Our goal was to improve the failure point we had identified on our wallets. We kept seeing wallets come in for the same kind of repair, elastic replacement.

The answer to our problem seemed simple: Replace the elastic with a different one.

Our designer Jose began by making and testing samples with a more robust elastic, unfortunately the added bulk of the new elastic made it difficult to sew and the new stretch made the wallets bunch and deform, also it didn’t solve the issue of the elastic wearing out.

He wanted to find a way to close our wallets that didn’t utilize an element that would wear out and would need to be replaced eventually; This ruled out elastics and hook and loop closures.

He found some magnets that we had used on past products (the P.I.K.A. Pouch, in particular) and decided to give them a try in a sample. After some patternmaking and sewing, we had a sample with a new closure system, the new sample retained the “minimal” nature of the original wallet and improved its function.

The minimal aspect of our wallets was also important, and we wanted to keep the new version as close to the original as possible. The new closure system is a great improvement, and we have been pleased with how it’s performed.

The team has been testing the new version since last year, overall, the feedback has been great, and we are excited to reintroduce wallets into our product assortment.