Hi! I am Kristen, the founder of KEE Concept and Design. I am a mother of three kids under five, with a full time corporate gig, just trying to survive one day at a time on a diet of avocados, whipped cream, and coffee. I taught myself how to sew at night as a way to unwind from my day-to-day chaos. I am proud to say that I am personally hand-making 90% of my products.

Trapped in a house during COVID with four kids (a newborn, a set of twins, and a husband), I would "find" meaningless tasks in order to create a few minutes to myself. One day, I decided a duvet cover had slipped off my bed comforter one too many times. Despite three kids screaming, addressing the uncooperative duvet became top priority. I found my grandmother's 1920 Singer sewing machine, viewed a You-Tube how-to sew video, and securely sewed the comforter into my duvet cover, where it has not moved an inch for the last three years.

After solving the great duvet fiasco of 2020, I continued working on my sewing skills. Unfortunately, in the depths of COVID, it was nearly impossible to find an open fabric store, so instead, I spent hours searching my house for "sewable" materials (cutting up bed sheets, pillow cases, old t-shirts). One day, I stumbled upon an old bag of upholstery fabric samples and the rest is history! I spent the next year designing and sewing accessories every night from 7pm until... much later than I am willing to admit in writing. 

I get this question a dozen times a day. Yes, I personally sew ninety percent of all my products. The answer to the second question, yes, I am crazy. I fell in love with sewing because it amazes me that you can make something greater than the sum of its parts. After sewing for a few months, a pile of handbags started to accumulate in my room and a friend asked, "are you finally going to let me buy one of these?" I loved my product, but I worried that in a world of manufactured accessories, my hand-made bags would not be up to snuff. After selling 30 bags in my first month, I quickly realized that the reason people valued my products was because they were unique and hand-made by me.

Following the success of my initial bag sales, I figured I’d sell a few dozen bags here and there to friends and family. Eventually, I tested the market by attending a local craft show with twenty other vendors. I was amazed when informed I was the top selling vendor at the show. The positive feedback I received at the show inspired me to spend the last few months developing new bag shapes and creating products outside of the handbag category. These efforts resulted in the expanded product lines that are offered today.

The sad truth is I don't carry accessories myself (that's what my husband's pockets are for). In reality, my sewing studio is a place where I can have honest conversations with myself about who I am and who I still want to become. In a world fixated on sales revenue, margins and financial metrics, I will only continue the business as long as it provides me joy, humility, and the fulfillment that comes from creating beautiful things with my hands. Thank you for supporting my business!