From Banking to living in Bali; We talk to the designer behind Mens Accessory label BNVVT

I first met Stu from BNVVT three and half years ago over a few Bintangs & a sunset down at our local Berawa beach in Bali. We instantly bonded over our shared experiences of moving to the island to design & launch e-commerce businesses.... and the ups & downs that this brought!

Our Bintang sessions quickly became a regular occurrence and the rest is history. Stu is one talented man who creates some beautiful leather products (that I only wish I could look as stylish pulling them off!) An avid believer in daily balance, we recently sat down with Stu to hear more about building his Leather Accessories empire on the island of Bali...

LLR: We heard you used to be in banking…What inspired you to make the jump & start a Men’s Leather Bag company, based in Bali?!

I worked in Financial Advice at a bank, I was lucky enough to take advantage of some time out and do some traveling. Whilst I was on the road I was reading the 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris and a lot of the ideas in the book resonated with me. In short I wanted to live more. Bali and the leather business just seemed the natural choice for that.

LLR: Can you talk us through a day in the life of BNVVT on the island?

Wake Up, go check the surf, if it's looking inviting, go for a paddle if not, I will normally go for a swim. From there home, shower, fire the laptop up, put the coffee on and go through what needs to be done for the day. Usually there is mixture of house keeping, fulfilling orders and overseeing production. Lunch I try and catch up with a friend, then more running around. In the afternoon, if time permits, maybe another beach check. Dinner I have started to try and cook a little more so maybe try and scratch something together. During the week, I try and keep a pretty solid routine.

LLR: Where does the inspiration for your designs come from?

TRAVEL!!!! I make bags so people can get out there and see the world, hopefully in a way they find enriching. I would like to think that my bags look just as at home in the hustle and bustle of the city or as off the beaten track as you can get.

LLR: Where was the last place you went on holiday & what did you do there?

I popped over to Lombok for a weekend recently, it was great! The natural beauty is pretty spectacular. Beaches, bays and brilliant green hills. As this was my first time there, we just hired a scooter and went exploring.

LLR: What can you not travel without?

I would like to say nothing, but that’s not really convincing. Passport and wallet are really the only essentials, if I forget something or don’t bring it, it can always be replaced or make do. What I always like to travel with are audio books and good podcasts, they are my favourite way to pass the time.

LLR: Last but not least, what is one piece of advice you can give to someone thinking of starting their own label?

If it is something you think you want to do then get out there and do it. Carpe Diem, etc. What I would say is do what makes you happy and give it your all.

Amen to that Stuey! You can see all his epic designs on his website via the link

WEBSITE - http://bnvvt.com/

INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/bnvvt/

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