The Tastemakers Society

 

Interview with M-A-K-R

Give us your name, age, and location?

Jason Gregory, 24, Orlando, FL

How did you come up with the name M-A-K-R?

The name is just MAKR. The hyphenations on the site are because some IT guy has the website www.makr.com. So I had to hyphenate it to get the domain. People always aske me what I do and I always say make things. So itI just kind of turned into a moniker that I use. It’s kind of since I make every piece myself by hand, it turns into a ”makr” bag instead of a “designer” bag/wallet/whatever.

How did you get into designing leather goods?

I was messing around with this Laser Cam device at my old firm and I ended up using it on some leather. I sewed it together and had a wallet. From there it was fulfilling needs of myself and friends. If I needed a new camera bag, I would just make it, if my friends needed a purse or bag of some sort I’d make it. After a while I just really got into it and kept trying to push the boundaries of what a bag or wallet was, whether it is with form or material.

Did you go to school or something to learn your skills or was it trial and error?

Completely trial and error. No schooling in leather work or product design.

What inspires your designs and pattern concepts?

The graphic inspiration is really organic materials and the minimal hidden forms and patterns that are derived from decaying organic matter (plants, leaves twigs, grasses,etc.). Sometimes I use photographic images and break them down into vector objects. The forms of the bags are based on forms I think are attractive. I try things and create shapes that are ergonomic and visually pleasing. Sometimes I am inspired by the way the leather moves and folds. Sometimes you’re constrained by your materials and I don’t think that’s always a bad thing, it helps define form sometimes.

How did you and Chuck of No Pattern hook up to do those dope ass wallets, and do you 2 have plans for more collaborations in the future?

I sent him a link to my site so that he could put it on Design is Kinky. He contacted me because he was excited about my work. I checked out his stuff and was instantly impressed. He and I are going to be doing some serious shit in the future. A 20 piece limited collection of experimental wallets and cardholders is in the works. He will be supplying all of the base graphics and I will be doing all the product design, material selections, as well as constructing the objects. We are going to take time on this and make it special, so look out for it.  

Are there any designers out there you would like to work with?

I don’t really keep up on the new designers or anything like that. I usually end up liking really random things when it comes to design. I wouldn’t mind doing something with WE clothing. Maybe Jason Lee or Chris Pastras could have a signature MAKR piece. Who knows? Thomas Campbell is a badass, I would like to make him a camera bag or something. Maybe trade a photo or two.

I saw on your website you did some work on a skateboard deck, how did that come about and do you plan on doing more board designs in the fufture?

I designed and hand shaped 2 boards for my friends Brody and Shelly for their wedding. The boards are going to be in a New Australian magazine called Wooden Toy Magazine (www.woodentoymagazine.com. The design of the magazine looks reall great. I’m excited to see the first issue. I make boards now and then so it will probably happen again sometime.

I love that big carry-on bag on your website, by far my favorite piece. Are you planning on expanding your collections by making a variety of different pieces or get into some other form of design structure?

I plan on doing some larger pieces in the near future. That bag was designed specifically to carry all my crap to japan. I have some other designs that include a smaller version of that and some other messenger type bags.

Do you live off MAKR or is it just a part time job that has take a life of it’s own?

It’s an artistic outlet at the moment. I make large corporations cool for a living.

Where do you want MAKR to be in a couple of years?

I want it to sustain me financially and allow me to do projects in many different mediums. I don’t think of MAKR as a company as much as a name that can identify my current work. I enjoy design in general and I want MAKR to be a broad enough outlet to express my visions of the way life should be, look and function.

Did you ever have a super soaker and Nerf football when you were younger, and if so how much did you love them?

I didn’t really get down with either of those things, I was too busy jumping my bike of stuff or trying to hurt myself in a tree somewhere.

Have you ever used a slip-n-slide?

I’m from Florida! That’s all I need to say.

Do you think figure skating is a sport?

No, I do not. I think it’s barely an activity.

Blondes or Brunettes?

Brunettes for days.

Favorite number on the McDonalds menu?

I don’t eat McDonalds.

If you were a superhero which one would you be?

I really have no idea.

Summer or Winter?

Florida only has summer. Contrast is a good thing so both if that’s an answer.

Tell us something about yourself that someone wouldn’t expect about you?

I’ve never been camping.

Now for your closing credits.

No one wants to read shout outs.

www.m-a-k-r.com