Community Interviews - Sweet Little Deaths

 

Down the winding street of Prerenan, sounds of Johnny Cash and the faint aroma of leather comes wafting from a small house where the busy brains of Sweet Little Deaths flit and fly in the waning afternoon light. 

It’s a Sunday and the French duo are working at a feverish pace to finish their most recent order of custom handmade leather keychains. Cigarette smoke dances through the air as they exchange ideas and suggestions amid this beautiful mess. One would think that Justine and Amandine have been at this their whole life.

Two months ago, their lives couldn’t have been anymore different.

 

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Back in March, Justine was returning from a trip to Sumatra with her partner; nothing more than a short holiday that was supposed to last 1 week. Then, as with all of life’s surprises, something changed.

Justine explains, “There was this feeling when you get comfortable (in a place) but you have to go back home. I wanted to feel and get new habits and new routines and really feel like I was back home. We gave up our flat and decided that we wanted to travel for 8 months. I wanted space in my head to pursue the things I wanted to do.” So, together with Frank, her psychedelically inspired boyfriend, they moved to Canggu.

Turns out, that’s exactly what they needed to do.

 

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Meanwhile, halfway around the world in Paris, Amandine was feeling the indescribable, but all too familiar, need to wander. After quitting her job and spontaneously booking a ticket to Bali, she soon found herself at Roti Canai in Canggu, riding on the high that can only come from a beautiful morning surf.

Two tables away, Justine sat working on her Mac. She remembers thinking,  “This girl was tripping. She was smiling with her eyes. She was doing nothing. And nothing in nothing is beautiful. I just had to talk to her… so I introduced myself and we started talking about her projects, what we do in life, and we were a bit in between. We decided to go to the sunset and from there it started.”

 

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After a few more adventures, hours of

laughter and sharing ideas, the two

decided to take a creative risk, fueled by

the question “Why not?” Amandine

shares, “after 30 years of doubt, we always

have excuses and it was perfect timing.”

Never without their sketchbook, Amandine

and Justine both draw unique concepts,

 their range in styles as diverse as the

people they make them for.

 

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“Leather changes over time, we liked the idea of making something that is practical and beautiful; 

                                  that is a part of your daily life and changes as you do.”

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                   » each leather piece is hand cut and is lovingly etched with a custom design «

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When asked what advice they had to give to budding artists and entrepreneurs, Amandine took a moment to reflect. She looked off into the sky, fingered the many intricate rings on her finger and smiled at Justine in a way friends with many secrets do and said,

                                 “Just do it! You will always make mistakes no matter what.

                                                 Just do it and see what it turns out to be.”

 

   

                                               

 

 

 

 

  

                                             

                                           

                                          With these thoughts, Sweet Little Deaths was born,

incubated in the minds and hearts of these two dreamers, waiting for the right moment to be free.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________                                                                        Sweet Little Deaths

   Amandine Barré ~ amandinenove@gmail.com      ♦       Justine Legrand ~ jellyblabla@yahoo.fr

                 Follow them on Instagam @sweetlittledeaths for custom designs and inquiries