Interview: Jessica of Faraday Bags
How did you get started making upcycled and steampunk jewelry?
My first steampunk article was a pair of round, black sunglasses decorated with silver 1920s watch parts. It was a visual prop for a story I was writing about a woman with a mechanical eye. That was about a year ago, and I didn’t know what steampunk was, nor was I making jewelry.
The first piece of jewelry I made was a brass medallion with a picture of Oscar Wilde sealed to it. I made it because I had bought one and it fell apart almost immediately. I was pissed, and I thought “I can do better than that,” and I did. From this came other medallions and other jewelry and, eventually the roots of the pieces I’m making now.
I learned of the idea of steampunk by reading descriptions of work by artists, artisans, musicians, and writers who I admired. I’ve always loved Victoriana, and I’ve always loved tinkering with mechanical things. Discovering a movement that combined them was incredible!
As for upcycling (a fancy word for recycling things into something nicer), it comes from the miser in me. I’m horrified by the amount of perfectly usable things that people throw away. Wresting beauty from discarded things is a game for me. It’s a challenge and a delight.
Do you think green ethics and the steampunk culture are natural partners because of the popularity of antiques and vintage in steampunk?
That’s a complicated question. On one hand, tinkering, upcycling, and repurposing are at the core of steampunk. We’re natural recyclers. Cannibals, even. So yes, absolutely.
On the other hand, steam power in the 19th century was filthy! Some of the worst pollution we’ve ever known came from burning coal, and it caused massive environmental destruction and horrendous, widespread health problems. I know this point is academic, of course, but part of me still associates the idea of steam power with soot-blackened walls and windows, air heavy with particulates, and deadly, choking fogs creeping through the streets.
But maybe that’s just me.
You’re one of the few people on Etsy offering RFID shielded products. What got you interested in data protection?
About two years ago, my favorite purse finally gave up the ghost. That’s when I started making handbags. My first design was a passport case, which prompted a friend to suggest adding RFID-shielding material. The degree of vulnerability to which the U.S. government and credit card companies subject us through unencrypted RFID chips in credit cards and passports is frightening. The technology is supposed to make things more secure, and it does–for the credit card companies. But in exchange, they open up a new avenue for identity theft.
My initial data-shielding bags were brightly colored, quilted, and very feminine. People seemed to like the juxtaposition of floral prints with talk of data-shielding and radio frequency transmission.
The designs are moving more toward steampunk, as I build up stock for Steam Powered in October. Most of the handbags have been sold by word of mouth, and I’m always open to do commissions.
How do you choose the featured people for your Legends and Heroes lines?
Honestly? These are just people who I think are neat. Either I admire their work, or something about their lives struck me as heroic. I try to share this information in the blurb that accompanies each medallion. That most of the people lived during the late 19th and early 20th century is coincidence.
Do you see yourself in the future producing more steampunk designs or branching out?
Both. I love steampunk. It’s the embodiment of so many ideas that resonate very deeply with me. At the same time, a person’s style needs to grow and change, or risk becoming stale. If at some point, my style strays too far from what people consider steampunk, they’re welcome to call it something else.
Besides, you just can’t get cheap busted pocket watches anymore.
Jessica’s work can be found on Etsy.