RubinoWilson: Crafting Change in Metal Fabrication

Some industries were not designed with everyone in mind. Metal fabrication is one of them.

For Daniela Rubino and Lauren Wilson, stepping into that world meant stepping into spaces where they were often the minority. Spaces shaped by tradition, assumption and long-standing culture. Rather than walk away, they chose to build something different within it.

RubinoWilson is the result.

The studio brings together design, metalwork and fabrication, but the business is about more than making. Alongside their commercial projects, Daniela and Lauren run mentoring initiatives that offer free classes to young adults. Their aim is simple but significant: to make the industry more accessible, more inclusive, and less intimidating than the one they entered.

They are building a business, but they are also building a culture.

From Art School to Self-Employment

Daniela and Lauren both studied Fine Art Sculpture, Daniela at Central Saint Martins and Lauren at The Slade School of Fine Art. Art school gave them a deep understanding of material and form, but what came next required a different kind of learning.

Daniela describes finishing her degree feeling slightly lost. She knew she wanted to keep making, but translating artistic practice into income was not straightforward. With self-employed role models in her family, she had seen what building something of your own could look like. That example mattered. She began creating furniture-based pieces, which allowed her to keep working with materials she loved while making something people could buy. 

Lauren’s path was different, but shaped by similar challenges. She understood early on that access to industry spaces is not always equal, and the workshop environments she experienced were not always inclusive.

When Daniela and Lauren met in a shared metalwork department, they were two of only three women in the space. That shared experience became a point of connection. As Lauren explains, they bonded over a “lack of inclusivity in the industry.”

That bond became the foundation of RubinoWilson.

Starting With Purpose

RubinoWilson grew from lived experience. The business plan came later.

Daniela and Lauren wanted to give other people the opportunities they felt had been limited or difficult to access themselves. 

As they explain, 

“We were inspired to start the business because we wanted to make a change, we wanted to give other people an opportunity that we had missed out on.”

Alongside their love of metal and making, they were driven by a desire to shift the culture of the spaces they worked in.

Their shared passion for material remains central. They are drawn to the process, the physicality and the problem-solving that fabrication demands, and that connection to craft sits alongside a social purpose that has always been part of their work.

Lauren puts it clearly: their aim is to “normalise women working within the industry.”

That aim shapes everything, from the projects they take on to the way they run their workshop.

Learning the Hard Lessons

Like many founders, their early years were defined by saying yes to everything.

Daniela reflects that one of their biggest challenges was learning to say no. In the beginning, they worked long hours and took on projects that were not always the right fit, driven by a strong desire to prove themselves.

Over time, they developed more discipline and structure, realising that boundaries were not restrictive but necessary. That growth was not something they navigated alone. As they put it, “The support of each other is key.”

Some projects were especially demanding. They underquoted, overdelivered and pushed through tough circumstances, often coming out the other side exhausted. 

Looking back, they describe those years as a period of learning.

As Lauren reflects, 

“With experience, we are wiser and can trust our guts more.”

Being Women in a Male-Dominated Industry

In the early days, Daniela felt a strong need to prove herself. Working in predominantly male environments brought that pressure into sharp focus, and she describes the experience as daunting.

Over time, experience helped steady that feeling. The more she worked, the more her confidence grew. That foundation had been laid much earlier. Both Daniela and Lauren credit their fathers as important influences, encouraging ambition without limitation and showing them that skill and determination mattered more than anything else. That early support shaped how they see themselves and the work they do today.

Even so, the industry has not always been straightforward. They have encountered moments that reveal how ingrained assumptions can be. While teaching welding to groups, often made up of older men, they were asked, “Where’s the teacher?” They were the teachers. It is a small story, but it speaks to something larger about visibility and expectation.

More seriously, after several years focused on their own workshop, they returned to an external project where they had to have someone removed because of sexual harassment in the workplace. The situation was shocking and unexpected. It also reinforced why creating and protecting their own space matters so deeply.

“There’s a reason why we decided to set up our own workshop rather than join another workshop,” Lauren explains. “It’s really hard to find a really inclusive safe space to just do your job.”

Lauren acknowledges that they are resilient and capable of navigating difficult situations, but many others never enter the industry at all because it feels unsafe or inaccessible from the start.

RubinoWilson exists to change that.

The Most Rewarding Moments

For Daniela and Lauren, success is measured in small, repeated moments.

Lauren describes the rewards as constant. Commercial projects bring satisfaction in different ways, especially because their skill sets complement each other, but it is through mentoring that the impact feels most tangible.

Through Ore Projects, they offer free classes to young adults, introducing them to welding and fabrication in a supportive environment. For many, it is their first time stepping into a workshop.

Lauren speaks about the fulfilment that comes from watching someone experience the process for the first time. 

“When you physically make something and you can hold it in your hands… it’s very satisfying.”

Daniela has worked with one group over several years, bringing them from the classroom into the workshop. Some arrived nervous and unsure of what to expect; at first, even putting on the safety gear felt intimidating, but that uncertainty did not last. With guidance and time, they found their footing, and they became comfortable in the space and capable with the tools.

Watching that shift, Daniela says, is extremely exciting.

For her and Lauren, success looks like that transformation. Opening the door to an industry that can feel closed, building confidence where there was hesitation and creating opportunities for people who might otherwise never step into that space at all.

A Business Built on Shared Values

At the core of RubinoWilson is a shared belief about what their work should stand for. Daniela explains that their values align closely, particularly when it comes to responsibility. They both feel a duty to contribute to something beyond themselves.

For them, teaching and passing on skills is not a side project or an added extra; it sits at the heart of how they understand their role in the industry. If they have access, experience and knowledge, they believe it should be shared.

Lauren describes the business as a machine, where each part supports the other. Commercial projects sustain the studio, the studio enables mentoring, and the mentoring strengthens their wider impact. Nothing exists in isolation.

They are also realistic about what running a small business demands. Much of their time is spent on tasks that sit outside their specialism. Yet they are intentional about keeping design and making at the centre. The craft is the foundation. Without it, everything else falls away.

For Daniela, long-term success is about legacy. It is about creating something steady and meaningful. Something that lasts. In many ways, that perspective echoes what she saw growing up: a trade built on skill, pride and sustainability over time.

What Holds Women Back and What Needs to Change

When reflecting on the barriers women face, Daniela speaks about fear, particularly fear of failure and fear of judgment. The pressure to get things right can feel paralysing, especially in industries where you are already aware of standing out.

Lauren widens the lens beyond individual doubt to the structural realities that shape women’s decisions. Misogyny in workplaces, unequal pay, limited legislative support and the complexities of navigating maternity while self-employed all contribute to an environment that can make starting a business feel risky rather than empowering. These challenges are not abstract. They influence whether someone feels able to begin at all.

Yet their response is not defeatist. They believe visibility and representation matter, and that even a small business can create ripple effects when others are able to see what is possible.

Community is central to their advice. Daniela encourages women to speak to people they admire, ask questions and seek out honest conversations about the realities of building something. In her experience, the right people will want to help.

Lauren also speaks about the internal voice that holds many women back. She recognises how often women are conditioned to second-guess themselves, and how powerful it can be to question where that doubt comes from. Understanding that some of that hesitation is shaped by wider systems, rather than personal capability, can shift perspective.

This belief shows up in their actions. They are setting up a girls’ welding club after seeing how intimidating welding can seem to young women at first. Their message is simple: when the opportunity to try something presents itself, take it. Even if it does not become a long-term path, the act of trying builds confidence, and confidence expands what feels possible.

One Word to Describe the Journey

When asked to summarise their journey in one word, their answers reflect growth.

Daniela chooses discovery. The process has helped her understand herself, her values, and what drives her.

Lauren chooses transformative. The past five years have changed them, both professionally and personally. The word suggests continued evolution.

RubinoWilson is not a finished story. It is an ongoing transformation.

Through craft, mentoring and determination, Daniela and Lauren are helping reshape what a workshop can look like and who it belongs to.

They are not just making objects.

They are making space.

Discover more about RubinoWilson and Ore Projects.

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