Founder

Purple Shade of Green was founded by O. Ustinova in 2012 as a way of combining her love of making and her new role as a mother.   

Having come from a long line of skillful makers O. was exposed to the magic of a needle and thread from an early age.  She first made her  hat at the age of 5, by up-cycling her dad’s shirt cuff, and by 9 she was convincing her friends that any small treasure worth keeping should be kept in a little leather pouch on a cord and worn as a necklace (years later little leather pouch, though evolved, is still a thing).

With a broad skill set in crafting paired with a decade of fashion experiences, creating a Special Occasion and Evening wear atelier was like a natural fit.  However, after month of struggling to accept the “wear it once” culture of the industry, O. decided to switch direction and move into the Luxury Interior design sector where the life span of a product is measured in years rather than days, which is music to any environmentally attuned ear.  Plus, the fittings were a lot less fussy. 

Of course, every industry comes with its own heaps of postproduction waste and so what is a keen maker to do with heaps of beautiful, sumptuous, made to last materials?  Make bags of course!