# Calvin Kwok, Designer of STITCH & LOCKE (INTERVIEW) How This Vegan Men's Wallet is Standing Out By Social Business Editor | Published 2014-04-30 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/calvin-kwok References: [kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1532502192/the-slide-wallet-by-stitch-and-locke) SocialBusiness.org is always looking for [sleek and sustainable innovations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/modular-sling-bag) to feature on our site and we were in luck when we came across Calvin Kwok, designer of STITCH & LOCKE. We spoke with Calvin over email and he shared a little bit of background on the campaign that garnered over $20,000 in two days. Now, that's not too shabby. If you'd like to contribute to making STITCH & LOCKE happen, you can donate to the [Kickstarter campaign](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1532502192/the-slide-wallet-by-stitch-and-locke)which ends at the end of May. **Four Questions with Calvin Kwok** **1. How did the idea for the business model come about?** STITCH & LOCKE was formed after I was pitched a business plan by two business-savvy friends, Chad and Louis. They were impressed with a wallet I had created using scrap pieces of leather and a borrowed 1921 Singer sewing machine. With Chad being a vegan, his participation in STITCH & LOCKE was conditional on finding an animal-free alternative to leather. In our subsequent research, we found and quickly fell in love with [cork fabric](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/korka). The use of sustainable materials, specifically cork, is helping us standout in the sea of black and brown leather squares that is the men's accessory market. **2. How did you decide to join this sector?** I haven't fully joined the design sector. I studied as an engineer but wasn't interested in working behind a computer. Now, I am a full-time paramedic. While pre-hospital care is a literal example of helping others, strong parallels can be drawn with running a sustainable business. Making an impact has been an important factor in the development of STITCH & LOCKE. **3. How do you get your inspiration?** A lot of my inspiration comes from the dissection of frustration. Whether it is my own frustration or that of others, there always seems to be a better way to do things. I really get satisfaction from breaking down a problem and slowly inching towards an alternative solution. **4. How do you reset yourself to be creative? Do you have any rituals?** I find that excitement spurs creativity, with feedback and deadlines being great catalyst for breeding excitement. Getting others fired up about an idea can really fuel my own excitement. A definite ritual that is motivating for me is the pen and paper list. The small successes of crossing off minor accomplishments can help build that critical mass of excitement. A pen and notebook is never out of arms reach. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.7/10 - Popularity: 94% | Activity: 99% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Sustainable Materials:** Using sustainable materials like cork fabric can help businesses in the men's accessory market stand out. - **Animal-free Alternatives:** Finding animal-free alternatives to leather can disrupt the traditional men's wallet industry. - **Social Impact:** Business models that prioritize making a positive impact can be an innovative approach in the design sector. ### Who This Affects Most - **Men's Accessory:** Incorporating sustainable materials and animal-free alternatives can be a disruptive innovation opportunity in the men's accessory industry. - **Wallet:** Developing wallets with sustainable and animal-free materials can revolutionize the traditional wallet industry. - **Design:** Combining sustainability and social impact can create disruptive innovation opportunities in the design sector. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Next-Gen Business Backpacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/work-backpack-that-stands-up.md) - [Bespoke Textile-Focused Mittens](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/linkdesigns.md) - [Feature-Rich Wallet Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/neocraft-wallet-collection.md) - [Sustainable Creative Craft Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fyrn-studio-series.md) - [Sustainable Biomaterial Gift Wraps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/biomaterilal-gift-wrap.md) - [RFID-Blocking Origami Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/origami-wallet.md) - [Folder Icon-Inspired Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pc-folder-wallet.md) - [Sleek Colorful Card Wallets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wallet-30.md) - [Functional Rugged Menswear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/menswear-brand-kestin.md)