Tesoro Design – The Story

If you love unique boutique Philadelphia shops, like Philadelphia Independents and Smak Parlour, you’re gonna love Tesoro Design.

Brit has always had a passion for the arts – she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology where she studied clothing design. During her studies, she realized that clothing design wasn’t for her. Upon graduation, she was unsure what her future would hold. Her parents are Philadelphia natives, so Brit knew that she wanted to move back to the Philadelphia area.

Brit was visiting Lancaster when she discovered a small, hand-crafted handbag store. She loved how cool, approachable, and unique the store felt.

“Lancaster is a great area for leather goods. The Amish are very skilled in leather work. The intricate leather work inspired Brit to pursue leather making. Even today, Brit still buys some of her leather products for her bags and satchels from the Amish.”

– Brit Reed

Tesoro Design – Leather Goods

At Tesoro, the focus is on handcrafted leather accessories. However, the handbags are the cornerstone of the business.

The handbags in the store focus on functionality while still aiming to be the perfect accessory for every occasion. Each handbag is handmade by Brit herself. If you pop into the store throughout the week, you can get a front-row seat to the handbag making process – Brit makes all of the handbags in the store and leaves the sewing machine on full display for customers to see.

Tesoro sources as many of the materials as possible from within the United States in order to provide handbags that don’t contribute to the destruction of natural resources, towns, and people. Each purchase decision you make at Tesoro drives the industry into a better place.

When the storefront was open, Brit’s goal was to build a welcoming community. Through her work in the industry, she has met many amazing female crafters and entrepreneurs. In an effort to highlight the work of those women, Tesoro only features products made by women from Philly.

The most popular Tesoro products include:

Camo Jackets

Made in collaboration with Stone Cooper, each Camo Jacket is one-of-a-kind. Kat, the owner of Stone Cooper, found each individual patch during her world travels.

Butt Products

These products are all-inclusive. Whether it’s a bag or bracelet, Brit handmakes leather products stamped with unique booties.

The Chelsea

This bag is your next best friend. Perfect for travel or everyday wear, The Chelsea can be worn a number of different ways depending on your outfit or your mood!

Another key to the business is Tesoro Design’s unique events. Every Tesoro event is a DIY project so that whatever you create is special, unique, and memorable. You can check out all of the future events and reserve your seat on their website. Pricing ranges per event, but all events include the materials needed to complete the project and free food and alcoholic drinks.

Know someone who would be a great fit for Small Business Saturday? Nominate them below: