“Just like the hunter/gatherers used quivers to keep their arrows accessible and protected while on the go, our Quivvers keep essentials like money, mobiles and keys accessible, portable and protected no matter the adventure.”
From the days of reaching for a bow and arrow when in search of a meal to using navigation on an iPhone while traversing unknown terrain, man has always relied on tools to help him roam the land. Quivvers, a new sling pouch for the modern explorer or athlete provides the perfect solution for comfortably and safely storing small essential items while on the go. Its lightweight construction and cross-body fit practically and fashionably holds wallets, smartphones, iPods and more.
We recently caught up with Amy Barnum, founder of Quivvers, to learn more about this unique product made completely in the United States, which recently received a warm welcome at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Culture-ist Mag: What was the inspiration behind Quivvers?
Quivvers: The inspiration behind Quivvers was really all intrepid people – athletes, travelers, walkers, bikers, urban explorers, etc. We need our mobile and money in this world to be accessible and portable, but want to be carefree and light in our equipment. It was a bit of an “ah-ha” moment in the Omaha airport when I thought cross-body, just the strap with some pockets…that would work!
Culture-ist Mag: So far, who has been buying Quivvers?
Quivvers: Young, trend-setting men and teens are buying them up, but the product is really for anyone who has a mobile phone or needs money to go somewhere.
Culture-ist Mag: Why was local manufacturing important? What are some of the constraints you experienced?
Quivvers: We began with a local manufacturing ideal despite being advised so many times to “go to China”. We really wanted to be able to influence our own economy, have more control over our product, know the manufacturing environment, produce responsibly and keep it simple. The biggest constraint of local manufacturing is labor cost which translates to a pricing issue. It’s enticing to think of going overseas to reduce costs and increase profit margins, but we know the greener, more responsible choice is staying here — just imagine the shipping footprint alone! We hope consumers think so, too.
Culture-ist Mag: With many customers looking to purchase socially responsible products, it’s important to focus on using sustainable materials. Can you tell us about the materials used in production?
Quivvers: We aim to be as socially responsible as possible. The minimalistic design is a big contributor — exactly the right amount and no more — which keeps our use of materials to a minimum. Additionally, we have worked with our engineer of the arrowhead hook to keep the materials clean and with a minimal impact. Our main material is cotton. And, finally, our packaging. It was tempting to do something dramatic, but we kept it to a simple hangtag that reduces the waste.
Culture-ist Mag: Quivvers had a successful debut at the 2012 Sundance film festival, can you tell us about the experience while there?
Quivvers: Sundance film festival was amazing for us, especially just months into business. Quivvers was invited into a pop-up shop which was great. After the first day, The Associated Press Fender Lounge invited us to be in there lounge as well. This gave us access to A-list celebrities and their entourages in a casual environment — so amazing and fun. We were amazed and flattered by the response to Quivvers. So many influential trendsetters thought it was a great product and have tweeted, Facebooked and even put us on TV! The support was tremendous from Jenni Rivera to Collective Soul to Third Eye Blind to Dennis Haybert to Deadmau5 to Emily Blunt so many others! Go Quivvers!
Culture-ist Mag: Where can Quivvers be purchased?
Quivvers: Quivvers can be purchased at quivvers.com. We have a few independent shops carrying us also. We are working on distribution deals with a few national chains, so hopefully it will be more widely available in the coming months.