The Making of a Verver Bag: Authenticity, Purpose, Versatility and Quality
At VerverWerks, we recently hit our one-year anniversary. It’s been a year of excitement and, most of all, learning and growth. What better time than now to give you a behind-the-scenes look into VerverWerks and what makes our bags true statement pieces.
Authenticity & The Design Process
From day one, authenticity has been top of mind when it comes to the design process for our Verver bags. Like many of you, I’ve long been infatuated by the vibrant textiles typical of the Andean region of South America and I wanted to incorporate them into pieces that could easily be used at home on an everyday basis. I started by scouring Ecuadorian warehouses and family-owned shops for stunning fabrics and woven textiles that would capture attention at home while maintaining a distinct South American feel. Over the past year, it’s been amazing to observe your enthusiasm at seeing the result. There’s nothing like watching someone previously unfamiliar with VerverWerks eagerly flip open a bag, eyes wide with excitement.
An authentic Verver bag - the 15" Jade Messenger+.
Not only are our fabrics authentic, our bag designs are also 100% authentic to VerverWerks. Our design work is done in Texas and then we collaborate with our principal partners (boasting over 30 years of experience in leather work) in Ecuador to ensure the final result will be a high-quality, durable product. One of the benefits of our small scale is our ability to interact one-on-one with our customers and get feedback that we can quickly transform into new designs and products. At the end of the day, we deliver truly unique leather goods, manufactured in small batches and with great variety. This is done so you can find a product that both speaks to your soul and allows you to express yourself as an individual.
Excited to introduce our wide array of fresh, new products.
In year one, one of our most exciting projects was the roll out of our newest ‘Earth and Gem-Tone’ line. We source all components for our leather goods with various Ecuadorian families who specialize in a particular craft (textile production, leather production, etc.). For our newest line, we focused on making our bags something more unique than ever before. To do this, we sat down with our partners to hand-select everything from the color of the leather we use to each individual thread that would become part of our newest bags. We’re proud to say you can’t find bags like ours nor our selection of textiles from any other brand.
From conception...
... to design...
... to execution!
Our Dedication to Our Artisan Partners
VerverWerks was born on the road during a true Eat Pray Love-style excursion that had long been a dream. At a certain point on my journey, I longed for more meaningful exposure to the South American culture and that’s when I began to explore the option of designing leather goods with an authentic feel. This search brought me into contact with numerous artisans with skill in various areas and kicked off the start of VerverWerks as it exists today.
From the moment we seriously began developing prototypes, I made a commitment to the artisans primarily responsible for production to provide them with consistent, full-time work. Up until this point (a year on), we’ve been able to fulfill this promise, which is quintessential to our mission. At the same time, I recognize the incredible skill of our team and that our partners are quintessential to our business. Their skill and ability to rise to the occasion to meet American standards for quality is underscored on a regular basis by passers-by at various events and by customers. You comment on our attention to detail, the durability of the materials we use, the uniqueness of our product - all impossible without our partners.
A day of making connections (and some fun) in Quito!
Versatility
The versatility and functionality of our products is something we think about all the time at VerverWerks. We love color and are sure you do too - but, for the occasions where color doesn’t fit, most of our bags also come with a complimentary interchangeable strap made of solid leather. Change your bag up according to your daily needs and never miss a beat.
Our new Garnet Messenger, featuring solid leather strap...
The same Garnet Messenger, featuring colorful woven strap.
On top of that, our ‘Conmigo’-style bags can easily be adjusted to function as a crossbody bag, a wristlet or a clutch. Their size and functionality (business in the front, party in the back) makes them the perfect accessory you’ll be able to carry with you for a long time.
Conmigo means 'with me' in Spanish - half the fun of our Conmigo bags is the number of ways you can wear them!
For the new year, we’re working on even more versatile products that we’re really excited about, so stay tuned! To stay up to speed on our latest styles and announcements, don’t forget to subscribe to our email list!
High Quality Standards
Finally, the high-quality goods we produce are no accident. Each product that exits the workshop is scrutinized by dedicated quality-control personnel against a list of more than 50 criteria. Our stitching. Our fabric. Our leather. Everything is reviewed prior to shipment abroad.
Before launch one year ago, we halted production on our first batch of bags to ensure we had the quality we were after (ultimately delaying our launch). Hopefully, this gives you an idea of where our priorities lie. We also make upgrades to the inputs standardly available in Ecuador to deliver a high-quality product. For example, we removed certain synthetic thread from our woven straps because we didn’t find the smell of that thread to be pleasant (and when you’re carrying a bag on your shoulder, the smell of your strap is important haha). This, & our constant desire to improve, is the reason I can count on one hand the number of returns or complaints we’ve received in our first year of sales (& we’ve already participated in over 100 shows). We want you to carry a bag that you’re proud of & our commitment to quality is critical to this mission.
Our newest Sapphire Messenger. Quality is in the details.
One of VerverWerks' first shows in Austin, Texas.
All in all, when you purchase a Verver bag, you're investing in an experience with a purpose- not just a product! Thank you so much for reading and, don’t forget, we love hearing from you! If you have any ideas or are interested in a custom leather good, contact us at ververwerks@gmail.com.
Happy Holidays and Wield Your Soul!
Caroline