After being diagnosed with osteosarcoma in college and facing substantial medical bills, Harley Rhodes designed and constructed three handbags in an attempt to make ends meet. After one bag went viral on Facebook, Rhodes used the power of social media to turn a side project into a lifelong business.
View this post on Instagram
LC: Were you always interested in fashion and accessories?
HR: No, my degree is actually in sports media strategic communications from Oklahoma State University, and I had options to enter that world when I graduated college. After one of my first bags went viral, I realized that there is a huge market for luxury Western handbags and accessories. And it turned that I am really passionate about creating those pieces.
LC: Part of your business is “going live” on Facebook?
HR: Yes, we are an e-commerce brand and primarily sell on Facebook Live. We go live every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday night to show the purses or accessories we have available for sale that day. Each show has hundreds of viewers. There is a culture that we’ve created within inside our customer base. Women will say watching is us is like their evening TV show. You don’t have to purchase a bag to watch the show—it’s free entertainment. But if someone does see a bag they resonate with, they comment “sold,” and within 24 hours of paying the invoice that exact bag is in the mail to them. We celebrate every single customer and are so grateful for every single sale we make.
LC: You recently rebranded from Dancing Cactus Designs to Harley Rhodes Designs. Tell us about that.
HR: Dancing Cactus was the brand I created out of college and those designs are now what we are calling “legacy styles.” They were more of a down-home product and were more noticeably handmade. It was time to grow our business to create more mature, elevated products. We rebranded to Harley Rhodes Designs in November and it was important to separate ourselves from the previous designs. This is the first time that the Western industry has seen a luxury defined product with a modern spin.
LC: What makes the Harley Rhodes Designs bags different?
HR: I wanted to make sure these bags are the highest quality Western product coming out of the United States. I design all of the patterns myself and choose all of the colors and accents, which are created on the finest quality Italian leather available. I have designed all of the hardware from scratch, which features our logo on every piece, which is then produced through the same hardware manufacturer that designers like Prada and Jimmy Choo use. Each bag is then built right here at our studio in Edmond. The moment you touch our bags, you can tell they are a luxury item.
LC: What does the future hold for Harley Rhodes Designs?
HR: Our first collection is out now, which features nine designs including crossbody bags, shoulder carry styles, totes, handbags and a clutch. It also has some accessories, and we will probably create men’s accessories soon. We recently introduced four fragrances for both men and women. Our products are always changing because we value what our customers want and listen to their feedback. Eventually, we would love to have our flagship store right here in Oklahoma City.
To learn more about Harley Rhodes Designs and see its newest collection, follow it on Facebook or visit the website at byharleyrhodes.com.
