The Artisan Partisan: Years in the Making
The maker behind the chaos
I’m Ehlana (Lana), and if you’ve made it here, you’re a fucking legend.
I've spent years trying to force myself into a box because that’s the expected norm. I was trying to find a niche and stay in my lane, but as a multi-disciplinary artist and a chronic jack of all trades, I’ve finally realised that trying to be just one thing is exactly what’s been holding me back. I’m not playing that game anymore.
I’m a partisan for craftsmanship, regardless of what I’m working with. Whether I’m designing art you can wear, knotting Macramé, sewing, or sculpting polymer clay, I’m driven by the same urge: to create something meaningful and real. I crochet, too, but as anyone who actually understands how long it takes to crochet anything knows, that’s strictly reserved for the people in my life I love.
A Long Journey
My Story
My path wasn’t a straight line. It started in Darlington with a pair of knitting needles and my first handmade cardigan at 15. It moved through a Fashion & Textiles degree in Colchester, which I walked away from at 20 while reeling from the loss of a close friend.
I spent nearly five years co-founding and running a successful Digital Marketing agency, but the cost to my mental health was too high when I wasn't in a good place. I stepped away from the corporate "success" to find my own footing. With the support of my fiancé, Jacob, I’ve spent the last 7 years healing, self-discovering, and finally admitting that I don't want to fit into someone else's 9-to-5 box.
What The Artisan Partisan Stands For
The Artisan Partisan is a labour of love and my move toward financial freedom and self-sufficiency. It’s my creative outlet, I'm a straightforward, no-bullshit maker, and I value the planet we live on just as much as the quality of the work I put out.
- Multi-Disciplinary Art: From digital graphic design to tactile fibre arts and clay. I make what I feel, when I feel it.
- Sustainability-Minded: I work with suppliers who prioritise eco-friendly practices, and I am constantly striving to make this brand as sustainable as possible as it grows.
- Harmony & Self-Sufficiency: My dream is a life where we grow our own food and I can teach future generations the actual value of a handmade life.
Beyond the Studio
When I’m not at the sewing machine or laptop, I’m an SEO specialist for a marketing agency in Essex. I’m fuelled by Drum and Bass, Jungle, and Techno, a wardrobe of trackies and neon colours, and a massive library of over 190 fantasy audiobooks (Wizards, Witches, and grand adventures are my escape).
I rarely watch TV, but when I do, I’m usually getting stuck into something like The Boys, Star Wars, or a good crime drama like NCIS. I don’t shy away from the struggle because every uphill battle brought me here.
The Artisan Partisan Promise
I’m not a T-shirt company. I’m a maker.
I’m a partisan for the handmade way of life and I’m against over-consumption as much as is physically possible in this day and age.
I’m not the type to preach; I just make small changes when my finances allow, one step at a time. We don’t all need to be radical, it’s just not realistic for most of us.
The shop will evolve, the products will change, and the crafts will flit as my inspiration does, but the quality and the soul behind them will remain the same.
Thank you for supporting a side-hustle that’s aiming for the stars. Happy shopping.
Lana x