fine leather with fount
I was first introduced to FOUNT in 2014 when its founders, Phillip and Jackie Wachter visited the boutique I worked for, and I have followed the brand closely since then. Since that day, the brand has evolved to offer a full line of leather goods online and at their three locations—one of which opened late last year in Lexington, Kentucky.
Their leather-made goods are one-of-a-kind—ethically sourced, designed, and handcrafted by skilled artisans in Ohio, the Dominican Republic, and León, Mexico. It’s easy to see why people have more than one bag from the brand, the quality is top-notch, and everything is made to last.
Phillip, Jackie, and their team exemplify innovation by having a tactical pulse on their current and potential customer. Their items' shapes, silhouettes, and practicality demonstrate this vision and connection to their consumers. I visited them in their studio to see what their path was like to create the company, how they support local artists and incorporate local manufacturers, and what their plans look like for expanding the brand.
How did you two meet?
I've been good friends with Philp's cousin, EB, since ninth grade, and she was on my cheerleading squad. When I moved back to Cleveland after college and lived in New York City for several years, I moved in with her in Cleveland Heights. After two weeks of living together, she said I might like her cousin, so I had to ask where this alleged cousin lived, as I had known her since 9th grade but never heard of him. She told me he was in Virginia and showed me a picture and persuaded me to friend him on Facebook. He sent me a message and said he had to inquire about who the beautiful girl was in the emerald dress. I was embarrassed, so I wrote back and said EB said we'd get along. We started messaging on Facebook, which eventually led to phone calls and we were married within a year.
As individuals, and as a couple, did you always have your eyes set on entrepreneurial pursuits?
Philip: Since I was a child, I've been interested in creating things other people saw value in and that they liked. I always thought it was fun. When I was in the fourth grade TY Beanie Babies were all the rage. I had learned how to sew before, so I made my Beanie Babies using rice and felt. I sold them to friends at school, but I got in trouble with the principal because I sold so many, and kids were using their money to buy them instead of their lunch. From a young age, I enjoyed making and selling things.
Jackie: Yes, for sure. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, so I grew up with that. I watched my dad fake it til he made it over and over. When I was young, I was always selling something. In seventh grade, I had a jewelry business, and I would skip lunch to take people's orders at my locker. Everyone from seventh graders to seniors would order my jewelry and could customize their necklaces to their color preferences and neck size. My dad was very proud of me. Eventually, the principal cut me off because we weren't supposed to sell things out of our lockers.
Jackie, could you talk about your background in fashion design?
Since I was little, I've always loved fashion design. I knew Kent had a good program, but the college was close to my house, so I didn't want to go there. I went to Miami instead, and at that time, they didn't have a fashion program, so I did four years of undergrad for health studies and a gerontology degree.
After that, I decided to attend Virginia Marti College of Art and Design for fashion design. I made it halfway through the program, but I was worried about getting a fashion job in Cleveland and was juggling a nanny job that was 30 hours a week. It was difficult to keep up with the full-time school load on top of that.
At Virginia Marti, you would have to sew two designs a week, there would be 200 figure illustrations due, and it was very full-time. I was stretched thin, and since I was unsure about a future in fashion, I decided to step away. Eventually, I went to school again and got a master's in education, and I taught for five years. I didn't use my fashion training at that time, but fashion was always important to me. It's a way to be artistic daily. Everywhere you go, everything you have is a beautiful pallet. They say if you do the thing you loved as a kid, you'll always be happy, and it's so true. I've loved all things fashion since I was little. I took a detour, but I found my way back! When FOUNT started it became all-encompassing very quickly, and it felt like a confirmation that I'm doing the thing I love to do.
Phillip, could you talk about your experience in the film production industry?
Before we started FOUNT, my background was in film production. I had spent time living around Washington D.C. My previous career was in the short-form narrative, music video, and commercial production. I would serve sparingly as a producer and as a director on a couple of different projects. It was a lot of fun, whether shooting music videos for bands, making videos for magazines, or filming commercials for brands. I did that for about 3-4 years before I started to focus on growing FOUNT with Jackie full-time.
Can you tell me about the preparation that went into the initial launch of FOUNT’S first storefront?
So our first store was a result of a unique situation. We had the opportunity to be on a TV show called Cleveland Hustles in 2016, created by Lebron James and Maverick Carter. At the time, FOUNT was two years old, and we didn't have any brick-and-mortar stores. We thought FOUNT would be exclusively an online brand. On the show, they started with 40 businesses, and at the end of the show, four of those businesses would have the opportunity to open a brick-and-mortar store in a neighborhood the show selected.
We decided to give the show a shot and ended up opening our first store in the Gordon Square neighborhood of Cleveland. It was a wild ride as it was all documented. It was exciting, fun, and intense. We were nervous to open, so we started with a smaller space to see how it would go. It was probably a combination of the TV show airing and the store opening, but it was huge for the business.
Owning a brick-and-mortar store where people could shop in person and try bags on throughout the week was a real turning point for the brand. Fast forward to now, and we're looking ahead to open more stores, so we're grateful we did open that store, and if that had never happened, we would be in a different place today.
FOUNT has been around since 2014, what have you both learned since its inception?
Phillip: Neither of us had a business background, so we've gained a world of knowledge regarding operating a business, working with people, and the handbag industry. Some takeaways we've learned since starting FOUNT would be that quality matters. We also believed that to be the case from the beginning, but now being this far into our journey, we know that it's paramount. It extends to the products we design, the materials and techniques we use, how we package our products, what the stores look like, and how we appear in print and marketing.
We need to hold a high bar to stand out in the marketplace. We've learned so much about the handbag industry. It's challenging to run our own company, but it's rewarding. It takes a lot of perseverance. When we began, we didn't know if it would take off, so looking back now, it's incredible.
Jackie: I don't know as much as I think I know. It's humbling. We're at year nine, and from day one, I hoped this would be something big one day. I never felt scared to take risks for the business. This year we hired a president, and he's someone who's super committed to numbers and sticking to a plan. He came on board at the right time. We were trying to run many different facets of the business at once, from ordering materials to production plans. We were all new to it. We've learned it's important to hire people with experience for senior positions. Our mentor has advised us to wear the hat until we can afford to take it off and give it to someone who can wear it better.
In the beginning, we were doing everything, and we are still involved in daily tasks. When you're the owner of a small business, when something needs to be done you get it done. We are actively looking for team members who will make it work in a fast-paced environment with all different tasks. Since 2014, we've also learned that we need to seek wisdom from people with more experience when making big decisions.
Talk about the core philosophies that drive the Fount brand.
There were several things in the beginning. We were trying to create well-made products through materials and construction techniques. We care a lot about the ethics of the bags—who's making them and how. We wanted to ensure everything was being done fairly, in how that impacts people and the environment.
From a design standpoint, we always liked more understated designs. It's less about the brand name and more about letting the designs showcase the beauty of the materials. We gravitate towards more classic bags and heritage designs that anchor an outfit and will compliment someone's lifestyle as they wear the bag. Ultimately, we wanted to make reliable bags that would last a long time. Leather bags that you could have for years and wouldn't end up in a landfill.
“We care a lot about the ethics of the bags—who’s making them and how. We wanted to ensure everything was being done fairly, in how that impacts people and the environment.”
How do you support local artists and incorporate local manufacturers?
We have multiple partnerships with local businesses, some of that go back for years. Recently we designed silk scarves with Lettie Briggs. We did a collection of brass cuffs and accessories with The Circle Craft. We have always worked with local candle maker Peripeti Home with The Hope Center to craft our signature scents. We try to use as many local photographers and models as possible. Cleveland itself has so many beautiful places to shoot. Whenever we need printed materials, we also choose local printing, like with our catalogs.
We aren't doing as much local produce as we used to, but we are excited as we transition to be a focused design house. I feel good that the jobs we've provided here at FOUNT let creatives use their degrees. We're creating something in Cleveland where designers can stay local and don't need to move to L.A. or New York.
“We’re creating something in Cleveland where designers can stay local and don’t need to move to L.A. or New York.”
Jackie, what’s one thing you’ve learned about Phillip since becoming business partners?
Philip is the nicest person in the world! He's as nice as everyone thinks he is. We both struggle with organization and have the challenge of raising three kids while managing the business full-time. But we're a good team, and we each have our strengths to balance each other out.
Phillip, what’s one thing you’ve learned about Jackie since becoming business partners?
Now at eight years into the company, I see Jackie as a full-fledged creative visionary. There have been several times over the years where Jackie will propose an idea, and I won't get it at first, whether it's a visual design or a store layout, but then we try it out, and it's very well received. That's always been something excellent about working with her.
Tell me about the process behind naming your brand Fount. What were some of the other names that you considered?
When we started making leather goods together, and we got to the point where we thought it would be fun to sell them, we began to throw around a few ideas for business names. The first was Parvritta, which means to turn. Another was Sidecar Club. It took us about five weeks to move through names before we started listening to one of Sufjan Stevens' Christmas albums.
On it, he had a cover of the old church hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Philip had heard it growing up and thought his rendition was excellent. I started thinking more about the word Fount. I wrote it down, liked that it was five letters, liked how it looked, and thought it could work for men's or women's products. When we looked up the definition in the dictionary we had, it said Fount meant an abundant source of desirable quality. We thought that was a sign and believed the word would look good on a bag.
Talk about some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in the past eight years that helped paved the way to your current success.
We've learned that you need to ask a lot of questions. When we're uncertain about navigating something in the business, whether on the product or operations side, we need to surround ourselves with the right people. This includes who's helping us make the bags, the bankers and insurance companies we use, and everybody on the studio team. In Jim Collins book Built to Last, he stresses that you need the right people on the bus but that they also need to be in the right seats. We want to work with talented people and put them in positions to help them succeed.
Any plans on expanding the brand with shoes, jackets, or other accessories in the future?
Right now, our focus with FOUNT is on ladies' handbags. We would like to expand into men's bags—there's an opportunity to do so. There are designs we're sitting on that would be fun to give to men. We've also been dabbling with canine accessories, which has been fun.
Beyond bags, there could be an opportunity for expansion, but at the core, we are a handbag brand—it's what we do. I'm sure there are opportunities for us to explore other avenues in the future. Right now, we want to improve how we make bags and what we’re putting into the world.
FOUNT has been built on sustainability. How do you both continue to make sure this remains one of the company’s core values?
Something valuable for us to always consider is the environmental impact of our production. From the materials, we use (environmentally friendly leathers) to how the products are made. The general idea of leather is that it will last over time, and we see a lot of value in that from a sustainability standpoint.
The processes for tanning leather do produce a lot of water waste. Our tannery uses a closed-circle process and ensures purification to make the water drinkable before it exits the tannery. Looking towards the future, we are always searching for better leather materials and recently released a limited colorway using olive-tanned leather—a biodegradable leather option. From a shipping standpoint, are there more environmentally friendly ways we could move products around? Socially, we want to do the right things in taking care of the team and the artisans working with us to make the products.
