With the smartwatch, Google Glass and other wearable devices soon to become as indispensable as the cell phone in your pocket, the last thing every guy needs is another bulky wallet to weigh him down. Enter the Minimalist, the smarter wallet option for the man about town, by the West Coast brand Capsule. “I’m a pretty low maintenance guy when it comes to what I carry around in my wallet everyday, but every wallet I’ve ever come across is either too thick when empty or too limited to carry cash,” says Robert Sha, who created the Minimalist’s innovative, sleek design last summer. “Bulky traditional bi-folds and cardholder-style wallets just don’t cut it for me and more novel solutions don’t have the sophisticated aesthetic I desire.”
Measuring 3.8” x 2.8” across with a thickness of 0.2” and a discreet top slot and back slot, the Minimalist wallet is just that. What makes this wallet a cut above others, however, is its proprietary CashStrap that holds cash in place through static friction. Made from hand, the Minimalist even accommodates Euro bills, retails for under $100 and is made in the same factories that produce leather goods for the world’s largest luxury companies.
A former strategic management consultant to Fortune 500 companies, Capsule founder Sha always dreamed of running his own business. As any entrepreneur might do, he took to Kickstarter, the crowdfunding site, and surprised everyone, including himself, by surpassing his initial goal of raising $16,500 by nearly ten-fold. That injection of capital allowed him to seek out the best manufacturers and leathers from Asia, Italy and Brazil, and to get the Minimalist out the door in just several weeks to its 2,400-strong fan base on Kickstarter.
Today Capsule makes the Minimalist in premium nappa cowhide and saffiano leather and for the fall and upcoming holiday season plans to offer the wallet in black, charcoal and blue, as well as two contrast-edge options for a sporty twist. Says Sha, “I started Capsule because I believe that products can always be better. We expect to introduce complementary product extensions and hope to share our take on other important ‘essential’ items for our customers as well, all with the mission of introducing you to a simpler way of living.”
