Meet the Marketplace No. 009

We started the Prism Boutique Marketplace Collection to keep our community connected and to introduce our customers to local artists from across the country. 

We’re so excited to introduce you to the next round of independent makers featured in our Marketplace. From handmade scents to brand-new collabs, the thought and care that goes into each piece crafted by these artists is truly incredible. 

Get to know the talented creators behind each featured brand of our new Marketplace Collection and show your support any way you can.

For the Ages
New York, NY

Before starting For the Ages, Jaqueline Syms worked as an accessories e-commerce buyer for off-prices fashion stores. After she was laid off, she was asked to redesign a restaurant in downtown NYC, which prompted her to professionally pursue her own design ideas. “I decided to develop an idea I had for a multifunctional fashion accessory called Stylestring,” says Jacqueline. “After about three years of operating Stylestring, I decided to expand into handbags, and For the Ages was born.” 

Strongly influenced by the bags of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘90s, Jaquliene’s bags have a nostalgic feel. Taking shapes and colors from the past and making them modern, she’s bridged the gap between generations to create unique designs with a genuine cult following. “I am really inspired by shapes, specifically rounded shapes, that are not typical but have balance. The source of these shapes could come from anywhere: the legs of a chair, a toiletry case, etc.”

The Great Escape Studio
San Francisco 

Before the Swedish-born Sofia Nohlin started The Great Escape Studio, she received her BA Fine Arts from the Swedish School of Textiles. After that, she began working as a fashion designer and stylist. In 2014, she picked up ceramics as a way to play and find creativity outside her job in the fashion industry.

“At first I think my intention for the studio was to create a place for healing and dreams. To carve out a room for myself. A room for trials and beautiful mistakes,” says Sofia. “For a long time I had this deep calling to connect with the earth and the process of making in a more intimate way. To get my hands dirty so to speak.”

For her, The Great Escape Studio is a way for her to be brave and create something from a place of simplicity and authenticity. 

Proyecto Rufina
Mexico City, Mexico 

Proyecto Rufina was created to supply a space of support and solidarity to all the artisans who handcraft each piece through consistent work with fair pay. Acting as a bridge between the beautiful, traditional creations from Mexican craftswomen and the rest of the world, Rufina is in constant search for wares that are functional and ethically crafted.

Each of the items they carry is made by hand by local artisans, some who’ve been handed down their craft, generation to generation, in small communities in Mexico.

The material of each basket comes from the bark of a tree known as Xonotl, which the artisans collect bark from every month in the mountain and leave it soaking in water for 25 days so the fibers and soften and then woven. 

Living Thing
Bay Area, CA 

Dana started her career in journalism, but when the industry started to struggle, she tried just about every job. “I did everything from work at a creme brûlée truck (yes, that was a thing) to running an Etsy store where I sewed one-of-a-kind aprons,” says Dana. After going from job to job, Dana spent the next decade managing digital marketing for tech companies. And while she always loved candles, it wasn’t until she started working from home in 2020 that she really took notice of how she gravitated toward certain scents depending on how she felt that day. 

“After doing some research I was fascinated by the connection between our sense of smell and our emotions and memory. That’s when I started to source ingredients that let me recreate some of my own memories that I wasn’t finding in candles I could buy,” says Dana. When she decided to leave the tech industry, she was looking for something creative to do, something that could combine her love of storytelling, design, and deep knowledge of the candle industry, and starting her own candle brand fit the bill. 

It’s that love of storytelling that makes Dana’s process so unique. She says, “After talking to some fellow candle makers, it seems like my approach to scent creation is a little backward from the norm!” Instead of starting with the notes that might work well together, Dana thinks of the setting she’s trying to create first. “Sometimes it’s a real place I’ve been like in the case of Coasting, Deserted, or Kyoto. Sometimes it’s an imagined scene like the enchanted forest behind Witchy or the fancy house I had in mind for Cursive.” She then imagines what those places would smell like - which can come to her easily, or take months and months of trial and error. 

“My favorite scents to work with are ones that I’ve encountered in the real world. There’s nothing quite like taking a deep breath as you’re walking through a eucalyptus grove or a furniture store filled with luxurious wood, so I think it’s so cool that candles can act as little portals to the best moments,” says Dana. 

We’re so excited to work with and support these makers who continually inspire us. If you’d like to get to know their work further, check out their websites and give them a follow on Instagram. And make sure you shop our Marketplace Collection.