Jorge – Badass Brazilian Craftsman
I discovered Jorge when I walked by his booth at the Sunday Market at Ipanema. His table had an assortment of brass clips and the version that resembled a jumbo paperclip caught my eye. Jorge saw my interest and quickly began to attach keys on a clip then fasten it to his belt. My interest grew – but the clips were more than a keyring to me. I pulled out my memo book and attached the keyring. A bit bulky and I wasn’t quite sure if it was ideal for using with my memo book. But I was hooked. I purchased a few, in two different styles. I lingered a bit longer, taking a closer look at the clips I purchased. By the time I looked up from my stash, I knew that I had to commission a large order.
A few days later, Jorge delivered the order to the apartment. I had a surprise for him – I pulled a scrap of paper out and showed him how I planned to use the clips to hang art! He had never thought of this use and instantly loved the idea.
And lucky for me, our new BFF Ewa was around to translate! I learned so much about Jorge. Turns out he’s one of the original founders of the Ipanema market. The keyrings are Jorge’s original designs, concepted over 20 years ago. He took a long break from the market until a month ago. A friend remembered his keyrings and wanted one. It motivated him and marked his return to the market.
Discovering Jorge made our Brazil sourcing trip so much more rad – we get to share the awesomeness with RAHstrs and we’ll be working on a collab in time for this holiday season!
oxxo, Hen
