ABOUT
Haus of Jung is a brand that specializes in handmade leather accessories. All work is original and created by Natalia. She designs patterns from scratch and hand-makes a range of items from her studio in Richmond, VA. Natalia uses a mix of traditional techniques and industrial machines in her practice.
Natalia also customizes accessories for clients, from color to design. She provides a unique, one-on-one platform for clients to reflect on individual stories about their personal needs.
Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Natalia’s background includes extensive travel from a young age, which ingrained the importance of having versatile and reliable accessories to take 'home' anywhere. Her experience across spaces as well as lengthy daily play in nature promoted a critical eye for the integration of design, function, structure, and essence.
HAUS OF JUNG Q & A
Q: How did Haus of Jung get started?
N: It all started with a fanny pack.
I officially launched Haus of Jung after interest had developed around a fanny pack I made for myself around 2013 while living in New York. I was biking across the Williamsburg bridge to school every day and I hadn't found an accessory that fit my practical and aesthetic needs, so I purchased leather and created what I envisioned. Some friends wanted this bag, but I knew nothing about pattern-making. All I knew was that I loved the creative process of working with my hands. Add to the mix an existential crisis after wrapping up my Master's in Psychology at NYU, plus a timely finding of the works of Carl Jung, that I started to see my obvious next steps. I started to comb through existential questions and redirect my life.
I decided to apply to the Fashion Institute of Technology. My program focused specifically on the design and construction of leather accessories. I very intentionally began my journey knowing I wanted to start my brand. Almost a decade later, my life revolves completely around my art.
Q: Why leather?
N: I used to be anti-leather (for animal rights) until I started learning more about the fashion industry. The majority of the raw hides that are transformed into leather are technically a waste-product of the meat and dairy industry (e.g., cows, goats, sheep). They will go to waste by being burned or buried, yielding millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases if they are not transformed into a useable product. So while the meat/dairy industries still exist, using leather that is a by-product of these industries is a much more sustainable practice for the environment.
EXOTICS With that said, we must be mindful about exotics (e.g., snake, crocodile, lizard, furs, safari animals, etc), which are harvested or poached specifically for their hides. This practice can and SHOULD be eliminated, and that is where I draw my ethical line - I am against using exotic leather.
VEGAN LEATHER On the other end of the spectrum, there is a lot of 'green-washing' that goes with 'vegan leather'. I also must add that I do not support the use of 'vegan leather' - aka PLASTIC! It is so much more damaging for the environment to create a petroleum product from scratch, it does not last nearly as long so contributes to fast fashion, and takes an eternity to decompose if buried, unlike true leather which is significantly faster.
With that said, there are a few TRUE vegan leathers out there - such as leaf, which I do use in select accessories (imported from a tannery in Brazil). Pineapple, mushroom, and cactus leather are also trending in the fashion world, but all of these materials are not perfect. I cannot wait to see how these materials evolve in several years.
It would be amazing to be able to use 'true vegan leather' in all of my products, but unfortunately we are not there yet.
Q: What is the best part about Haus of Jung?
N: I love crafting custom orders. It's super fantastic to give someone THE custom order of their fantasies. It is very rewarding to see how a design can positively transform a customer, and vice versa. Leather also adds another degree of personalization as it can be "broken into" by one's unique way of interacting with it to fit exactly you.
Q: How do Fashion and Psychology intersect in your designs?
N: For starters, I enjoy generating pieces where design works relationally and drives inner work. Particularly on more complex accessories, I focus more time and labor-intensive processes to include representations of symbols or archetypes that can affect change. I also believe design can assist individuals to open space for the autonomous healing function of the psyche to manifest. I have a lot to say on this.
Q: Why "Haus"?
N: The brand name Haus of Jung was born in honor of all accessories made 'in-house'.
Q: Why "Jung"?
N: I have a total fascination with the works of Analytical Psychologist, Carl Jung. Jung's theories on synchronicity, the collective unconscious, the shadow, and so much more.
His theories on the journey of unifying the Self (one's totality; the soul/spirit) and the degree of personal growth when one comes to terms with unconscious dynamics, is a transcendent achievement and the answer to living a fulfilled life. By integrating all parts of yourself that society/culture has requested that you split off, you heal yourself and your universe. The expansion continues outwards, and you can heal the world you live in.
Jung's theories have served as a roadmap to my own life. As individuals in contemporary culture, we become lost in many superfluous cultural agendas. It's important to look inside for your own ethical roadmap and drives, and to listen to the energy of your spirit. In other words, know what you truly desire, outside of egocentric needs, and once you've identified it, run wild in that direction. It's okay to get totally lost in the process and in chaos - that's the only way to reorganize the particles in a still jar and have them settle in a new way. If you truly love what you do, and listen to the needs of the Self, the universe aligns in your favor.
Q: What inspires you?
N: Nature, cats, and sapphic chthonic feminine energy.