For this month's team-building event, the Trend Hunter team took a trip to The Make Den, a sewing studio in Toronto.
The Make Den offers a range of beginner, intermediate and advanced classes for crafters who may be looking to begin a new hobby or sharpen their skills in a particular area. With help from the sewing studio's experts, some of the functional handcrafted items that you can be taught to make include everything from leather bags and sandals to lingerie. For our fun day, the Trend Hunter team was guided through the process of making a simple leather card holder, which involved learning the techniques involved in treating the material to accept colored dyes, as well as punching and lacing to finish off the project—this is just a snippet of what The Make Den packs into its Leather FUNdamentals course.
As well as specifically appealing to Toronto locals, this makerspace is launching The Woven Wolf, which will make its resources available in interactive e-learning formats for those who are based outside of the city.
Maker Sewing Studios
'The Make Den' in Toronto Teaches All About Handcrafting
Trend Themes
1. Handcrafting Classes - The rise of maker studios like The Make Den suggests that there is a demand for hands-on crafting experiences that offer a departure from conventional activities and provide a space for creativity and social interaction.
2. Functional Items Crafting - Maker studios like The Make Den emphasize creating functional items such as leather bags and shoes that add value to people's lives beyond the experience of making it themselves, presenting an opportunity for designers to innovate and create unique designs for such items.
3. Interactive E-learning Platforms - The launch of The Woven Wolf suggests a trend towards interactive e-learning platforms for maker studios, which could provide people with access to these experiences from anywhere, opening up potential markets for makerspace enthusiasts to reach a wider audience.
Industry Implications
1. Art Supplies Retail - The growing popularity of maker studios like The Make Den could present an opportunity for art supplies retailers to market their materials as essential for people who want to learn and practice handcrafting skills.
2. Fashion and Accessories Manufacturing - The Make Den's focus on creating functional items such as leather bags and sandals presents an opportunity for fashion and accessories manufacturers to explore the market for unique handmade pieces that combine both art and function.
3. Edtech - The Woven Wolf's interactive e-learning platform presents an opportunity for EdTech companies to explore the market for maker studios and create scalable e-learning experiences for people who want to learn about various handcrafting skills.