Ashlyn Dillard-Hansen is the founder of Kaleidoscope Collective. Born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas -- where she left to study Furniture Design at Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, Georgia before returning home in 2019. She left designing furniture to work as an interior designer during covid. With a background in furniture and interior design, Ashlyn saw a gap in the Arkansas local market where you could purchase thoughtfully made, functional art—and that’s where the idea for KC began.

Though Ashlyn’s background is in furniture and interior design, her true creative passion lies in crafting hand-stitched leather goods. While studying Furniture Design, she began taking leatherworking classes with the goal of learning upholstery—but instead discovered a love for designing smaller, more personal leather pieces.

Over time, Ashlyn developed a distinct style by stitching together leather scraps to create large patchwork panels, transforming them into colorful, modern bags. Her process is deeply rooted in sustainability, using offcuts that would otherwise be discarded. This zero-waste approach caught the attention of a family friend in the saddle-making industry, who offered to supply her with scrap leather—materials she still uses in her work today.

Ashlyn's pieces blend craftsmanship with bold, playful design, and while her work isn't currently available at Kaleidoscope Collective, a new collection is planned for release in 2026—stay tuned!

But for now, Ashlyn is Kaleidoscope's curator, accountant, social media manager, and NWA's biggest local artist hype girl! 💫