I love LinkedIn. One of the main reasons I log in to the social networking site every day is to just that, network. One day while scrolling through my connections, I discovered an interesting guy named Nicholas Vargas in the “people you may know” feed. After connecting it was interesting to learn about his story, and with that, I wanted to discover more about the story of the brand Jerry Lee founded that Vargas currently manages marketing and PR for, Story Leather. I had a chance to ask him a few questions about the magic of how the creators at Story Leather work with artisans to create customized pieces for their customers. Whether you’re in the market for a sleek new phone case or a tote that nobody else will have but you, keep reading to find out more!
TGIFguide : What was your motivation behind coming up with a company like Story Leather?
NV : Story Leather was created to be different and to disrupt. Although we are a small shop now, we have a big mission statement – we want to help people differentiate by producing leather goods that are one of a kind. Whether it be a phone case, a wallet or a handbag, we custom build a case base on the individual’s taste for color and style; we build our goods to fit your taste and not the other way around. In terms of disruption, we are producing goods that are on level, in terms of craftsmanship and overall quality, of premium leather brands like Coach, Louis Vuitton, and the likes, but we differentiate ourselves through our capability to custom build one case at a time! Again, we preach unique personal style!
TGIFguide : How do you find your leather artisans?
NV : We work with leather artisans with combine experience of over 100 years. All of our leather artisans have worked in manufactures and factories who have done work for top leather wallet brands around the world.
TGIFguide : Where do you source your leather?
NV : Our leather is sourced from around the world – Italy, Japan, Taiwan, China, we are always out and about looking for quality leather. We are not attached to leather from certain country because we believe all leather have their own characteristics we use ones that fit us and meet our quality standard.
TGIFguide : What are your favorite products or your most popular items?
NV : My favorite product is the Double Decker holster case. Smartphones abound, everyone has a smartphone, but what’s surprising is that a lot of people have 2 phones! One for work and one for family. No one on the market is able to build a case to fit two phones, we fill this void with our custom made to order offering in which each case is properly tailored to fit the two phones. Business professionals love us for the versatility and the quality of these cases.
TGIFguide : How long does it take to make a product from start to finish?
NV : All of our custom made to order products require a 25-30 calendar day production lead time. Since all of our cases are handmade and custom tailored to users’ specifications, we ask for this lead time to ensure our goods meet your specifications and quality standard. From cutting to stitching to the final fitting, you will enjoy and appreciate every aspect of the craftsmanship upon receipt of your leather good.
TGIFguide : Do you have any celebrity clients or fans?
NV : We do have high profile business clients, but it’s for private use and not public endorsement. In terms of celebrity, not at this time, but sure would love to get some!
A special thanks to Nicholas for chatting with me, and if you’d like to find out more about Story Leather and how to create your own custom piece, click here!
Written by Jacqueline Chambers
Jacqueline Chambers is the founder of TGIFguide. She uses her innate skills as a natural “connector” to serve businesses, brands and individuals in the LA area and beyond.
