Flashback to West Virginia, 1980s to a young me sitting on the floor at my mother’s presserfoot while she alters a pair of bellbottoms into shorts. I take the scraps she drops and fashion them into clothes for my stuffed animals.

Fast forward to California, 2005 when 30-year-old me, now a mother myself, launches kokoleo.

I’ve always had the urge to make things. Often I don’t even know what I’ll end up with when I embark on a project; all I know is I have an overwhelming urge to sew. I’m hopelessly addicted to fabric and notions and the vroom-vroom of the sewing machine. When I browse boutiques, flea markets or vintage stores, it’s the handmade items that catch my eye. I examine the stitches and embellishments and think of the person, the story, and the love that went into it. In a world fueled by mass-production, a one-of-a-kind is something to cherish.

If you found your way to this website, you probably like handmade things too. Thanks for stopping by. Sit back and browse around. But please, don’t feed the monsters.

- KB VanHorn

kbvanhorn@yahoo.com


about