What started out as an idea for a hobby, quickly evolved into a handbag and accessories business. A few months in, Shannon Richardson received a custom order for a diaper bag for a baby shower. Little did she know, this diaper bag would be the catalyst to what would soon become a bustling custom diaper bag business shipping 350+ custom diaper bags to 47 states and 7 countries.
“As the owner of Sha’Lari Couture, I had always dreamed of being a woman’s clothing designer. Little did I know that my childhood dream would take me in a different direction. Instead of designing women’s clothing, I would end up designing handbags and accessories,” said Shannon Richardson.
As her business grew Shannon wanted to expand and take her business in a different direction. She shifted her focus from working with fabric to working with leather. Shannon was able to combine her experience and ability to design and create to teach herself the art of leather crafting, but she needed a workspace that would allow her to expand her production and design collections of leather handbags and accessories, all hand cut, sewn, and assembled in her studio. In the ORIGINS Room to Grow Residency, Shannon focused on expanding her designs and production capabilities to grow her brand visibility and sales. The residency helped Shannon move from her home studio into her first leased space, located in the McKees Rocks Radiant Hall.