Meet Mike Vigil of Colored Red Leather Goods in Westminster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Vigil.

Mike, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My wife, Chandra, wanted a creative outlet while staying home with our two girls. She started making bracelets, specifically for women. From there, we thought about how we could work together, and what we could make. Eventually, we came to leather as our material and began developing ideas for items. We started off with small items, such as bracelets. It grew from there into wallets, then bags. Here were are, just about four years in, and we have a successful small business.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not, haha. In the very beginning, it was a struggle to get started with very little money, that came from our own pockets. Tools, materials, etc. add up fast. So, that was rough trying to work on a new craft, but not having many tools to do that, made it difficult. There was also the whole “how do we get noticed” part. There is a sea of leather craftsman, as well as makers in general. So, getting noticed on such platforms as Etsy, seemed like an impossible feat. There was also the biggest struggle of all. Balancing our new small business, with everything else. Mostly our girls. It took a minute to get that figured out, but we got there.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Colored Red Leather Goods – what should we know?
We make leather goods, all by hand. This means each cut is made by hand, each item is stitched by hand, and if we dye the leather, we do that by hand as well. All of our items are made from authentic leather, which will make the item last a lifetime. It’s definitely not the mass-produced flimsy stuff that you can pick or order anywhere. Our business specializes in wallets. Whether you are a fan of the old school, classic bifold wallet, or a super simple, minimalist wallet, we do it. However, we have a variety of other items, such as a travel mug and bags. The thing we’re most proud of is how well our business is doing. We have received and continue to receive so much support, and it only makes us better.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Making quality goods. Plain and simple. We can’t expect our business to be successful unless we’re making goods that are of high quality. Which we do.

Pricing:

• Items range from $30-300+

Contact Info:

• Website: Coloredredleathergoods.com
• Email: coloredredleathergoods@gmail.com
• Instagram: Coloredredleathergoods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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