Sofia Morin, a University of Wisconsin-Stout fashion program graduate, had an uber busy New York Fashion Week. Morin, pictured behind the scenes at Andrew Curwen's runway show, works with a model also wearing Morin's handcrafted leather gloves. (Photo by Aana Mirdita)

The last time Volume One chatted with Sofia Morin, she had her sights set on the Big Apple. Then, in Spring 2024, Morin had just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in fashion design and development, readying for her new role working for American fashion brand Steve Madden.

In an hour-long phone call – Morin stepping out from her day job in the accessories department of Steve Madden – in late September, it's clear more than just the scenery has changed for the Midwest native and leatherwork artist. (However, that story in itself is a bit of a wild one; In order to secure her post-grad job, Morin moved to New York City just three weeks after graduation and lived in an Airbnb while looking for an apartment.)

While I made one cross-country roadtrip to the iconic concrete jungle as a teenager, the rest of my big city knowledge comes from Sex and the City, content creators, and newspapers or magazines. Morin kept it (lovingly) real: “It wasn’t, uh, glam,” she said of her move to New York City. “I definitely think it is as chaotic as you’d think it is. It’s very scrappy.”

She wasn’t entirely out of her depths, though. While in undergrad, Morin spent a summer interning for Steve Madden’s Anne Klein brand, during which she connected with high fashion designer Elena Velez and crafted a handbag for Velez’s Spring 2024 collection.

More recently, Morin’s signature craft – leather bags marked by her trademark all-caps ‘SOFIA MORIN’ tag– and handiwork were part of two designers’ collections at New York Fashion Week: Andrew Curwen and Jane Wade.

MORIN DESCRIBED HER PERSONAL WORK SIMPLY: NATURAL AND RUGGED. "the word 'craft' comes to mind," she said.

In the photo at left, shot by Jenn Xu, Morin works behind the scenes at Jane Wade's runway show. The model is wearing a backpack made by Morin. In the photo at right, shot by Jordi Perez, Morin made the Jane Wad Weekender (JWWK) bag pictured.

In its ultimate release, Curwen’s debut collection (titled “Your Last Breath Belongs To Me) earned immediate praise, including from Vogue Runway. Acknowledging his decade-plus of industry experience, Curwen was called “the ‘secret weapon’ of New York’s Buzziest designers,” with his collection an impressive start of what will be a journey well worth keeping up with.

In striking out on his own, Curwen tapped Morin in the very beginning of his collection building (the duo first met while Morin interned with Velez). Morin recalled countless hours spent poring over fabrics and leathers, silhouettes and concepts, and the growth of a genuine friendship.

“Really, I’m in awe of him, but I also consider him one of my closest confidants,” she said.

The Jane Wade East West (JEWE) Bag made by Morin for Jane Wade's SS26 collection, featured in Vogue Runway. (Photographed by Johnny Nguyen)

Morin said she takes ownership of few pieces part of Curwen’s debut collection: leather gloves and shoe gaiters, the full look of “The Hunter” (which features a leather dress), and a leather corset. 

“I took a break from my personal work (to support Curwen’s collection), and probably a week after that I started talking with (Jane Wade) about what she wanted for accessories for her show,” Morin said.

As part of Wade’s New York Fashion Week collection, Morin was sought out specifically for her handbags (one of which Wade bought for herself). In crafting pieces for Wade, whose innovative reimagined workwear and sleek office attire has been worn by stars like Camila Cabello and Tate McRae, Morin had to flex muscles outside her personal style.

Morin described her personal work simply: natural and rugged. “The word ‘craft’ comes to mind,” she said. “Not in an arts-and-crafts way but in a handmade aspect. That’s something I’ve always kept close, that handmadeness.”

Perhaps a homegrown trait, Morin feels innately tied to the physical craftsmanship of each of her handbags. In musing about potential future avenues her work could take, she shared an internal conflict about that tie.

“If I work with a factory, what if (the handbags) don’t look like they’re made with love, you know?”

“Having these connections and conversations with designers I respect – like Andrew and Jane – has made me really think about how I want to move forward (with my own work),” Morin shared.

Sofia Morin’s Brooklyn home studio – “(Brooklyn) is kind of a hotspot for creative people that don’t have a lot of money,” she said – exclusively features leatherwork tools and materials. (Submitted photo)

To that end, Morin has stayed in touch with former UW-Stout professors and peers, including UW-Stout's Sarah Eileen Smith, and other close friends. “I expected to leave and no one would ever talk about me again,” she said. “(But) I still talk to people from school all of the time – they’re my biggest supporters and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them.”

While increasingly difficult to slate dedicated time toward her own work as of late, Morin said she hopes to pivot priorities after this busy season. She's not necessarily eager to put pedal to metal anyway, focused on fostering genuine connections in the industry. At 23 years old, time is plentiful, Morin said, and will allow her to continue honing her own craft.

Keep up with Sofia Morin on Instagram to see what the young Midwesterner-in-the-Big-Apple designer dreams up next. (The waitlist for your own Sofia Morin handbag is long – and yes, I’m on that long waitlist – and will be worth it. If the fashion industry is the proverbial oyster, Morin's niche leatherwork skillset makes it hers for the taking.)

Find Sofia Morin on Instagram (@sofiajmorin) and view more of her work online at sofiamorin.com.