Shreveporter journeys from stay-at-home mom to handbag designer

Four years ago, Shelley Wenum of Shreveport was a stay-at-home mother.

Today her designer handbags have graced the pages of Neiman Marcus Direct catalogs nationwide and are sold in some of the finest boutiques in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Atlanta and more.

Her designer handbags line, Shelley Wenum Designs, has even been featured in Harper's Bazaar and most recently Southern Lady magazine.

And she does it all right here, in town. "I think we're never leaving because it's a great place to be," Wenum said.

The Columbia, S.C., native moved to Shreveport 11 years ago with her husband Casey and their two sons, Alex and Zachary.

However, it wasn't until her husband, a former Air Force pilot, was serving overseas that she tried her hand at designer handbags.

"I was just doing this to pass my time while my husband was overseas and I'd shown them to Frances (Peyton) in Sue Peyton's and it just kind of progressed from there," Wenum said.

Wenum was doing a trunk show at Sue Peyton's, she explained, and a representative from the World Trade Center in Dallas was there and asked her to showcase her line there.

"They liked my line and we started selling at boutiques all over the U.S. and Canada and now I'm in Dallas, New York and Atlanta showrooms," Wenum said.

Wenum describes her handbags as specialty whimsical evening bags that come in precious stones, mink, fox and leathers. Prices range from $125 to $425. She also recently launched a new line called Shelley Wenum, Too with partners Karin Barro and Kathy Johnson, who also serves as Wenum's assistant for Shelley Wenum Designs.

"Karin and my assistant Kathy came to me with an idea of how we can do this and bring fashion to friends, not just through retail," Wenum explained.

The new line will consist of mostly leather bags and everyday cutting edge bags, as well as pashminas and belts. Prices range from $69 for belts to $229 for handbags.

What makes Wenum's bag so popular is that it's not the norm, said DeBruhl's owner Salley DeBruhl.

"She puts a lot of detail into her bags that you don't see in a lot of other evening cut bags, and they're versatile," DeBruhl said. "They don't necessarily have to be paired with an evening gown in mind. You can mix it up and wear them with jeans."

The success of Wenum's business is mind-blowing even to her.

"I never imagined this. I've always been a stay-at-home mom," she said. But these days she's on the go. "It's gotten very busy and very hectic traveling and working all the time. If I didn't have Kathy (her assistant) I'd be lost because she's the one who keeps me going," she said.

Wenum has this advice for any other budding entrepreneurs out there wanting to break into the industry: "Just go for it."

She said: "If it's something you really want to do, just try it because believe me, I'm not business-minded. I only went a year and a half to University of South Carolina and I was dyslexic. This just took off, and I've been very successful and very blessed."

WHERE SOLD: Sue Peyton's, 721 Southfield Road in Shreveport; DeBruhl's, 6535 Youree Drive in Shreveport; and online at www.shelleywenum.com.

Source: shreveporttimes.com