There’s quality, and then there’s handmade. And few things shout style like a well-made leather handbag or wallet. Add to that a dedication to use primarily upcycled materials and you have Quinn Mcilhargey-Nicholson’s shop, Baqette.
When Mcilhargey-Nicholson visited her uncle’s company, Cumberland Furniture, she found inspiration in the discarded materials. “I immediately started playing around with its potential,” she says. “Leather is such a cool, durable, sustainable material, and I love how it wears and ages with you and your use of it.”
For the next few years, Mcilhargey-Nicholson developed her skills, creating a leatherworking space in her home (and maintaining it, despite three moves) and eventually landing wholesale accounts with Magnolia and Hosanna Revival. In 2016, she graduated to local sales at The City Flea, and in 2017 she established an official LLC for the hobby turned small business. At the end of 2020, she promoted Baqette from side gig to full-time career, and by that time she’d moved to Cincinnati with her husband, Teddy.
“I loved the bigger city feel with so many accessible options and creative energy,” Mcilhargey-Nicholson says of her new home. “I get so inspired by new spaces and experiences, and Cincinnati has offered so much of that.”
Most of the leather in Baqette’s products is upcycled—and that comes with challenges. Specific colors are available in limited volumes, and Baqette may never restock the same product in the same shade. But that also means the collection on shelves is always fresh, and it gives the artist new opportunities to explore.
“I get enthusiastic about color pairings,” Mcilhargey-Nicholson says. “Although black and tan leather will never go out of style, I want my customers to feel inspired by their pieces.”
With her first baby on the way, Mcilhargey-Nicholson is still excited about pop-ups at local events and upcoming launches. As her brand and family grow, she reflects on the long-haul approach to building her small business. “Creative entrepreneurship is a journey and not always a fast process. Trust your gut,” she says. “Find people who equally challenge and inspire you, and keep going.”
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