Actually Existing seeks to reimagine luxury through exploring traditional craft(wo)manship. We work with traditional hand craft methods to develop high end accessories and footwear, the focus is to bring back the desire and appreciation for quality and resist the consumer throw away mentality.
In his book The Craftsman, Richard Sennett writes about crafts(wo)manship as something felt in the body, an impulse, a desire ‘to do a job well for its own sake’. Throughout the years we spent working as designers, we both felt the impulse to one day return to a kind of craft that, as Sennett describes, considers skill and technique as broader cultural practices; as techniques for living a certain way of life. We work with leather and up-cycled materials, including heavy canvas and rubber. We believe in keeping our production local in order to support the various suppliers and associated manufacturers in Melbourne’s industry.
Olivia & Anna Nicholas - Actually Existing