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Local handbag designer selling in NYC, more to come
It wasn't long before Owens, handbag designer of Shalon Handbags awoke to an unexpected phone call. "An event coordinator for the Oscar suites on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., called to see if I could get some handbags ready before the Oscar presentations," Owens said. "She had found the Shalon Handbags website and would love to have the line for the Oscar Suites offering an open invitation to be flown to Beverly Hills with as many designs and handbags samples she could gather in nine days to be presented to several Alist celebrities seeking accessories for the Oscars."
Unfortunately, while she did get the designs and drawings to her Italian manufacturer, it was just not enough lead time. But she still has an open invitation for the Emmy Awards program. Owens, 29, began her designing career while at Wharton High School. She would decorate pictures on her book covers. Then she started redecorating rooms in her parents' home. From 2005 to 2006 she and sister Lisa Washington opened a resale shop. They would order some of their handbags to sell at the business. Owens began to redesign them and make them more unique. Even when the shop closed, Owens kept many of the purses to play with. "I thought they could be improved upon," she said. "I'd take them and cut them apart for the parts and design pieces and then buy leather-like fabric and hot glue them back together in my own designs." Initially Owens sold locally at What a Girl Wants Boutique. But the manufacturer for the designs was too expensive for local tastes. They were having to be sold for $150 to $300. She then spent about six months doing nothing but researching the purse and handbag manufacturing market. Owens spent time conversing with them by e-mail. It was hard for her to do with a home full of six children to care for. Before deciding on a manufacturer she would send designs and drawings in both black and white and color on what she wanted. Her decision was to use the same manufacturer used by Versace, Tods, Dolce and Gabbana, Catiers, United Colors of Benetton, and many other top fashion houses. All the bags are made with special Italian leathers. She has learned on her own how to translate international messages and do monetary conversions to Euros. She does the drawings, sister Lisa helps with color selections and the drawings then go to the manufacturer. Owens founded Shalon Handbags in June of 2006 and has since expanded her line with two new labels, Chelsea- Belle, named after her oldest daughter, Chelsea Owens, and FatBags, a teen line consisting of brightly colored leathers and fun accessories. Daughter Chelsea, 12, is also designing her own line of handbags. Shalon Handbags have since been carried on the red carpet twice as well as Owens is currently working on a special design for the pop group Danity Kane of the popular reality series Making the Band produced by Sean "P. Diddy," Combs and MTV. Her handbags are now in the Style Haven shop in New York City and sell for $1,100 to $2,000 each. Owens has received invitations to travel to some of the world-wide and nation-wide style shows. But with her children to care for, she is going to try and make some of those in Texas first. She now has 30 designs at the manufacturer to be made. Her hopes are that she will have many of these to offer for next spring's shows. Owens is already getting some inquires about her handbags. Check out some of Owens' designer handbags at shalons. com. |
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