Last August, I traveled to Europe where I scoured Paris and Milan for new treasures to share with you. Seeing loads of beautiful objects and meeting artisans left me thinking a lot about quality and its genesis. We live in a world of mass-produced everything, from fast food to scented candles to knockoff china patterns.

Everything has its place, to be sure, and mixing the extravagant with the practical is an important skill. I am thrilled when I find a stylish piece that is both inexpensive and has flair, like the ice tea glasses featured in the Ode to Bill Blass Collection. Part of creating a personal style is learning to trust your eye and letting yourself experiment with mingling a range of pieces.

And while I have a pragmatic side, I have always felt a strong commitment to quality and originality. Without artisans carrying on age-old traditions like silver making, hand embroidery, glass blowing, and porcelain production, we wouldn’t have the finer things to appreciate or even emulate. (Last April, I shared with you the story behind the handmade, vintage flowers I have collected and offered here.)

Having begun my design career in the fashion industry, I have always thought it is difficult to justify haute couture garments with their five- and six-figure price tags. However, it is the very fashion houses where haute couture is conceived that provide a laboratory of creativity which goes on to inspire designers of more affordable off-the-rack clothing.

My Autumn Collection and upcoming Holiday Collection both feature beautiful Murano glass pieces and Haviland Limoges, which illustrate my point about quality and tradition. Since 1842, Haviland, the French producer of what is arguably the finest Limoges porcelain available, has employed artisans to individually paint and decorate their gorgeous china.

Similarly, the famous Murano glass making trade has been carried out on the Venetian island since the late 13th century. The original Muranese glass blowers were revered in their time. Among their technical feats and artistry, they were the first to make mirrors. Obviously, there are many other artisans making beautiful glass nowadays, but the original tradition is still going strong and it is worth celebrating and hanging on to. When you collect Murano glass, you are, in a sense, buying a piece of history.

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In our fast-paced, mass-produced world, it is especially wonderful to have handmade items from artisans who are carrying on age-old traditions. My collections include handmade papers from the Czech Republic and India, intricate blown glass from Murano and pristine Haviland Limoges.