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Harveys is a Southern California brand known for handbags and lifestyle goods, with a story that began in a small garage. Its Santa Ana workspace brings design, production and retail together, offering a look at how a product can move from an initial idea to a finished item under one roof.
How Harveys got started
The company was founded by Dana and Melanie Harvey. While restoring a classic car, Dana used leftover seat belts to make Melanie a matching handbag. The bag attracted attention, prompting the couple to create more. That practical beginning became the foundation for a business focused on designing and making handbags and other lifestyle products.
The origin story also reflects an inventive approach to materials: an unused part from a restoration project became the starting point for a new product. For anyone exploring product design, it is a useful reminder that leftover materials can inspire ideas when their qualities and potential uses are considered.
Harveys design and manufacturing in Santa Ana
Harveys is based in Santa Ana, California, where the company says its products are designed, manufactured and sold. Its concept store and gallery, called The Factory, brings those activities together in one location. The team describes this arrangement as a close product cycle: designers can make an idea, assess the finished item and observe how customers respond nearby.
Keeping design and manufacturing connected can help a team notice practical details early, such as how materials work in a finished product. Harveys says this hands-on process influences its design decisions and supports its goal of creating quality goods intended to last.
People and products that shape the brand
The company looks for employees with artistic, design or craft skills who share its aesthetic and values. It also selects products from other brands that appeal to the team through their creative approach or purpose. This mix of in-house making and thoughtfully chosen products helps shape the character of the store.
A relaxed, functional retail space
Harveys designed its retail space to feel modern and minimalist while remaining comfortable. The former offices were stripped back to materials including metal, glass, concrete and wood. The result is an open setting where team members can work away from their desks, including from a rope chair or sofa.
For a retail environment, this approach shows how a simple material palette and flexible seating can make a space feel both considered and usable. The design also reflects the brand’s preference for bringing work, making and everyday activity into the same environment.
Outdoor events and a California Native garden
The outdoor area serves several purposes: it is used for film screenings, small concerts, work, lunch and photo shoots. A vintage Airstream trailer near the front of the store is set up for events and can also function as a workspace, making it a distinctive and practical feature of the site.
Beside the building, a California Native garden provides habitat for plants and butterflies. Harveys reports that the garden reduced water consumption by 70% compared with the grass lawn it replaced. The area also includes an upcycled playground ball made by joining two discarded half-domes.
Harveys brings its origin in repurposed seat belts together with a hands-on approach to design, production and retail. Its Santa Ana studio, event space and water-conscious garden offer a fuller picture of how the brand’s products and working environment connect.
