Meet Victor Wan of Kulör Cases

Kulör Cases is a luxury leather iPhone case maker. Their business is based in Sweden. Our interview today is with the company CEO, Victor Wan, who works alongside the Swedish designer Ingrid Andersson. Learn more by visiting https://kulorcases.com.

1. What inspired you to start Kulör Cases?

I previously worked in the IT and telecom industry for 14 years. All along I wanted to do something that could combine my interest in gadgets, my love for minimalist designs, and sense of achievement from helping my clients. And it all began in 2017 when I decided to start my own brand that makes luxury personalized leather iPhone cases alongside the Swedish designer Ingrid Andersson. We wanted to become a part of our customers’ special moments. This dream was fulfilled when our first customer of the company was an astronaut who ordered a phone case for himself as well as for his wife for the celebration of the birth of their twins.

2. What makes your cases unique?

Regarding materials, we wanted something classy but also something that would age well. Leather was the perfect option. Then came the issue of the design. Most leather cases are mono toned, all black, all brown, all blue, etc. We wanted a minimalist design that would not cover the beautiful iPhone but to complement it... This led to the decision of a multi-colored and colorful case design. Secondly, we didn't want the cases to be a source of branding for us because the cases should be about the users. Therefore we designed not to put our company logo on the case. Lastly, we decided for personalization so people could have their names, initials, or something special foil stamped on the phone case. Our phone cases represent our customers' true character and identity.

Because of the special multi-colored design, our craftsmen have to work on two different cowhide leathers, and that increases the complexity. But we are a luxury brand, and we won't do anything less than the best.

3. There are a lot of iPhone case makers. What makes you different from them in terms of craftsmenship?

Our iPhone cases are handcrafted. The products we make are all about the customers which is why we don't incorporate a company logo on our cases. What makes us different is that our utmost goal is to satisfy our customers. We pay close attention to minute details. For example, most leather cases are made by gluing leather sheets on top of plastic bases. The sides of the plastic are visible, which doesn't give a neat look. We keep that in mind and make sure the corners and sides are all covered in leather.

Our craftsmen spend three times the amount of time that it takes on one regular case. It is all because of our commitment to providing the best of the best.

4. Could you describe some of the options for people who want to customize their phone case?

Our customers could choose from a wide collection of colorful cases. We have 10 different color combinations for each of our iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 7 Plus collections. As for customization, we offer three different fonts namely Park Avenue, JosefinSans and Althea that could be embossed in gold, silver, or rose gold foil. To ensure quality craftsmanship, we use a traditional hand operated hot stamping machine to imprint the leather cases with initials, names, monogram, or something special.

We also have a live personalization tool on our website so that our customers could preview what they are customizing and order with confidence.

5. In your opinion, why is vegetable tanned top-grain leather the best material for a phone case?

First of all, vegetable tanned leather does not contain harmful chemicals (vs chromium and aldehyde tanning), and it ages perfectly and delivers a better look for your phone case through time. Second of all, top-grain leather is the most premium hide material. It is the surface of full-grain leather that has not been removed or heavily sanded, preserving the natural qualities of an authentic leather hide. Most cheaper cases in the market uses "split leather" or "genuine leather." They are made from the inner layers that are underneath the top-grain and are embossed with an artificial grain pattern.

You will never find split leather, bonded, or even imitation leathers products at Kulör Cases.

Thanks, Victor!

A Kickstarter for a Cool New iPhone Case

You know I love an interesting crowdfunding campaign, so here's a Kickstarter for a product called CasePlug. It's an iPhone case which has built-in mounting, charging, syncing, and a kickstand, all in one. It's a compact and easy to use product.

As someone who is apt to lose things like plugs, adapters, and so on, I like the convenience of having everything in one case. It has great appeal for minimalists who want something that looks sleek and is highly functional. In short, it's a "plug & play" replacement for all the accessories you need for your phone. It works by having an integrated USB plug that you can plug into an outlet, car radio, or laptop computer. It has wireless capability as well. And it allows you to use your phone to control the device you're connecting to.

Through the Kickstarter, you can buy CasePlug for $25, which is the introductory price. Check out the Kickstarter link for more info. Today (July 31, 2014) marks the official launch of the Kickstarter campaign, which is cool if you're someone who likes to be one of the first to sign up for a new product!

Meet Anthony Huang, CEO of iCarryAlls

iCarryAlls is a business which sells leather handbags, tote bags, and carrying cases for electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. The company began in 2009 as XIAOZHI. They are known for allowing the customer to create custom personalized leather accessories. They also have a special site for handbags and gadget cases for customers in Europe.

Our interview is with the CEO of iCarryAlls, Mr. Anthony Huang.

1. Why did your company choose to specialize in leather bags and cases?

We like the smell of the leather and the special feeling when your body touches leather products: We love leather.

2. What are some of the ways that customers can have their items customized when they order?

Different people have lots of different requests, so we work to fulfill all manner of customizations through our shopping cart system. We have a great CRM system named Zendesk which we use to communicate with our clients and which enables us to fulfill all our customers' needs. Our slogan is: "If you can dream it, we can make it."

3. What have some of your most popular items been, and do you find that trends/preferences have changed over the years that you have been in business?

We are very successful with our iPad portfolios which include a notepad as well as with our iPad portfolios with room for a bluetooth-keyboard. Both kinds of leather bags offer lot of functionality, protect the gadgets, and are helpful for organizing your work.

4. How did you achieve a successful transition from selling on other sites such as Etsy to having your own site?

Etsy was the first marketplace where we sold our leather goods. A few years later, our focus lies on our own worldwide site www.icarryalls.com, as well as our European site, www.classiquer.com. Of course, we also sell on all Amazon platforms. And we are present on all the social communities like Facebook, Twitter, and so on.

5. For customers shopping around for leather products, what do you recommend in terms of choosing the best quality product while also being mindful of price?

If you shop online, it's difficult to touch and smell the product, so the most important thing is to choose the brand of highest reputation; this is the way to protect your money.

Thanks, Anthony!

Meet Fun Panda, A Creative and Eco-Friendly Company

Fun Panda is a company that makes iPhone cases that are both fun and eco-friendly. Their most popular products are custom iPhone cases where customers can upload an image of their choice and it will be laser engraved onto the case.

The people at Fun Panda also donate a portion of their proceeds to worthy causes like The Beautiful Dream Society.

1. What are some of the benefits of working with bamboo?

Well, bamboo is a highly renewable resource and very eco-friendly and can be made into all types of things, even clothes. To be honest I'm surprised bamboo is not more popular that it already it is.

2. What are some of the options available for people who want to customize their cases?

If you're interested in customizing your case, all you need to do is upload your image to our website and you'll get to see a preview of what it's going to look like. You can use any type of image you want. We've seen a lot of interesting things come through here, and it's cool to see people's creativity.

3. Do you sell locally or only online?

Both and we've also had some interest from people wanting to sell our products on their site or to get custom cases done to sell in their store. In that case, those designs are exclusive to that store and we wouldn't sell them on our website.

4. Could you tell us a little bit about the charitable organizations your company supports?

Currently we are mainly focused on the Beautiful Dream Society, which is a great organization dedicated ending human trafficking both in Oklahoma and Uganda. Human trafficking is a worldwide problem and they need all the help they can get.

The two other charities we like are much more well-known, and they are The Nature Conservancy and St. Judes. We alternate donations every so often and give at least 5% of our proceeds to them. More info can be found at http://www.funpanda.com/charities-we-support.

5. Are you envisioning additional creative products for the future?

We will be adding iPad cases in the near future and possibly the iPod Touch. We've also been planning a design contest to help add more designs to our collection. The details aren't in stone just yet, but it's something we're really excited about doing. As I said before, I really love seeing other people's creativity and the things they can come up with.

Thanks, Fun Panda!