We love sharing the stories of the amazing businesses that are using Animoto to market themselves. Today, we’re excited to share the story of designer Ryan Greer and his company Flux Productions.
Ryan Greer works out of his studio in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, creating handmade leather bags and accessories, which he sells at the Brooklyn Flea market and in his Etsy shop. We spoke with Ryan to find out more about his process and inspiration.
Ryan has been a compulsive maker for as long as he can remember. He’s run a t-shirt company, was a painter, and tells us he’s happy as long as he’s creating things. “I could start making children’s toys tomorrow,” he says. But he happens to be good at making bags, so that’s what he’s currently spending his time on.
Ryan’s bags are each unique and he creates them all by hand in his Brooklyn studio. He wants them to come from an authentic place and describes his design style as a blend of nostalgia and adventure, which combines the beauty of the past with the possibilities that the future brings. When it comes to inspiration for his design, Ryan doesn’t look to other bag makers. Rather, he draws inspiration from art, furniture, and other media.
As a new dad, Ryan is also inspired by his son, who he tells us is “totally the best part of my day (month, year).” Many of his designs and colors are inspired by the nostalgia of childhood.
Ryan told us that, in trying to market his bags, he was having trouble demonstrating all of the different product features, like the folding wallet or adjustable straps, with still images. Video allows him to demonstrate the small details of what he’s making. He also says that he likes the approachability of video — photography can often times feel staged. Video feels more inviting and authentic.
Ryan has drawn inspiration from the way that Gucci uses video to create lookbooks and mini movies that tell the stories behind their products. For him, video is about storytelling. Selling is secondary.
As a new dad and entrepreneur, Ryan has very little free time and it’s not uncommon to find him working on emails with his son napping in his lap. Similar to the way he makes his handmade bags, he focuses on quality and efficiency over taking on too many projects. For example, instead of using focus groups to collect feedback, he simply watches for little delays when customers try on his bags to learn how to improve his collection so that his bags are more intuitive to use.
When asked what advice he had for other makers, Ryan said, “Recognize that you’re not a big brand. As such, you’re asking people to invest in you and your backstory. You are the story, so have a good one.”
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