Natasha Chekoudjian and Jason Ross are the husband and wife team behind Artemas Quibble. After meeting in Ross’s hometown of Philadelphia, the two embarked on a life long journey doing what they loved most – making things together.
Chekoudjian, a Saint Louis native, studied fashion at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco where she was a finalist in the prestigious CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL DES JEUNES CRÉATEURS DE MODE in Paris. Natasha started her career in NYC with an internship at Yigal Azrouel then moved on to design for Elie Tahari. She joined the creative team at Free People in 2015, where she holds a design director position and designs a capsule collection rooted in a minimalist, shape-driven aesthetic.
Ross, a graduate of Boston University, entered the fashion world via modeling in the 1990s, and was featured alongside Kate Moss in the iconic ads for Calvin Klein’s CK One by Steven Meisel. He has been photographed by Arthor Elgort, Max Vadukul, and Albert Watson for publications including British GQ and Italian Vogue.
Ross came to the attention of Donna Karan in 2010, after he started making belts from antique materials. This led to an 18 season / 5 year collaboration with Donna Karan Collection, where he designed, prototyped, and manufactured belts and jewelry. Ross built a development and production studio where he trained a team of metal and leather workers. He and Natasha launched Artemas Quibble, a handcrafted wholesale line of belts, jewelry and leather goods in 2012.
The two have developed accessories for many designers, including Karan, Calvin Klein, Helmut Lang, Rick Owens, Tory Burch, and St. John Knits. Through their close relationship with Legendary stylist George Cortina, their work has been featured in 8 GQ cover stories, as well as W magazine, V magazine, Wall Street Journal magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, and the NY Times’ T Magazine.
Celebrities photographed wearing their designs include Keanu Reeves, Steven Yuen, Daniel Craig, Swae Lee, Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima, and Karlie Kloss. Private clients include, Brad Pitt, Trudie Styler, and Charlotte Tilbury. In 2020, Jason and Natasha moved to Saint Louis with their two children, Aleksandra and Oliver.
“The only belts I ever use ”
“Upon seeing Jason Ross’s belts, one is forced to instantly reconsider what purpose a belt even serves. What was once a simple machine for holding up a pair of pants suddenly becomes the very culmination of the expressive act of getting dressed. It’s almost like everything else one wears is just an accessory to the main event and the only thing that truly matters: the delivery of the mighty Artemas Quibble belt”
“We’re in the business of telling stories through compelling images and fashion. We create those images in collaboration with innovative artists like Jason and often find ourselves turning to his beautiful belts for a distinctive accent.”
“Jason puts a real mans hand,heart and soul in creating his belts and jewelery for men and women from all true honest hardwear that will last forever. Watching him work in his element is a true honor as well as working with him which just completes the look, not as fashion but becomes something that is yours getting better and better with age. Working with him for years on Donna KARAN and now Urban Zen has become a signature part of our artisian community that’s not about a season but a life time”
“Nothing compares to the Artemas Quibble craftsmanship! Myself, and all other editors and stylists know that Artemas Quibble belts are of the highest quality”