5 Minutes w/ Barrett Alley

Another one from our 5 Minutes/5 Questions series, this one comes from Barrett Alley.  Remember Barrett from our recent Carryology shop visit with him in Dallas?   Just to jog your memory, Barret creates uber-premium quality wallets by hand, out of the finest materials available.  Take a look at his site for additional photos and info.  As we like to keep this series short and simple, here are Barrett’s responses below.

1 – What key insights drive your stuff?

We pursue design to a functional end and have some fun along the way. Our goal is always to create quality, interesting products around the things we feel aren’t going to change anytime soon: cash, credit cards, and blue jeans with pockets.

2 – Who else is doing rad things in the world of carry? And why do you think they’re important…

3 – Are there any things other brands do that you think are great or could be improved?

(2 & 3) I think these two questions go well together so I’ll try to address them both. I tend to be attracted to the work of designers that are doing things differently than we are. A few of my favorites are Henry Cuir, Nutsa Modebadze and Kapital. They’re creating truly original designs that stand out and look good. It’s interesting actually because these companies are Italian, Russian and Japanese, respectively. With American design companies you see a lot of the two extremes – either the “simple Puritan” style, or the “hyperactive mess” style. In the end, the hardest part about design is to actually design. It’s a razor-thin path and it’s easy to overdo it, or not do it at all.

4 – What’s next for you guys?

We have a lot of cool ideas for future products in our notebooks. Some of them have been prototyped out already – you saw some bags and cases when you were here. We should be announcing new belts and wallets soon. I always welcome suggestions for new products as well.

5 – What do you carry daily and how?

I have been carrying the Disciple Wallet in Shell Cordovan No 8 (Barrett’s personal wallet is shown below) for the last year or so. For daily life in the US, it’s perfect as it holds a few credit cards, your driver’s license, and some bills. When I travel to a “coin country” I’ll carry the Judas Pouch – it’s super convenient because I can throw all my bills, cards and change in a single pocket.