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meet the maker

Headlands Handmade

We recently got in touch with Scott from Headlands Handmade, California to find out more about them and their products.

Q. Briefly tell us about Headlands Handmade who you are and how you got started?

A. Headlands Handmade is a one-man-operation out of Dana Point, California.  Back in the ranching days of South Orange County, ranchers and traders would heave hides off the seaside cliffs to ships below for transport off to New England Craftsmen.  It is important to me to connect to that history in a small way, which is why the logo is of a guy throwing a hide. I work for a Landscape Architecture firm on large scale urban projects and I started working with leather to satisfy a desire to build and make on a smaller, faster scale.  After years of making wallets for my pals I decided it was time to turn it into a business.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets?

A. A wallet is something that is always part of a man’s consciousness. Whether it is in your pocket, on your desk or where ever, most of the time we have a pretty good handle on where it is.  It is cool to know that something I make can potentially be so integral to someone’s day-to-day life.

Q. Are you looking to add any other designs? What’s the future hold for Headlands Handmade?

A. I have a valet tray, dopp kit, and a few other pieces in the collection, but I really enjoy making wallets the most.  I recently made a little gear bag out of vegetable tanned leather for my bike.  Every time I’m on the bike I get questions about it…  I have also been dreaming up a small chair concept involving leather and steel.

Q. Which famous person would you love to get an order from for one of your wallets? and why?

A. I would be honored if any famous person were to carry one of my wallets, but truthfully, no more honored than I am by the current group of dudes carrying a Headlands Handmade wallet.  Except for Tom Waits, it would be pretty sweet to think of him making one of his badass tunes with one of my wallets in the pocket of his suit.

Scott Goodman

Headlands Handmade

Cleaneverything

We featured cleaneverything‘s Vintage Wallet back in March and have also just recently featured one of their new wallets the Stitch-less Wallet . We took the opportunity to find out more about cleaneverything.

Q. Briefly tell us about cleaneverything who you are and how you got started?

A. My name is Cristina Dima and I’m a former marketer who converted to minimalism and became a product designer with a soft spot for ecodesign, sustainable fashion and handmade accessories.

I have started cleaneverything from a deep desire for simplicity and authenticity. It’s a challenge to get more satisfaction with less resources. It’s not austerity. I call it freedom and I want to express it through my products which are made from the minimum number of elements they can be made of– that’s usually one piece of leather and one or two studs.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets?

A. People use to store and carry around things they don’t use much and the wallet is one of these clutter storage items. Also, it’s an object people need on a daily basis which makes it exactly the type of product I’m looking to „clean”.

Q. Are you looking to add any other designs? What’s the future hold for cleaneverything?

A. Our line evolves and is not seasonal. I prefer to work with a continuous point of view and refine my designs steadily. New product development will often derive from sourcing a particular material or perhaps a new manufacturing possibility we find.

Q. Which famous person would you love to get an order from for one of your wallets? and why?

A. I’m looking at you, Donald Trump. You know why.

Cristina Dima

cleaneverything

Innate

For the latest in our ‘meet the maker’ series we recently contacted Greg Foweraker from Innate to find out more about their active travel products and their green philosophy.

Q. Briefly tell us about Innate who you are and how you got started? 

A. Innate creates cleanly designed essentials for active travel. Innate comes from the Latin word Innatus, to be born into, we like the cross-reference to the DNA to our design philosophy of Leaner Cleaner Greener . Our first products were providing solutions to travelers needing a water bottle with no endocrine disrupting chemicals like BPA and that would accommodate a filter to remove pathogens. We’ve stuck to our vision of providing collections that deliver solutions across a range of essentials for our active customers.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets?

A. We’d been developing our META collection of travel organizers that were TSA compliant using recycled and re purposed fabrics with stitch less construction. This got us thinking that we couldn’t abide many of the travel wallets on the market that used chunky binding tape to stabilize the seams; we started die-cutting and rf welding up some test samples; the first ones had problems with edge stability due to the individual threads in the fabric getting pushed by the cutting dies into grooves on the cutting surface. We solved this by using an HDPE cutting board and then did little things like reinforce the clip point; overall this was a fun project and we’ve gone on to create a family of wallet related items including our persona travel organizer.

Q. Are you looking to add any other designs? What’s the future hold for Innate?

A. We’re just putting the finishing touches on our Deltos RFID shielding passport wallet; we wanted to create a low profile solution for international travellers yet have dual currency slots, airline card holders and a secure yet convenient passport sleeve. We’re currently testing a fully submersible zip that can be assembled with stitchless construction; this has great potential for wallets for folks messing about on the water.

Q. Which famous person would you love to get an order from for one of your wallets? and why?

A. Oh that’s easy, Rei Kawakubo , the founder of Comme Des Garcons created an iconic collection called Persona, -The Face You Present to the World; we named our persona series of digital organizers in homage to her work and as a double entendre to the face of digital devices.

Greg Foweraker

Innate

Narwhal. Co

Narwhal. Co make wallets and accessories from Vintage Ties. We featured their Sattley Slim Wallet a couple of months ago on the site and immediately wanted to know more about them and how they got in to making Wallets from Vintage Ties. We contacted Ryan at Narwhal. Co and he was more than happy to become one of our featured ‘meet the maker’.

Q. Briefly tell us about Narwhal. Co who you are and how you got started?

A. We recycle vintage neckties into minimalist wallets. We got started in a basement and a borrowed sewing machine. After selling out of our initial batch at the local farmer’s market, we thought we should maybe give it a try.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets from neckties?

A. There are a million types of wallets out there and no one was doing it with neckties. We started about 6-7 years ago and figured recycling neckties would be a good start. There are some amazing ties from the 60’s and 70’s that do not get used anymore.

Q. Are you looking to add any other designs? What’s the future hold for Narwhal. Co?

A. Absolutely, we are constantly trying to improve our wallets and designs. We have women’s clutches and make-up bags coming out in the near future to attract both genders and expand the brand.

Q. Which famous person would you love to get an order from for one of your wallets? and why?

A. Nick Offerman hands down. He is the ultimate meat-loving, minimalist outdoors man. But in the end, I’d be humbled if anyone somewhat famous used one of our wallets.

 

Ryan

narwhalcompany.com

R.C. Smith Leatherworks

Q. Briefly tell us about who you are and how you got started?

A. Well, my name is Reagan Smith and I own and run R.C.Smith Leatherworks. I got started working with leather when a friend of mine was getting his shop up, MLLeather, and running. He was looking for help so I hopped on that pretty quick and we got going. I worked with him for a summer and then I moved and started doing my own thing. Thats when R.C.Smith Leatherworks was born.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets?

A. Wallets actually weren’t the first thing that I started making. I started with bags and purses and things of that nature. I had been wanting to make wallets but I wanted to make sure I got it right. I designed so many different ones before I came up with the minimalist wallet that I have now.

Q. Are you looking at adding other designs? What does the future hold?

A. I’m always designing new bags and wallets and things, and yes, I hope to be constantly adding new designs and improving on the designs that I already have. Hopefully the future will hold growth, but only time will tell.

Q. What famous person would you want to order one of your designs, and why?

A. I’d be blown away if I got an order from any famous person. That would be pretty monumental. But none really in particular. An order is an order and I’m just as happy making things for the average joe as I am for anyone who’s famous.

Reagan Smith

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RCSmithLeatherworks

Photos by John B

Littlewings Designs

Q. Briefly tell us about who you are and how you got started?

A. My name is Elyse Marie, and I am the owner/designer of Littlewings Designs. I have always had a passion for product and fashion, and majored in Accessory Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I launched my line, Littlewings Designs, while still in school, and have been operating it ever since. My work is all handcrafted from natural hemp and top quality leathers in a small scale studio production setting.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets?

A. I started making wallets when a friend of mine requested a minimal wallet that he could wear with tighter pants and not have it be awkward. The Minimal L Wallet was the solution to that problem, and with no fasteners or stitching, meant no hardware pressing against your body or stitching to have wear out from sitting on it.

Q. Are you looking at adding other designs? What does the future hold?

A. Always! My primary work is my women’s accessories, and I currently am in the process of releasing my AW2013 collection, Sisu. However, there are also several mens pieces in this collection, including a two pocket card wallet.

I also have just announced that my brand, Littlewings Designs, is finally getting a brick and mortar storefront in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. Called Parliament the Boutique, this will serve as the studio home and show room for the entire Littlewings Designs product line. Customers will be able to shop, place custom orders, and observe the process of their products being made on site. There also will be a boutique featuring the work of select handcrafted American artisans.

Q. What famous person would you want to order one of your designs, and why?

A. For the wallet, that’s easy – Dave Matthews. I’ve been a fan for years, before I even made wallets. Would definitely be a dream come true. For my women’s products, I would have to say Blake Lively. She has such a fabulous sense of style and doesn’t use a stylist; furthermore, she is a huge fan of my alma mater and Savannah in general, and that goes a long way in my book!

Elyse Marie

www.littlewingsdesigns.com

Your Nest Inspired

Q. Briefly tell us about who you are and how you got started?

A. My name is Anna, and I am the sole being behind everything that is your nest inspired. I started my education in architecture, but quickly found my true passion in the smaller scale of product and furniture design. After graduating with a degree in industrial design, I needed a way to keep my creative juices flowing. My small hobby quickly turned into a full time career, when I opened my shop on etsy.

Q. What made you decide to make wallets, card holders etc out of wood?

A. When you go looking for a job, you need more than just a diploma. I spent my last year of college creating a portfolio of all of my work, but so was everyone else. I needed something to make an impression, to make them want to open my portfolio out of the stacks of portfolios that they received every day. So, I decided to make my own business card holder out of wood. It was a unique conversation starter, as they could immediately see, touch, and feel, a physical product that I had designed and created myself.

Q. Are you looking to add any other designs? What’s the future hold?

A. I am currently developing a new design which combines my slim flip design, with the slide design. You will have to check out my website to see how it develops. I am also working on expanding my lighting collection, as well as bringing a few furniture pieces to the collection.

Q. Which famous person would you love to get an order from for one of your wallets? and why?
A. I would love Frank Gehry to order one of my wallets. I look up to him as an inspiration in the design world, and would be honored if he appreciated any of my own work.

www.yournestinspired.com

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