Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Crystal Moore. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Crystal, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

My company is a one woman operation. I really think it is important in todays fashion world to understand what slow fashion means. In this industry most everything is outsourced and made in a factory. I make and do everything from designing to cutting, sewing and packing all my bags for shipment. I try to make timeless items with heirloom quality. Bags that your kid will find in your closet and want to wear. My core collections are made with vegetable tanned leathers sourced right here in the USA. When a store orders from me they know they are waiting 4-6 weeks just for me to produce their items. My hands touch every bag that has ever been made by my company. Every little piece is made with love. This is what I do differently than the corporate standard. My customers send me pictures of their bags, 10 years later telling me how much they love their bag still and how beautiful it has aged.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I bought my first sewing machine from salvation army when I was 17. I have always been in love with the process of building, designing, making things of all mediums. During college I worked for a textile designer. It was a very small operation, 3 people. She made screen printed scarves on silk. She was a huge inspiration to me and working for her motivated me to make things I love and hope that others would love them just as much. I started my company my last year of college. It was mostly random things. Learning how to sew with leather, different techniques, figuring out my own personal style.
After about a year of just making bags of all different styles and materials I kind of got the hang of what I was doing. I knew what I liked and what I didn’t like. I knew I wanted to make timeless pieces. I really like to believe this sets me apart from others. I want my clients and followers to feel like they have a connection with me. I want them to feel good about their purchase. To know that they are supporting a one woman operation, a product that is ethically produced. I want the bag/clutch/wallet to make my clients feel good every time they use it. My clients often reach out to me if they want something personalized or if they want to customize or tweak a detail. I think this sets my business apart from others.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Craft shows really helped me find my niche and grow my clientele. It took me years to figure out what shows my product fit best in. But once I knew where I should be applying my clientele grew. Customers would come back year after year to see me and buy from me. I would use social media to post new collections I would be bringing, or one of a kind items that I would only make once. If I had a store in a town I was doing a show in, almost always the owner would come on the last day of the show and buy a ton of inventory for their store. It made it more personal for me and the buyers. Also I sometimes run sales or have mini pop up sales on Instagram. People love them and always share with their friends that I’m having a sale this has helped me grow.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

So I started my business on a shoestring budget. I bought my first industrial sewing machine on a credit card and my second. After a few years in business I took out small loans here and there to get just a few tools and supplies I needed to keep growing. Every year I basically just had goals of buying more things for the business. I knew there was so much involved in leather craft. Even today there are still things I want to buy to make my work load a little easier. Eventually I took out an SBA loan which was extremely helpful in having that much capital. It gave me the ability to really plan collections better, buy materials upfront and offer more for wholesale because I had materials in stock.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studioatreyu.com
• Instagram: @studioatreyu
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studioatreyu

Image Credits

Mikala Gallo