Bellroy are the masters of slimming your wallet. They shared their first wallet back in 2010, but the idea for thinner wallets started brewing ten years earlier. A frustration had surfaced at design school, seeing folk sat crooked with ugly lumps in their pockets. Years later they found themselves back home, gathered round the kitchen table in Bells Beach, with the guts to do something about it. And so the Bellroy quest began – improving the way folk carry.
In the early 2000s, as slim tailoring became popular, bulky wallets couldn’t hide anymore. So, a team of designers and creatives (who also happened to be friends) sat around a kitchen table in Bells Beach, Australia, to design a slim wallet with fewer layers of leather and better card positioning. The release of this product in 2010 signaled the birth of Bellroy; it’s safe to say they’ve come a fair way since then…
Their range has moved beyond pockets and includes pieces for your tech, work and more – right down to your keys. Because as long as there are things to carry, Bellroy are destined to find better ways to carry them.
Why the name Bellroy you ask? With homes in both Bells Beach and Fitzroy, they’ve combined the best of both worlds. Bells is surrounded by world-class surf and marks the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. Fitzroy is Melbourne’s creative hub, overflowing with incredible art, brands and bars. Bellroy tell us they love moving between these different worlds – the city and the sea, their inspiration and nature.
We took ten with the Co-Founder and CEO, Andy Fallshaw.
1. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A downhill ski racer. Then a forest ranger. Then a hotel manager. Then just anything that wasn’t boring.
2. When and what was the moment that prompted you to start your own brand?
It was 2008. I was managing two global divisions for a major surf brand, getting frequent promotions and adding value to my employer in every way that I could. And then in the space of a week, a few things happened that meant stuff got in the way of me adding the most value I could. These changes made it harder to give my all, and I couldn’t imagine doing my job half-assed, so I knew it was time to resign.
With such a rapid decision I didn’t really know what I was going to do after resigning. I wanted to work with folks I loved, and create something I could be really proud of. Thankfully my brother Matt, his partner Lina, and some good friends like Hadrien were also keen, and so we kicked off quite a few businesses and brands in a short time. Bellroy was Hadrien and my passion project amongst those, and so it was the one I could dive into the most.
3. In 3 words, describe your occupation.
Helping folks carry.
4. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Bite off more than you can chew, and chew like hell.
5. What is your favourite creative outlet to get the juices flowing?
Airplanes and transit. There’s something about getting to 40,000 ft that shifts your view to 40,000 ft. I close the world off with noise cancelling headphones, get out my notebook and laptop, and start questioning everything we’re doing, wondering how it might be done better.
6. Where do you see yourself and the brand in 10 years time?
I have trouble picturing a year from now, so 10 years is in the Science Fiction realm for me. Perhaps hanging on Mars with Elon designing new ways to carry your terraforming equipment…?
7. If you could invite any five celebrities to dinner, who would be on the guest list?
For inspiration, it would be hard to go past Bill Gates and Elon Musk – between reinventing philanthropy and inventing the future, they are two amazing folk. And then maybe I’d put JK Rowling next to Trump just to watch her brilliant mind go to a whole other level on him. Oh, and then you’d need an activity for the evening, so maybe someone like the totally out-there Iceman Wim Hof to get us all hyper-ventilating and jumping in ice-baths. Dang, that would be a fun night!
8. What was the last rule you broke?
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Intermittent fasting really screws with that rule.
9. Do you have any hidden talents?
I can get my mouth the whole way around a pint glass… does that count?
10. What was the last movie you saw and was it any good?
Moana. And yes, I’ve been re-living it ever since with our kid’s constant renditions of the soundtrack.
When you have the right things on hand, it becomes easier to adapt between work and life’s adventures. At Hunting for George, we’re all for more freedom. Whether buying a morning coffee, cycling in the rain, a city commute or a weekend away, their products let you roam more freely.
Bellroy puts its heart, soul and countless design hours into helping the world carry with greater simplicity and ease. Every piece has been deeply considered to help you get the best of life’s little moments. They’re also a force for good, constantly pursuing better ways to source their leathers, reduce their impact on the environment and make sure their products last as long as possible.
“Querked”
“Sitting back on our couch, ear-cans on, thinking about the tunes that can move my mood. My music library falls into two camps – there’s the tunes from the last year or so, when a good mate Sam has been telling me what to buy. I figured I’d start on those because they’re on highest rotation for me.
Then there’s a generational gap in my library, and we get to all the tunes I listened to in uni years, pre family, when I’d have time to hunt out interesting albums that had emotional resonance. That includes tunes like Ghostwriter, that my wife Miyo and I walked down the aisle to (played live by some amazing musicians).
And then I finish on Three Days, always Part I and if time permits Part II. Like most moody angst ridden music, these are best listened to in a dark room with way too much volume and no interruptions. Think of it like you would The Doors and you’ll get the drift…” – Andy
Enhance your every day with Bellroy’s considered carry goods, available online at Hunting for George and in our Richmond Showroom.
Photography supplied by Bellroy.
