Shopping local does not just mean purchasing from your neighborhood business. When you choose local, you are supporting the people behind the business: the makers who ensure every product is made with care and quality. Say hello to local maker, Rachel Ervin. An Omaha, Nebraska native, Ervin has lived in Kansas City for the last few years. At just 24 years old, she just launched her company Hide Society, a shop that sells handcrafted leather goods. Ervin has creativity in her genes, as she was raised in a family of artists and designers. When she was younger, she dreamed of becoming an interior designer, and grew up watching the HGTV Network, while helping redecorate her parents’ house any chance she could get.
For Christmas, Ervin’s boyfriend gifted her a leather tote that acts as her “carry-all” bag which she uses all the time. That tote got Ervin thinking, ‘Where can people find strong, pretty, leather goods without paying a luxury-brand price tag?’
Ervin started examining her new tote and the details and thought, ‘why not make my own?’ After spending a lot of time, money and effort, Ervin found confidence in her talent and created Hide Society.
When she is not filling her apartment with pieces of leather, Ervin works at a children’s psychiatric hospital.
Ervin enjoys working with leather because it is a durable material that lasts forever- with the proper care. She lives by the motto “quality over quantity.” Working out of her two-bedroom apartment, Ervin utilizes any available surface she can to create her products. Hide Society is currently offering two leather products and an organic leather balm to help keep your bags in good shape. The Haut Monde Tote comes in three colors and two sizes: tan, red wine and grey, large and extra-large. Ervin notes that it is important to remember that while this tote is sturdy and durable, we should never overfill our bags.
Hide Society also offers the Leather Wrap Clutch, available in evergreen, merlot and chocolate. This clutch is perfect for a minimalist’s style.
Coming soon to her website, Ervin is expanding her products with leather keychains (available in six colors) and dog collars (available in four colors). When customers purchase her products, Ervin wants them to feel the quality of the piece. Customers will know they are paying for a quality product that not only looks nice but feels nice and is sure to last for years to come. It is also important to Ervin that her products are made specifically for her customer and not mass-produced in a factory.
The support that Ervin has seen since launching Hide Society -from friends, family and strangers- has been amazing. “People have been reaching out to me just to let me know they think my bags are beautiful”, Ervin said “I’ve also enjoyed being able to bring my designs to life. It is one thing to create a sketch, but to cut, chisel, stitch, and assemble a whole product is something special.”
So, what does the bright future hold for Hide Society?
-A year from now, Ervin would like to see herself in a fully-functioning workshop to create her products as well as expand her product line. In five years, Ervin is hoping Hide Society can become her full-time job.
You can find her products on her website (https://hidesociety.us), as well as by following her Instagram page, @hide_society.
