About Made By LAD

Made By LAD is an eco-friendly small business offering quality, handmade accessories for men, women and children of all ages. These accessories are crafted from locally sourced materials from other small businesses in Philadelphia. The products are made to order and produce zero waste, as all scraps are repurposed and reused. All of the products are made from 100% natural fibers or dead stock material. 

Leslie Davidson, a Philadelphia native, is the sole owner and operator of Made By LAD. With a degree in Fashion Design from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA., a background in business management and a passion for sustainability and helping others, she has developed a brand that aims to not only give back to the community, but encourages customers to consider the environment by using almost all biodegradable materials, from the merchandise down to the packaging.

Leslie runs every aspect of the business, including hand dying 95% of the textiles from her apartment in Philadelphia. Made By LAD became official in May 2020 after Leslie received an overwhelmingly positive response to the masks she was making for friends and family who said they "fit perfectly" and "made them feel safe."  She initially started the business as a way to bring in extra income to pay off her medical bills acquired from a breast cancer diagnosis in 2017, but as orders kept rolling in with no end to the pandemic in sight, she was encouraged to pursue the venture full time, so she took the extra money and a leap of faith and decided to self fund a new business! 

Now, Leslie has expanded her products from just masks to hair and winter accessories. She hopes to continue to grow her line and remain in business long after masks are no longer needed. Her goal is to create a sustainable athleisure brand that is able to give back to the community by continuing to purchase materials from small + local businesses and donate proceeds to communities in need whenever possible.