Jenna Kator Archives - Detroit Duchess

Detroit/Michigan Gift Guide

I’ve been meaning to write this post since last year. I was initially a transplant to Michigan, born in Ohio, lived in Pennsylvania for 7.5 years and started high school here in Michigan. So not having grown up here, I didn’t really have an preconceived ideas about Detroit. When I got my first PR job out of college at Pewabic Pottery, a Detroit treasure, I was open to loving the city. After 10 years of working in all different Detroit spaces and currently the Renaissance Center, I have a deep appreciation and love for the city. Because of this, I want to share some of my favorite Detroit things for a fun holiday gift guide.

Pewabic Pottery Twelve Days of Christmas Ornaments ($60/set or $22/ornament)

These are one of my favorites. I was still working at the Pottery in 2005 when they developed this series. Each ornament represents one of the gifts from The Twelve Days of Christmas classic. You can buy them individually or in sets of three. It would be so fun to give someone one of these ornaments every year and they would look beautiful on your favorite Christmas tree.

Jenna Kator Lake Superior Handbag ($108)

Jenna Kator is a Michigan designer who creates animal friendly vegan leather handbags with fun Michigan names. Her bags are high quality and beautiful. I loved this recent Lake Superior bag.

Shinola The Runwell Contrast Chrono Bracelet Watch, 41mm ($975)

Made right here in Detroit, Shinola’s watches are beautiful. They sell them at Nordstrom, which makes it the perfect purchase to use your triple points day on.

Faygo Candles ($50)

Faygo “Pop” is a Michigan tradition and these candles would make a fun gift! They come in a Faygo 6-pack container with Grape, Orange, Rock & Rye, Redpop, Vanilla Creme and Root Beer fragrances.

KO Photo Vogue Detroit 2 a.m. Prints

Our friend, Amin, is a talented photographer and has created a line of photographs showcasing Detroit at 2 a.m that you can order for your home. These are stunning and I can’t wait to have one in our new home. I am sort of loving the Joe Louis Fist right now.

Reclaim Detroit End Grain Butcher Block ($109)

This is beautiful and so cool, these cutting boards are made of old growth reclaimed lumber from Detroit area homes salvaged by Reclaim Detroit’s deconstruction crews. Each board is handcrafted and unique.

Caliber Detroit Steel Cuff Links ($250)

Caliber Detroit created these cufflinks to eradicate illegal violence in the city. They take weapons found at crime scenes, melt them down and create these cool steel cuff links. The serial number corresponds with a gun that has been removed from the streets. The proceeds from these cufflinks benefit the Caliber Foundation which offers support to persons and communities devastated by gun violence.

Good People Popcorn White Cheddar Salsa ($32)

What says holiday more than a popcorn tin? This popcorn is so delicious and made in Detroit!

LDV 6 Bottle Raw Steel Wine Rack ($44.99)

These wine racks are designed and manufactured in Detroit out of one single sheet of automotive grade steel. Each rack is completely custom and designed to be hung vertically.

Stormy Kromer Petal Pusher Cap ($44.99)

I’ve been admiring this cap for a while now and I love that their factory is right here in Michigan.

I would love to hear what your favorite Detroit/Michigan made gifts are in the comments!

Posh Picks: Jenna Kator South Haven

Disclosure: I received my own Jenna Kator South Haven Wristlet for the purposes of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

I mentioned back in May that new blog series were coming and this is my next reveal! One of my friends, Melissa Malesky, has a fabulous local boutique called Posh. Melissa and I went to college together and were both in sororities, her husband is in my husband’s fraternity and she has the cutest little family. We both studied communications and who would have thought she would end up owning and operating her own boutique!

Melissa has taken Posh online, so now everyone can shop there! In honor of Posh’s website launch Melissa and I put our heads together and wanted to start a new series we are calling Posh Picks.

Every month, I am going to go shopping at Posh and pick out something fabulous to share with you. Then Melissa will offer a special discount for Detroit Duchess readers on the item. Sounds easy, right?

My first Posh Pick is an item from the Jenna Kator collection. If you aren’t familiar with Jenna, she is a local Michigan designer who started her own handbag line in 2008. Her goal was to allow women to be fashionable at affordable price points. All of her handbags have fun Michigan names and are made from animal friendly vegan leather. PETA has even named the Jenna Kator Collection as an approved vegan company.

I chose the South Haven Wristlet because I had a ton of fun outdoor events coming up like tailgating, apple orchard visits and beer festivals where I didn’t want to lug around a big bag. I have also found myself bringing this wristlet to my yoga class every night as its perfect to grab and go.

This wristlet is named after a harbor town off the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known as a one-of-a-kind beachtown with endless stretches of white sand beaches.

I chose the plum color because it is hot for fall, but the South Haven comes in rust, black, olive, plum, rustic tan, and dark aqua.

You can normally purchase the South Haven for $26, but Detroit Duchess readers are getting 10% off until November 3! You can purchase the South Haven here and at check out you can use the code: Duchess10.