Wallets are one of the most popular items in men’s fashion accessories, and is it any wonder? Men have very few ways in which they can express their individual style and a wallet is certainly a way for a guy to do that.
When we started Watson & Wolfe back in November 2016 we had intended to use leather. At that time, no one had any objection to us producing wallets with made with animal leather. The, in the late spring of 2017, things took a turn and we decided to drop the whole idea of using leather. You can read our article Lessons in Leather to understand why we made this decision and you can also listen to more of my story here.
Anyhow, shortly after my decision to change our direction, I adopted a vegan lifestyle and decided to make W&W a cruelty free company, with an emphasis on being as environmentally friendly as possible.
"Surely, everyone, regardless of their lifestyle choice, has the
right to carry a beautifully made wallet, right?"
Helen Farr-Leander
During my research of the vegan accessories space, the first thing that struck me was the distinct lack of high quality items for men. It was easy enough to buy a wallet made from cork or hemp, or wallets made from PVC or canvas, but I couldn't find anything that had comparable quality to a luxury leather accessory. What if I wanted to buy a traditional looking, handmade wallet, which was smart and comparable in quality to the leather one I wanted to replace?
The enthusiasm I had for this new idea, wasn't shared, and I was hit with quite a bit of scepticism. Some of the comments I received from both friends and family included, ‘there isn't a demand’, ‘maybe vegan men don’t want that’ ‘maybe the market is too small’.
I found it inconceivable that you couldn't buy a luxury, well-made vegan wallet in the UK, which had the same level of quality as an animal leather wallet. My understanding at the time was that those who choose to be vegan, don’t stop eating meat because they dislike the taste, so it isn't the look and feel of leather that is the problem. It’s where it comes from and how it came to be. So, what if I could produce a 100% cruelty free wallet which looked and felt like a leather one, but was made with my new core values.
As it turned out, there were some challenges to face if we want to make a truly authentic range of handmade wallets. The weeks went by, and the design and finish of the wallets evolved as I learnt more about the materials available to us. One of the biggest things we had to overcome was the squeak. It was apparent that most PU and combination leathers squeaked when they were rubbed. This just wasn't very luxurious. Hence, many of the materials we tested were unsuitable; too stretchy, not enough stretch, too shiny, too thin, the list goes on. If you want to know more about the various types of vegan leather available on the market, we have complied a comprehensive article called Complete Guide to Vegan Leather. We update this article regularly to keep track of changes new innovations the industry.
The search for the right external material took months and just when I thought it didn't exist, we found it. A beautifully soft, smooth, lightly grained material which not only looked and felt like real leather, but it didn't squeak! What is more, it has almost 3 x less environmental impact when compared to animal leather. We aim to be 100% transparent about our materials and our supply chain, and you can always read up to date information on our materials page.
I was totally convinced that we could produce a vegan wallet that was unlike anything on the market. And we did.
But more than this. We are also making one of the most sustainable wallets on the market too. Lined with high quality fabric made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, we have made every consideration to lower the footprint of the collection wherever possible. Even the zip tape on our travel wallets is made from recycled bottles and the lining of our wash bags is made without any harmful chemicals.
In October 2018, we despatched our first wallet and even now, I am more committed than ever to making Watson & Wolfe your go to luxury, sustainable accessories brand.
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