We were lucky to catch up with Alexandra Hughes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexandra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

This is a fun topic for me! I commonly make the joke that I don’t follow a standard business model for success, in that I never sell what I think our audience wants but rather focus on being myself and carrying work I personally love.

When opening Storied Objects, I wanted to create a place that rejected commodity, glorified craftsmanship and conveyed the dedication of the artisans we work alongside through stories. In an industry centered around consumption versus connection, we seek to restore the bridge between the customer and the maker by being very transparent about the process and intention behind each piece. The artist exhibitions and interviews in our Journal (blog) are additional ways of connecting our audience with the inspiring people we represent.

Staying true to these intentions takes a lot of effort beyond chasing the bottom line, but the resulting work is entirely fulfilling.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always had this idea of opening a store, even as a kid. I’ll spare you what would most likely be a long-winded story that doesn’t get to the point, but I just know the interest has always been there. My mother is a photographer, and my father is a woodworker, so I was raised in an environment where art and function were well-balanced. My upbringing was undoubtedly a springboard for my pure obsession with beautifully crafted products and curiosity about the people behind them.

During the pandemic, I combined these two interests to create a platform where people could shop for products while also learning about the makers. In a world of fast consumerism and mass production, there is always a mystery about how an object was made and who made it. I wanted to put an emphasis on this and offer an approach to shopping that was more transparent and human-focused.

In the Spring of 2024, I quit my career in tech and opened our brick-and-mortar in Portland, Oregon’s historic West End.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

We sell products directly through our website and brick-and-mortar location.

Though online marketplaces have their place, too much of the customer experience is sacrificed when adopting their platform. By hosting our own website, we can curate an intentional and special experience (ex, custom messaging, detailed product pages, seamless checkout flows, branded web design, etc) that can’t be replicated on the mentioned platforms.

This might be a controversial take, but I believe marketplaces often prioritize the consumer over the artisans whose products they sell. Larger, more established platforms tend to hold power over the artists by way of high pay-for-promotion/placement models, unrealistic return policies, high fees, product oversaturation, and lack of transparency.

While some out there do this better, most marketplaces can be an unfortunate means to an end.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Leaving my career in tech and opening a brick-and-mortar shop was by far the most significant pivot I’ve decided for myself.

Life undoubtedly throws you curveballs along the way, but there is something about putting trust in yourself and taking a risk that sticks with you the most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shopstoriedobjects.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopstoriedobjects/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Storied-Objects-100086213194539/

Image Credits
Alba Betancourt of Absence Studio