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“The handmade is appreciated in a different way. There’s a benefit not just culturally, but socially — a connection to people, resources, and the planet.” — Emily Fischer
Fischer’s kites and quilts have been featured in Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Weddings, and a video for Opening Ceremony. She is pictured (right) in her Brooklyn studio.
the complexity of automating such intricate designs was hurting, not helping, her process. That’s when she went back to basics, connecting with a group of quilters in India who still produce her quilts today based on maps that Fischer and her team draw by hand. Fischer and her team give the final touch of approval to each quilt before sending them to customers. “It’s sort of a William Morris-type thing, but we’re not trying to fight against the age of mechanical reproduction,” says Fischer of the slow design movement that she sees as parallel to the renewed popularity of farm-totable dining. “The handmade is appreciated in a different way. There’s a benefit not just culturally, but socially — a connection to people, resources, and the planet.”
Benefiting the planet also lies at the core of Haptic Lab’s business model. The company — which is pursuing b-corp certification for its commitment to a doublebottom line of profit and social good — donates kites to low-income schools, donates a portion of profits to support positive climate action, and aims to be 100 percent carbon neutral within the next year. She says Haptic Lab is inspired by design that tells stories and currently is exploring a project involving displaced persons in Europe. “In the day-to-day of running a business, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture, like the refugee crisis or the fact that our planet will kill us if we don’t do something,” Fischer says. “We are a company that wears its heart on its sleeve.”
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