Secrid says a better world starts in your pocket, but in the case of the Dutch brand, a better world started with a love story. Marianne was only 14 when she met René. He was 17 at the time and far from imagining that it would be with Marianne that he would form his family and Secrid. It was 1979.
The youngsters tried out various professions until eventually they got into fashion and design. In 1990 they opened their first company, Design & Styling for Industry (DSI). At that time they began to realise that the contents of the pockets of the Dutch were changing. The first electronic payment card had been introduced. However, they continued to work with various companies until, in 1995, they accepted a project for a new credit card. This motivated them to create a new type of wallet, which would securely carry the cards. This is where Secrid began to see the light of day.
The first patent for the brand, the Bodycard, was registered on August 11, 1995. It took eight years, and a name change - the company was now called Spirid-, for Marianne and René to update the model. Inspired by the Nokia phones that were a reference at the time, the new design with a rounded shape was called Secrid, a variation of the company name.
Everything seemed to be working well until the economic crisis hit the couple's company door hard in 2008. Without work, they were forced to lay off all but one of their ten employees. However, they didn't let themselves be beaten. In a joint effort between the three of them, they decided to develop the world's best card holder. Even if it meant borrowing from friends or family and only being able to get food on the table thanks to the local food bank.
After all the effort, Cardprotector was launched to the market in 2009. This time, inspiration came from the iPhone, both in terms of design and raw material, substituting plastic for aluminium. Locally produced, reintroducing the leather market in the Netherlands, the Cardprotector was a hit in the media thanks to its practicality and its protection system.
We don't know if you are aware of it, but as you may know bank cards, particularly the contactless ones, have a chip and an antenna for wireless communication. Despite facilitating payments, this mechanism can be considered a risk considering that they can be read, activated or copied a few meters away without you noticing it. To counter this, Secrid was the first to invent a way to protect the cards by using aluminium. This means that the brand's products not only protect your cards from physical damage, but also protect them from data and money theft.
The Dutch couple launched Secrid to the world with a metal rectangle. In 2010, they continued to explore the market and introduced the Miniwallet, thus bringing technology and fashion together. The cardprotectors were now wrapped in a leather cover and had space to carry notes, receipts or extra cards.
It has been 31 years since Marianne and René opened Secrid. To this day, the company is still 100% owned by them, with two of their daughters also working there. It is one of those business cases that have everything to become a family legacy. This allows for greater control over Secrid's production and the values they uphold, such as sustainability.
Like many companies, Secrid is aware that we consume too much. Since the industrial revolution, we have exponentially increased consumption and, as a direct consequence, the production of products. Despite the convenience of doing so, Secrid is committed to producing quality items. According to the brand's website, a Secrid wallet has a useful life of 10 years. With the small details, Secrid believes that it is possible to transform the industrial revolution into an industrial evolution.
However, the brand's environmental commitment goes beyond a quality product. Secrid knows the amount of greenhouse gases it has released into the atmosphere since 2009 and, to reduce its ecological footprint, it works with Fair Climate Fund to offset emissions. The brand proudly states that thanks to this work it has been able to offset carbon emissions retroactively. Despite Rene's fascination with small things from a young age, there is nothing small about this environmental work.
Small, on the other hand, are the Secrid wallets that fit in your trouser pocket. They are a rectangle with a button at the bottom of the wallet. That button causes the cards to slide out of the metal case. Cardprotectors consist of just that metal box, while Miniwallet, Slimwallet and Twinwallet wallets have a leather cover over the metal rectangle, and you can push the button on the cards without having to open the wallet. Above all, it is practical.
As far as differences between models are concerned, all Secrid products can store 4 to 6 cards, with the exception of the Twinwallet, which can store double that number. Cardprotectors are minimalist and only store cards. However, you can choose to add a Moneyband, which is basically an elastic band that will hold notes, receipts or other cards to the Cardprotector. The Wallet no longer needs a Moneyband because it has a place to hold all those things. Miniwallet and Slimwallet are similar, except for the fact that one has a spring-loaded button and the other doesn't. The Twinwallet is a Miniwallet with two Cardprotectors, giving then to keep the double of the cards. Due to its size, instead of having the button on the top of the wallet, it has it on the side.
René believes that a product that you carry with you at all times is an extension of your body. For him, there is nothing more personal than a wallet and that motivates him to make a product that everyone can wear. We don't know about you, but it seems to us that the co-founder of Secrid is passionate about what he produces. Let these smart, minimalist, colourful wallets infect you too.
