Duct-Tape Wallets

These hand-crafted duct-tape wallets go to show that by no means does recycled have to be synonymous with trashy. The designers are confident db clay will set a new standard in wallets.

To pay his way through college, Garett Stenson hand-made over 30,000 artsy wallets out of Gaffer's tape in only four years. After paying off his schooling, he took the additional revenue and launched db clay ("Ductbills.")

The Oregon-based designer started selling his eco-friendly designs at a Portland open air market a few years ago, but now his flagship accounts include Bergdorf Goodman, Fred Segal, MoMA, Nordstrom, Getty Museum, and Takashimaya.

After discovering Gaffer's tape easily allows image transfers from laser printers, Stenson quickly developed a printing method to transfer photos onto the tape, the patent for which is currently pending.

They are currently working on Version 3 after the tremendous success of the first two versions. Most recently, they launched the Puzzle Gallery wallets which are lined in environmentally-friendly Tope. The collection has over 500 one-of-a-kind wallets, each one numbered.

"What we realized in the early stages of developing our brand was that we had no competition and it dawned on us that there was no standard for the wallet," a db clay rep said. "If you ask anyone what the standard for jeans was, they would say something like "Levis" or if asked about shoes, you may hear, "Nike" but when you mention a wallet, nothing comes to mind. There is a global void for a wallet company leading the industry and we have the opportunity to be that wallet company."

"We are targeting everyone. Our goal is to create series for every walk of life. Next year we are introducing a small 3 piece collection of leather wallets, but our tipping point is going to be 3rd quarter 2008 when we launch db clay Four women."

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