I was out for a dinner with mates recently when we got talking about the topic of wallets. Each of us plonked ours down on the table and one thing quickly became clear – we were all lugging around wallets filled to the brim with unnecessary business cards and membership cards we hadn’t used in years.
So why do we place such a premium on phones getting sleeker and more efficient, make an effort to cut out unnecessary clutter from our lives and then cart around a wallet chock-full of junk we never use? This led us here at 2OV to do a little digging, which is when we stumbled upon the guys over at Freedom of Movement.
Theirs is a great story to tell so we’ll start right from the beginning. The business was founded in 2013 by two brothers, one with a keen eye for entrepreneurship and the other with an impeccable passion for design. Born in Stellenbosch, it started out as nothing more than an idea, a sewing machine and Benjamin, a true artisan.
Freedom of Movement is a proudly South African lifestyle brand, representing a collection of ideas formulated to design and manufacture conventional and unconventional leather goods, clothing and accessories. All of their products are handcrafted by their exceptional artisans and are made from the finest raw materials, all sourced from South Africa tanneries and textile manufactures.
So where does this all this talk of cutting out the clutter come from? Take their wallets, a beautifully minimalist approach that combines practicality, style and a touch of the personal.
That H.M.D.V? The initials of Henk, of course, just to make sure we don’t get our wallets confused. For you gents out there think about how silly you feel wedging that weighty wallet in your jeans pocket, then imagine the comfort and practicality of having everything you need fit snugly inside that sexy little number?
Their products are designed to fit their own identity, achieved by incorporating their names into unique design detail and personality traits. Each product is thus crafted as its own character. One look at the bags on offer shows names like the Franklin, the Bobby, the Roll Top and the Russell, each bag carving out its own unique identity.
As it stands there are currently two original Freedom of Movement stores, one in Stellenbosch and another in Pretoria, although a third is apparently on the way shortly. The Stellenbosch store is situated at Shop 8B in The Woodmill, Lifestyle in Vredenburg Road, with the Pretoria Store situated on 13th Street in Menlopark.
So whether it’s a smaller wallet or a more personal and homely feel to your favourite bag you really should take a look at what Freedom of Movement are up to. You know they have cracking Instagram and Twitter accounts as well, that much goes without saying, and you can see a little more about their story in the video below.
