All Knitwear
Annie Larson describes her one-woman company, All Knitwear, pretty humbly. It started in a Minneapolis storefront apartment “next to a puppet theater and beneath good friends.” She’s now based in Brooklyn, where her success includes a recent collaboration with reusable bag company Baggu.

Primecut
How did Lizzie Falkenstein decide to start Primecut, her aptly named line of cowhide bags and accessories? By “total accident,” she says. Two years ago, the Portland, Oregon-based designer, whose training in architecture remains an influence, made a bag for herself out of cowhide, on a whim. She received countless compliments, which persuaded her to ramp up her fling with cowhide to a full-time commitment.

Haydanhuya
Don’t be fooled by the minimal looks of Haydanhuya, a line of “handmade wood things” by Gökhan Eryaman. While the Istanbul maker’s goods are designed to be as simple as possible, each one also includes cleverly hidden functionality, such as the leather strap on the oak wallet, which does double duty as a clasp and a credit card holder.

Necklush
Troy Mattison Hicks and Stephano Diaz took a gamble in 2008 when they decided to sell their handprinted scarves at New York City street markets (and later, on Etsy). The duo, now based in Athens, Georgia, have seen the colorful scarves take off, and in 2011 they were chosen to represent Etsy in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial.

Byrd & Belle
For her Minneapolis company Byrd & Belle, Angie Davis makes tech accessories in a limited palette, with a special emphasis on gray – her favorite color. Her motto for the classically styled goods (made of 100 percent wool felt and hand-dyed leather) explains the rest: “Simple is beautiful.”