Out of pandemic necessity, woman founds purse label
DETROIT — About a year ago, Angel Reeves was forced to resign from her job, where she worked as a licensed practical nurse, after COVID-19 ripped through the state, claiming the lives and livelihoods of many.
The pandemic had shut down the school of Reeves’ 5-year-old son, Cameron Sy, meaning he would have to be home-schooled full time and Angel was his only option because his dad worked days. The loss of income was devastating, she recalled. And she had no idea how she was going to provide for her son.
But “someone had to stay home with him,” the 30-year-old mom said.
Reeves said it was a struggle at first to figure out a way to generate income while not being able to work outside her Westland home. Nursing was all she knew to pay the bills, and that was something she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to go back to. So she had to come up with something she could rely on to provide for her family.
That is when Haus of Sy was born. And business has been good.
Haus of Sy — the name inspired by Reeves’ son — is an online handbag store that she created, carrying two different styles of purses: a signature logo bag in colors like black, red, hunter green, lilac, hot pink and baby blue, and retails for $150; and the mini tote that comes in black, gray, lime green, aqua and two cow printed designs, and retails for $110.
Each purse, designed by Reeves and manufactured in China, is made of 100% vegan leather, Reeves said, and since her first live sale in November, she has sold over 800 purses. But it wasn’t until her most recent sale earlier this month, when the site sold out of all its inventory in 19 minutes, that Reeves said she realized she was really onto something.
Reeves’ online success is a bright spot in what has been a generally gloomy year for many businesses, especially small and minority-owned businesses. The coronavirus relief loans that the federal government made available for businesses were troublesome for many Black business owners during the application process, with many more reported denials than non-minority-owned businesses, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife. Two in three minority-owned, small businesses have said they are concerned about having to close their doors permanently, the report said.
So when Reeves dumped her entire savings into starting Haus of Sy, she admitted she was on pins and needles.
“It was very nervewracking at first. I kept contemplating on do I really want to take this leap of faith and do this,” she said. “But, you know, I prayed a lot and manifested everything I said I wanted to have and here we are.”
Reeves, who grew up on Detroit’s west side, said that prior to going to nursing school, she always had a love of fashion.
“Before I had my son, I spent time as a stylist, a personal shopper and I would even distress denim and people would buy them from me,” she said. “I knew I always wanted to create my own fashion line, and I wanted to start off with something that would stand out, so I started with designing a handbag.”