How Katelyn Freeman Turned a DIY Fix into a Global Brand – An Interview with the Founder of Havre de Luxe

Katelyn Freeman is the visionary behind Havre de Luxe–a brand born out of an unexpected scratch on her first designer handbag. Like many of us, Katelyn saved up for her dream purchase, only to face a frustrating moment when the hardware of her beloved Mulberry bag got damaged. 

Rather than accepting defeat, she took matters into her own hands and created a DIY solution that sparked something bigger than she could have imagined. What started as a personal fix quickly turned into a viral sensation, launching a thriving business from her parents’ home. Katelyn shared her inspiring journey of turning a simple idea into a global brand with PVM Magazine. 

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Katelyn, your journey with Havre de Luxe began in a very personal way. Can you share the story of how scratching your Mulberry handbag led to the creation of your business?

My first designer handbag felt like so much more than just a bag. I carried it so carefully that when I returned home and realized I’d scratched it after using it for the first time, I felt two things–I was upset, but then the realization of how delicate these accessories can be really hit me.

I was adamant there would be something online to protect it, however, after spending hours researching, I realized there wasn’t. So, I set to work to make the product. Initially, I had no intention of selling this or turning it into a business as I purely just wanted it for myself. I was really lucky to find a UK supplier who would work with me on such a small project and after countless prototypes, I couldn’t have been happier when I had finally the finished project. It had cost me a fortune, but it didn’t really matter to me as I had created a solution and could use it on any future handbag purchases too.

What was going through your mind when your first eBay listing went viral, and how did you and your mother handle the sudden influx of orders?

Total disbelief if I’m honest! I couldn’t even understand how people were finding my listings, but then later realized that they had shared the handbag on Facebook Pages (which I was not part of) which resulted in many people finding and purchasing them. I don’t think I slept that night and I vividly remember going for a walk the following morning and my phone pinging with sales throughout.

We were pretty rural and only lived near a small town, so we ran into the town to purchase the nicest envelopes and paper I could find so I could get back and start packaging them all up. I wrote handwritten notes on the paper and didn’t even have a label printer for the addresses, so everything was handwritten. Once I’d done that, I had to go back into the town to the Post Office to ship them all.

It became clear quite quickly that this was perhaps more than a little project, and after joining the Facebook groups myself, I was inundated with messages and requests from people asking if we had a website and Facebook page.

I set to work and paid someone £10 for our logo, created the Facebook page, and built our first website on Shopify within the first week. I had never even heard of Shopify or e-commerce and knew no one within the space, but found help via online tutorials and YouTube videos.

Havre de Luxe started as a DIY project. What was the process like for you to transition from a personal solution to building a business around it?

I’d say I went into this with total naivety. I knew no one within the space and had to figure out everything myself (thank goodness for online tutorials and videos). I had no budget to spend on marketing or people to build a website (I’d spent my savings on my handbag)! I did everything myself. At the time I was only 23 and this all came from nowhere, so it all felt really exciting. initially, I had absolutely no expectation of the time frame of it, so if it only lasted a few months then that was ok. 

However, the messages, requests, and followers kept coming, so I kept replying, kept sharing, and worked really hard to make our Hardware Protectors for the many other bags available. I bought measuring devices I had never even known existed, and luckily, with the help of my brother and boyfriend at the time (who were much better with intricate measurements), we were able to keep launching new sizes. I put every penny back into the business and worked on some very basic packaging (and finally a label printer for the addresses. 

I was very lucky that I still lived with my parents and so had no bills to worry about. Because of this, I had the time and funds available to re-invest, which I believe was key when transitioning from a DIY project to building a business and a brand.

Protective solutions for luxury handbags are quite a niche market. How did you identify and tap into this specific demand?

Initially, I had no such idea that a market existed as I knew no one else with a luxury handbag however, after the first listing on eBay, I received countless messages telling me that we had been mentioned in Facebook Groups. Over the next few weeks, I joined the groups myself and it felt like a whole new world. These were not small groups, they had tens of thousands of members and I couldn’t believe it. I was able to connect with a few of the admins, some of whom allowed me to share my website with their groups. Between this and customers recommending us, the sales kept coming in. 

I also listened to our customers from the very beginning, which is something I still put a huge emphasis on to this day. We still design and make everything in-house, so if a customer has a request, we will always do our best to make it happen.

What role has your mother played in the growth of Havre de Luxe, and how has it influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

My mum is my go-to. She’s been with me from the very beginning, so whenever I am working on a new product or idea, I will always ask for her thoughts. She has supported me from the very beginning and still comes into the offices to help. I am really lucky that our team has grown since and we also now employ my husband’s mum too (the same boyfriend who helped me with the measurements all those years ago). 

My favorite time of the year is Black Friday (although to us, it’s Pink Friday), when all hands are on deck for the absolute craziness. My mum will set up her station for packing bundles. We are constantly replenishing stock and multiple coffee deliveries are needed. It’s such a great atmosphere and both myself and Craig feel very lucky that our mums are a part of this with us and integrate so well into the team.

What have been some key milestones or achievements that stand out in Havre de Luxe’s journey so far?

I’d say selling over 200,000 of our Cleansing Wipes felt pretty major. When I placed the very first order of 10,000, I was worried sick that they wouldn’t sell. It was such a huge investment for the business and it felt like a big risk, however, they are now one of our best sellers.

We hit over 150,000 followers on Instagram and became blue tick verified. Instagram has been my ‘baby’ and not something I have ever outsourced, so it felt pretty cool that it’s something I’d been able to do myself with no prior knowledge (I had never even heard of Instagram before I created our business page). 

Having our products stocked in boutiques around the world is always a bit of a pinch-me moment. Working with Blonde PR and having our products shown at an event during New York Fashion Week and showcasing our brand new product Pursefume, which I have been developing for over a year, has been such a highlight.

Do you have any plans to expand Havre de Luxe beyond handbag protection, or are you focused on refining your current offerings?

There are a few things that we are working on for the future, however, I am very much focused on refining and improving our current range. I always like to look at things objectively and ask how we can improve on them, how we can elevate our customers’ experience, and how we can make it easier for our customers to care for their luxury collections. These are questions I ask myself almost daily.

I put a huge emphasis on education, which is why this year we’ve launched two guidebooks so our customers can have these in hand when giving their collection a little TLC. They include QR

codes for videos, our top tips, and industry secrets. I truly want our customers to be able to bring the bag spa home.

Looking back at how you started, what advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs who might be looking to turn their passion projects into a business?

Don’t overcomplicate things and don’t wait for the ‘right time’. I think being reactive is also really important and listening to your customers’ feedback, especially in the early days. 

How do you envision the future of Havre de Luxe in the luxury accessory industry, and what’s next for you personally as an entrepreneur?

I would hope that we can continue to refine and elevate our current offerings. At the moment, we are having our website rebuilt and I can’t wait to add extra features to help our customers. We have a big launch planned next year which will upgrade a huge part of our current product range. This has been years in the making and will be a huge milestone for us.

Personally, my husband and I are in the midst of planning for a pretty big move, and I hope that I can continue to grow my brand and connect with other business owners as I’ve found over the years it can be quite lonely, and I think you can learn a huge amount from your peers. I also love to travel so hopefully I can fit in a lot of that too. 

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