Nikki Henry likens her calling to entrepreneurship – and handbags in particular – to something like a divine intervention. After establishing her brand, NKHenry, in 2009 and finding success in parts of Europe, she’s now focusing on growing a consumer base in Greater Philadelphia.
Based in Montgomery County, the idea for NKHenry was sparked in 2007 when Henry was looking at a Kate Spade bag. In that moment, she felt a calling to start her own handbag line in something she likened to an epiphany.
Henry had no experience in fashion and no particular passion for accessories at the time. She had dabbled in fashion magazines growing up but nothing more. She didn’t even know how to sew. The idea was so fantastical that Henry, a Temple University alum whose background is in social work, shelved the idea.
In the months and years that followed, the idea would niggle at her and when she received a catalog in the mail from a local studio offering fashion classes, she finally thought it was time to revisit it. “I looked at that as a sign,” she said. “When I look at NKHenry and just think about my whole journey, this has to be what they call fate or destiny, because there's no other way to explain it.”
By that point, Henry had started a photography business. Feeling the itch to do something new, she decided she would give handbags a shot and learned everything she could about the business.
In 2009, she formally launched the company and took two years to fully ramp up.
Henry began by finding a manufacturer, working with a small outfit in South America. When the process became cumbersome – because of the distance and the language barrier – Henry decided to look for alternatives. It was during that time that a friend taught her to sew. Like with the business idea itself, sewing came to her naturally.
With her newly acquired skills, Henry was able to not just design and pattern bags, but make samples which the production team could then use. Doing so streamlined the process and also decreased upfront expenses, something essential for the bootstrapped business.
While she continues to design all of her pieces and make the initial samples and patterns, today she works with a four-person women’s sewing collective in Brooklyn, New York, for production.
She launched with three styles of shoulder bags “to test out the market,” and soon found an audience. To her surprise, demand poured in from Europe. Henry launched the brand locally but soon went on to establish it on online platform Etsy, where she picked up much of those consumers and demand grew so much that she had to shut it down for a time.
Today her focus remains on her e-commerce site, but Henry has since returned to Etsy. She continues to see an influx of European buyers, particularly in Scandinavia, though interest also comes from France.
Henry believes part of that has to do with the brand’s minimalist look, with many bags having a rectangular shape and a flat silhouette. A self-described Francophile, Henry said she draws inspiration from everywhere, including her own tastes, which have no shortage of French influence. Henry said she likes the simplicity of French style, which also has a “smoldering sort of slow sexy vibe about it. It’s a combination of two opposite sort of energies.”
NKHenry has numerous styles of bags now, including crossbodies, clutches, shoulder bags, belt bags and totes, which range from $119 to $183, plus wristlets, wallets and pouches. She has introduced accessories, too, like keychains, glasses cases, card cases and belts, and recently added jewelry, the latter which she sources from other creators. Her leather camo clutch is a best seller, followed by the black leather pouch.
Henry said she draws inspiration for her pieces from everyday life, whether looking at silhouettes or hardware or even seeing a color that catches her eye.
In total, some 60% of business comes from Europe. The remaining 40% comes from the U.S. with customers concentrated in California and New York, as well as Florida and Minnesota. Despite being a West Philadelphia native, Henry said she’s never quite gained a foothold in the region.
That’s something she’s hoping to change by hosting pop-up events with other businesses throughout the city. Henry held such events prior to the pandemic and is now looking to do so again. At the end of February, she hosted a pop-up at Ola Beauty in Center City, a spot she’s hoping to host additional events at.
“Now I’m wanting to get back into doing pop-ups and retail collaborations,” she said. “We would like for Philadelphians to come out and get to know us.”
