We recently connected with Louis David Najar and have shared our conversation below.
Louis David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Grass is greener where you water it
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.
Utopia started as a custom leather business. People would commission specific items like wallets, agendas, key rings, and that is how I started stitching. Having acquired a few machines, a good friend mentioned which one specifically did chainstitch, and that s how the quest started. I was living in France at the time, and that s where these machines were invented.
I had always been influenced by America through music or fashion, and soon found myself providing Americana influenced clothing.
The way chainstitch works is that it’s really up to the operator of the machine to complete the task, so the human factor is the most important aspect of this process. The embroiderer does all the work without the any robotic assistance
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Well oh well. Let s go back to the first time I used one of these machines … did I think back then I would be able to do the diversity and variety of styles and designs that I can accomplish today ! I mean I have never kept track of how many actual jobs since I started but it s got to be by the thousands by now. Nowadays it sometimes feels like I get paid for my time behind the machine when there s a lot more involved than that. This is couture embroidery, and by that I mean fine art,. which becomes a balance of commission jobs, and pushing your own creativity.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Hopefully the quality of my work, and a sharp eye for details.
Contact Info:
- Website: utopiamanufacture.com
- Instagram: utopia_mfg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UTOPIAMFG/videos
Image Credits
Images by Louis David Najar for Utopia TM