The Dopp Kit I Kept Putting Off
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a toiletry bag for travelling. Back when I travelled for work quite often, I had one that came with me on every business trip. Toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, a few small essentials - everything had its place.
Eventually, I kept using the same bag for my personal travels too. And, honestly, I never really liked it. It had an awkward shape, it wasn't particularly convenient, and every time I packed it, I thought: I really should replace this. But I didn't. I wasn't travelling often enough for it to become a priority. It was one of those little things that annoyed me every time I used it, but never quite enough to make me actually do something about it.
Eventually, I kept using the same bag for my personal travels too. And, honestly, I never really liked it. It had an awkward shape, it wasn't particularly convenient, and every time I packed it, I thought: I really should replace this. But I didn't. I wasn't travelling often enough for it to become a priority. It was one of those little things that annoyed me every time I used it, but never quite enough to make me actually do something about it.
Then I started working with leather. At some point, I decided that I would simply make my own Dopp Kit. Of course, that didn't happen right away either. First, I didn't have enough experience. Then I couldn't find the leather I really wanted to use. For a while, I was focused almost entirely on watch straps. Then wallets became my main focus. The idea kept coming back, but there was always something else to work on.
Over time, things changed. I gained more experience, found reliable suppliers of beautiful Italian leather, found hardware and zippers I was confident using, and started making more complex pieces, including my crossbody bags. And eventually, I came back to that Dopp Kit.
I made the first prototype simply to figure out the shape and construction. It had no logo, no handle, and none of the finishing details. It was basically just the bag itself. I had the shape figured out, but turning that prototype into a finished piece somehow took much longer than expected. I kept putting it aside, thinking I would get back to it later. In the end, almost three months of summer passed before I finally sat down and finished it.
Over time, things changed. I gained more experience, found reliable suppliers of beautiful Italian leather, found hardware and zippers I was confident using, and started making more complex pieces, including my crossbody bags. And eventually, I came back to that Dopp Kit.
I made the first prototype simply to figure out the shape and construction. It had no logo, no handle, and none of the finishing details. It was basically just the bag itself. I had the shape figured out, but turning that prototype into a finished piece somehow took much longer than expected. I kept putting it aside, thinking I would get back to it later. In the end, almost three months of summer passed before I finally sat down and finished it.
At the end of September, I made another prototype. This time, I did it properly. The logo was there, the handle was there, the edges were finished, and all the little details were finally in place. When I finished it, I knew I had finally made the Dopp Kit I had been thinking about for years. I really like how it turned out and, more importantly, I actually want to use it. The first prototype has already been taken apart, but this one is staying with me.
That's something that has become an important part of how I make things. I don't make products that I wouldn't use myself. The idea for almost everything I make starts with something I personally need or something I wish existed in a slightly different way. I make it, I use it, I live with it. And only when I know that I genuinely like it, that it works well and that I would happily keep using it, does it become something I want to offer to other people.
That's probably one of the simplest ways to describe the philosophy behind my brand: I make things I want to use myself - and I make them to last.
That's something that has become an important part of how I make things. I don't make products that I wouldn't use myself. The idea for almost everything I make starts with something I personally need or something I wish existed in a slightly different way. I make it, I use it, I live with it. And only when I know that I genuinely like it, that it works well and that I would happily keep using it, does it become something I want to offer to other people.
That's probably one of the simplest ways to describe the philosophy behind my brand: I make things I want to use myself - and I make them to last.
And now that the Dopp Kit is finally here, I'm already thinking about what could come next. Maybe this is the beginning of a small collection of leather travel essentials - a Dopp Kit, a document holder, and perhaps a few other things that would make travelling a little more organised and a little more enjoyable. I'm already working on the second version of my document holder, this time a little more compact.
So, after all these years of putting it off, the Dopp Kit is finally here. And this time, I'm actually going to use it.
So, after all these years of putting it off, the Dopp Kit is finally here. And this time, I'm actually going to use it.
