Restructuring to the Archetypes Consortium

Things are changing around here. My company Archetypes is restructuring to become a consortium of brands, all under the Archetypes umbrella.

I finally got my start in making masks in March of 2020, after registering this brand years prior in 2017. I had a vision, but lacked the resources and confidence to achieve it. The past few years of my life have been a whirlwind of trials and triumphs, fighting the ever-changing tides. Now, I feel much more sure of what Archetypes means to me. I was hoping to turn Archetypes into the brand of my dreams, using the masks as a jumping off point. In my attempts to be successful, I tried to listen to what others told me they wanted from my brand, and lost sight of what I actually wanted.

Archetypes was always meant to be an ideal, it’s in the definition. The original, which many will try to imitate; a perfect model; a recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology. I wanted it to be a unique shopping experience, enveloping much more than just commerce. I wanted different aesthetics under one roof, different experiences. No one’s aesthetic is perfect, sometimes we want to wear a hoodie and a sweatshirt, sometimes we want a one-of-a-kind artisan dress, sometimes we just want a place to be at peace. I want Archetypes to be holistically true to myself, enveloping all aspects of my personality and loves.

Archetypes is born of my insatiable love for stories. There’s something mystical about memories we keep, whether they’re held privately in your mind or publicly as a keepsake object, everything has its own life. There are so many ideas and stories we’re too afraid to share, for the fear of being derided or mocked or thought of as lesser. I’m restructuring to the Archetypes Consortium to be an outlet for all of those thoughts that rattle around in my head, begging for a chance to be realized.

From the organic, unruly nature of the results of dyeing textiles in nature, to the cathartic, uncensored feelings I share in the blog, to the shared experiences I have with the fair trade artisans around the world, to the awestricken perspective of the vastness of the universe and the realization that we all live under the same sky, every thought, every dream, is just as impactful and vivid as the next. The Archetypes Consortium is a documentation of allowing my dreams to each have their own happy home in the real world.

I can never repay my family for the support and hope they’ve offered me, and I’ve been so insanely privileged to be able to make this work. They’ve been a bastion of support when I had no one else, when I felt like my dreams were being ripped out from under me. This isn’t just a company to me. It’s my hobbies, my entertainment, what I dream about as I fall asleep and ponder in the shower. This is an extension of me, the mark I want to leave on the world.

Currently, Archetypes has itself, jcq, my freelance graphic design company, the blog I write for jcq (you’re reading it right now!), and leshy, the fair trade goods store that just launched. Archetypes will become a source for hand-dyed clothes, both new and secondhand pieces, as well as one-of-a-kind projects and curios. It will house the rest of the brands and serve as a centerpiece.

jcq is the house of freelance graphic design and creative direction and my blog about marketing, fun stuff, ideas I have, other experiences, and things about the consortium.

leshy, or leshy trade, is the house of a Slavic woodland spirit who protects wild animals and the forest. Fair Trade, traditional products from around the world. Each product has a story and empowers disadvantaged artisans in the Global South and marginalized groups close to home, giving them safety, income, and other support.

This will be a slow roll out, as I will remain the sole employee of Archetypes. As of right now, I have two additional pieces of the consortium in preparations. I hope that you’ll explore this journey with me.

✌ jcq