Our Story

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." - Thoreau

ARTIFACT began in 2010, in my basement with a vintage commercial sewing machine and a passion for designing and making products based off principles of quality, utility, and timeless design.

I had lost a great job during The Great Recession of 2009-10. While working a placeholder job to support my family, I created a shop on Etsy to gauge interest in my designs rooted in a lifelong obsession with collecting vintage apparel, workwear, denim, and militaria.

Over decades of handling thousands of vintage objects, I meticulously studied their construction methods and materials, and learned how to discern quality from eras pre-dating planned obsolescense. 

ARTIFACT’s first product was the No.215 Lunch Tote in waxed canvas and leather. It was a unique take on the traditional paper lunch sack that caught the attention of Michael Williams, a NYC style writer, founder of A Continuous Lean, and pioneer of the Heritage / Made in USA movement. Michael mentioned liking my lunch tote on his Twitter account. Shortly after, it was featured in The New York Times, Uncrate, GQ, Gizmodo, and more.

The groundswell of press enabled me to quit my placeholder job, move into a proper studio with a small (but mighty) team, and focus on ARTIFACT full-time. I haven’t looked back since!  

We've seen our handmade ARTIFACT bags in airports all over the world, and our aprons in the finest restaurants and workshops. When the pandemic hit, we shifted gears to make thousands of reusable masks.

Since 2010, we’ve watched trends and brands come and go. Timing and great press only goes so far. What’s kept ARTIFACT in the long game has been our obsessive dedication to quality, utility, (read the reviews!), and our ceaseless devotion to timeless style.

As we venture into another decade, our goals include continuing to develop our Sustainable Collection and shrink our ecological footprint.

Follow our journey via our newsletter, where we share new releases, special projects, and promotions. 

Chris Hughes

Founder / Owner / Maker