About

| Slow Fashion Without the Granola |

Founded in 2015 by Heather Sheppard, Knots and Pipes designs and constructs streamlined accessories while adhering to a slow fashion ethos. Using vintage, recycled or intentionally sourced materials, Sheppard aims to create quality transitional pieces that aren’t replaced every season.

The name Knots and Pipes pays homage to both the design process and Sheppard’s roots in South Western Ontario.

“Knots” represents the sewing, crocheting and leather knotting involved in many of the designs; skills gained from her mother and grandmother.

“Pipes” is a nod to her extended family’s roots in Norfolk County, Ontario. Furniture, small mechanics, millwrights and farmers; during her childhood she was surrounded by an array of tools, raw metals and people who adhered to the mantra, “necessity is the mother of invention.”

The studio is now located in a converted garage, in the historic downtown Hamilton, ON. Living wages are paid to staff and female entrepreneurs are employed for production, fulfillment and marketing support. 

In 2019 the Knots and Pipes Vintage Line was added to the shop. Here, a selection of high-quality vintage earrings are available for that perfect one-of-a-kind purchase. The line is finely curated through estate sales and consignment shops across the province.