Rock&Herr is a line of cutting-edge style laden bags, made with love and passion right here at home.
Somewhere between mainstream fashion and high-end brands there is a consumer that wants luxury bags at affordable prices. Recognising a gap in the market, Eloise Rock and Meagen Herr (hence the name, Rock&Herr) decided to launch this coveted new label. This season, it’s all about the arm candy clutch. I caught up with the duo behind the divine line and e-store.
Eloise and Meagen love gorgeous things. So it comes as no surprise that Rock&Herr delivers style-laden pieces that are on-trend and price-friendly. The leather-clad line brims with colour and texture. It’s just what the style-savvy consumer loves, says Rock.
“We saw a need for high quality unique leather handbags, and had the ability to bring this idea to fruition. My eye for style combined with Meagen’s business knowledge made it a perfect combination of talent and skills. Although we’ve only known each other for three years, it’s been our dream and ambition to own and run a business one day. We’ve both worked at larger corporations for many years to enable us to start a company and a brand of our own. It’s been a huge sacrifice financially, but it's worth it. Our look revolves around bold and edgy designs. This is a reflection of the vibrant country we live in, combined with a slick high fashion twist. When designing, it’s all about producing something that is beautiful, eye-catching and uniquely ours.
"Our customers are very diverse, but they are all looking for distinctive pieces to work with their wardrobe. Our signature look will always revolve around genuine leather. Offering longevity, there is so much versatility with leather, but we do combine other textures with leather, depending on the look and feel of the design. We use a combination of calf, lamb nappa and goat. Initially we purchased from local wholesalers, who sourced their leather from Italy, Argentina and Pakistan. We are now exploring local tanneries too. Traditionally, local leather is mainly used for the automotive industry, or is sent offshore to get refined, but we would love to purchase our leather locally and will continue to search for such opportunities. Our launch line comprises six styles: three that are bold in colour and three that take on a more classic and elegant line. Our spring range will start to appear on rockandherr.com in mid-August.”
According to Eloise, from concept to design, sourcing, sampling and production, creating a bag takes anything from eight to 20 weeks. “It’s hard to define a timeline because if something isn’t working we adjust or start over. The beauty of manufacturing locally is the flexibility in these timelines, while being hands on throughout the entire process. With this line, and venture, we hope to become a go-to brand for South African and international consumers who covet unique, quality pieces at affordable prices. We also hope to help grow the local leather industry while creating awareness around its potential.”
Bagging the e-commerce angle
“Online is an excellent platform to reach a broad audience. But, reaching people isn’t enough. You have to wow them as they view your product, and that’s the challenge for online. Our e-store images show every angle and stitch of the bag so that customers get to see the quality and texture of the product. We also have an amazing online team that helps make the purchasing process simple. The shop section offers a detailed description. All the angle images can be enlarged for further detail and dimensions of each style. We also have a currency converter for reference. Add your bag of choice (step one) and complete your details (step two). Rockandherr.com assures complete privacy and secures all information using the same standards as online banking (SSL encryption certification). Customers can pay using Visa or Mastercard and will instantly receive confirmation of purchase (step three). Step four is your handbag delivery.”
The Rock&Herr line
The Tate reflects everything hot African summers are about. The tan embossed croc print represents the baked earth. The bright turquoise is our cool ocean, and the burnt orange represents our sun… and they love tassels.
The Blake is a summer staple. The neutral tan and intense turquoise scream summer while the brass studs, against the soft leather, give it an edge.
The Finley was the last piece designed. The metallic snake print, purple and turquoise against the buttery dark brown leather make each other pop.
The Tyler has an Art Deco appeal because of Eloise’s obsession with all things 20s. This was the inspiration behind the combination of silver and gold, each framed by angular black panels.
The Fox features distressed gold and black leather, and truly comes to life under dimmed evening lights, where it shimmers.
The O’Hara is a classic black clutch. It boasts thick top stitch detail for extra dimension and texture. The gold plated trims give it that extra bling.
To experience the entire collection, visit http://rockandherr.com
Pictured above: The coveted Rock&Herr bags are priced from R1 100. Price includes VAT and shipping to your door, anywhere in South Africa. National deliveries take two working days.
written by raimondo, August 20, 2012
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