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SALT LAKE CITY — If you’ve visited City Creek Mall lately, you’ve probably noticed a sleek store named Anson Calder.
The store sells high-end wallets, cases and other accessories and was started by Salt Lake City-native Curtis Calder. But Calder never planned on starting a career as an accessories designer. In fact, he was far from it.
He was working his dream job as an investment strategist at J.P. Morgan in New York City. Before that, his career took him and his family to Switzerland, where they lived for two years.
Needless to say, Calder’s career as an investment strategist was a success. It was also a struggle. Calder found himself working over 100 hours a week, which took a toll on him and his family.
In 2013, he was diagnosed with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. The disease was genetic and had put his grandfather in a wheelchair, according to Calder. Working the job he did and having muscular dystrophy wasn’t going to work.
“I finally was convinced by my doctor that I needed to take a medical leave of absence because (the muscular dystrophy) is progressive, and it was just getting so bad so fast,” Calder said. “During my leave, he said, ‘You got to stay active so find something to do with your arms.’ I started drawing and got bored. I started designing and creating and thought it was fun.”
And thus, the high-end wallet and accessories company was born. The name of the brand came from Calder’s oldest son, Anson Calder.
“To me, Anson Calder combines the past and present; for our business, that means a marriage of tried-and-true, high-quality materials and old-world craftsmanship with new-world technology and innovative design,” Calder said on the company website. “We’re making leather goods that have that heritage-brand quality but are designed with today’s tech in mind. Our bags and accessories are made for those who appreciate meticulous organization but don’t want to sacrifice style.”
Calder said that when he was working for J.P. Morgan, he couldn’t find the quality wallets and briefcases he desired. That was part of what led him to create his own.
“I went through Manhattan, and no one was really selling what I wanted,” he said. “I thought maybe I could make one out of paper. My wife knows how to sew, so I thought if I liked (what I made), then she could sew it.”
Calder designed a wallet out of paper and ended up carrying it around for nine months. He knew his designs were different and that he most likely couldn’t return to banking, so his wallet company became his focus.
The brand became popular quickly across the globe. Calder said the brand now has had sales in more than 50 countries. And, the storefront was opened in Salt Lake just this year.
Calder, his wife, Allison, and their four kids ended up deciding to leave New York City. From attending Bingham High School and Brigham Young University, it’s no surprise that he and his family ended up back in Utah to run their new business.
“I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, so having this storefront in City Creek is kind of amazing,” Calder said.
To help those who are struggling with Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, a portion of proceeds made by Anson Calder is donated to the FSH Society, according to the company website.
