Who is BenaeQuee
Hello! Welcome to my shop and thank you so much for stopping by. I appreciate any and all support from my clients and followers.
A little bit about myself. My name is Kristin, but I've been going by BenaeQuee since 2002. It was originally my online handle for forums and chats, and it's what everyone already knew me by. It was only natural that I carry that over into my business name to keep everything smooth. You might be asking "How do you prononounce that?" It's a VERY common question, and it's fairly easy to answer. You pronoucne it Beh-Neye Kwee. If we meet in person and you can't remember how to pronounce it, it's totally okay and you can just call me "that lady that makes those awesome bags online" instead. That's definitely happened many times over the years.
I'm based in Baltimore, originally from NYC for a time. I worked in the garment district in NYC for a few years and used to spend my lunch breaks browsing fabrics for my many costumes. I'm a costumer and member of the Rebel Legion (since 2002) and took my love of the craft into my bag making. I wanted bags that were different and chic and could be worn every day or for special outfits. I've been sewing for over 30 years, and costuming for over 20. I enjoy trying to recreate what I see on screen, as well creating my own designs or things inspired by my favorite characters.
I make all of my pieces from the ground up. These aren't bags that are bought and then decorated. I spend time sourcing high quality hardware and materials for my pieces, so that they will last as long as possible. I've got clients who are still carrying bags I made in 2016! My favorite material would be marine vinyl. A lot of the solid colors you see are going to be made from marine vinyl. It's a high quality vinyl that is intended for boat upholstery, so you know it can with-stand some daily wear and tear. I have used leather, but it is usually upcycled from old furniture and clothes to be made into something new to be enjoyed for many more years.
When I'm not making bags, I'm sewing up samples for several fabric and hardware companies, and making fun clothes for myself and my husband. If you want to see some of my other work, make sure you are following my Instagram and Facebook pages.