Fargo, ND fiber artist Susanne Williams works with leather, scrunching, ruffling, coiling and coaxing it into her Willi Nilli line of original, vintage-inspired handbags. Her handcrafted goods are made from cowhide leather tanned for the furniture industry. Susanne designs with an appreciation for the natural scars and markings that can occur on leather, and finishes the interiors of her bags from her stash of silks, velvets and jacquards.

The artist learned to sew at home with her mother in Nebraska and later competed in 4-H events. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and earned a doctorate in communication studies at Wayne State University in Detroit. She was a professor at North Dakota State University for 10 years before becoming at full-time artist in 2008. “Willi Nilli” is a play on the artist’s last name and a nod to her need to chase her dream, no matter what.

Join us for a Trunk Show of Susanne’s work November 19-20th!