental standards and sourcing transparency in the world, and only the highest quality, ethically sourced fabrics from manufacturers that align with our vision for respecting the people and the planet. We are so beyond proud of our sources as they have become the backbone of our company.
Lastly, we handcraft each of our leather goods out of our home studio in Spokane, Washington with our small team. And we’ve partnered with a woman-owned manufacturer in Seattle where 100% of our clothing is hand-sewn in small batches. The choice to keep manufacturing as close to home as humanly possible is of utmost importance to me. It supports our community and has the smallest carbon footprint, a win win on all fronts.
TEDDI JOELLE has grown and changed a lot since stitching that first clutch in 2014, but my vision for making the highest quality goods with the best, cleanest and most transparent materials remains. I am so excited as we look toward the future and continue to produce investment-worthy pieces that bring value to your life.
Teddi Cripps