In a world where fast fashion dominates, Atlanta-based designer and entrepreneur Herb Rhedrick takes a slower, more intentional route, proving that luxury rooted in Black creativity, heritage, and craftsmanship can survive and thrive. As the founder and craftsman behind Herbin Co., a luxury accessories brand born in his garage and now housed in Atlanta’s high-end Phipps Plaza, Herb has built a space where Black creativity, tradition, and entrepreneurship intersect.
Known for his handcrafted hats and leather bags made with rare materials and deep intention, his designs are more than products. They’re heirlooms in the making. Herb is part of a growing movement of Black business owners who are not just surviving but thriving. Black-owned businesses grew 13.64% from 2020 to 2022, a testament to their resilience and potential despite facing the highest denial rates for loans among all racial groups. They make up only about 3% of U.S. businesses with employees.
This digital exclusive is part of WayMaker Journal’s Money Issue, which amplifies the resources and journeys of Black business owners navigating the high stakes of entrepreneurship while pouring into their communities. In this conversation, Herb speaks candidly about betting on himself, honoring family traditions, and why he believes premium Black-owned fashion deserves a standard, not a rarity.
This conversation has been edited for flow and length.
WayMaker Journal: Let’s start with an intro—who are you, and what is Herbin Co.?
Herb: My name is Herb. I’m the founder and craftsman at Herbin Co. I started the brand in 2019, and we’ve grown year over year. We just opened our first flagship store in Phipps Plaza here in Atlanta, Georgia.
WayMaker Journal: What was the original vision behind Herbin Co.? How did you find the courage and resources to bring it to life?
Herb: I was really just trying to find a creative space—an outlet. By background, I’m a chemical engineer. I used to play sports, but people don’t often see the nerdy side of me. I’ve always had these creative things I wanted to try, so I just wanted a safe space to explore that.
Beyond that, I wanted to create a true Maison, like a fashion house, but built through our lens. What would a brand look like if the founder of Hermès or Louis Vuitton had grown up as a young Black man in East Charlotte? Would it feel more authentic? Would it speak to us in a different way, not just through trendy marketing or surface-level pandering? Now we’re seeing more Black fashion brands and creatives break through. This is just my canvas—my world—to create and build from.
WayMaker Journal: Starting a brand takes faith—sometimes before the finances line up. What did those early days look like for you?
Herb: It was a happy accident. I literally started by buying cheap hats off Amazon, just trying to figure out my vibe and how I wanted to style them. And people started stopping me and buying them right off my head.
So every dollar I made, I put back into the business. I was still working a nine-to-five, so I’d just save what I could and reinvest it. The business had to pay for itself. I kept my costs super low. I started out in my garage and bought whatever I could get my hands on to learn how to make hats—old, damaged blocks people were using as paperweights, yard sale finds. We repurposed everything. We just proved out the concept and built from there.
WayMaker Journal: As a designer and business owner, how do you manage the push and pull between creativity and profitability?
Herb: That balance is hard. I wasn’t sleeping much—maybe three or four hours a night. I was working 18, 19 hours a day for a couple of years. But I’d say my superpower is time management.
I blocked off time for everything—creating, planning, marketing, admin, even building the website and packaging orders. Extreme planning, that’s what it took.
WayMaker Journal: Now that you’ve scaled, have you had to say no to creative ideas because they didn’t make financial sense—or vice versa?
Herb: All the time. I try to give myself room to get the idea out first and see how I feel about it later. Sometimes it lands, sometimes it doesn’t. And when I really like something, it’s hard to let go—but the market will tell you everything you need to know.
You can’t force everything. You learn to pivot. It’s all about understanding your audience and what they respond to.
WayMaker Journal: What’s been the most surprising money-maker for the brand?
Herb: Bags. I started with hats, but I like working with unique materials. We use silk instead of grosgrain, exotic leathers like ostrich and matte python—texture is my design language.
Because of that, we started making small items, then I decided to try a bag. I handmade the first batch—crossbodies and totes—and they sold out. Then The Black Man Can reached out, and we made bags for their Black Women Can campaign. That was our first big order, doing manufacturing and white labeling for another brand. From there, we kept evolving our own designs. Definitely didn’t expect the bags to hit like that.
WayMaker Journal: When your work is so personal, how do you decide what to charge for it?
Herb: The story, the labor, the materials—all of that goes into the value. For the first four years, everything we made was one-on-one. No storefront. People booked appointments, and we built something custom with them. Sometimes it was a gift for a loved one, sometimes someone who passed. That connection helped validate the price.
And honestly, when we saw bigger brands copying our designs and the way we marketed, that told me we were bringing more value than we even realized. So we raised prices over time, but we also always try to overdeliver.
WayMaker Journal: Some people might not understand the cost behind slow fashion. How do you respond to that?
Herb: Patience—and education. We try to share what goes into a custom hat, especially for folks who don’t come from that world. But also, we know we’re not for everybody. I didn’t create this brand to be for everyone. If someone doesn’t align with our values or understand the product, we thank them and move on.
WayMaker Journal: Do you ever feel pressure to make the brand more affordable—especially now that you have a storefront?
Herb: Not really. We focus on making valuable things. If we have a $2,000 bag, that same bag would cost five times more somewhere else. I’m not trying to price gouge, but I’m not rushing to the bottom either. We just try to hit that middle ground—value that makes sense.
WayMaker Journal: When did the business become profitable?
Herb: Year three. That’s when we had our first back orders and started doing nationwide pop-ups—New York, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte. Our overhead was low, and that’s when we saw real growth. Opening the store has been a financial stretch, so we’re re-upping a lot right now. But we’ve had years of profitability for sure.
WayMaker Journal: What role does community play in your financial growth?
Herb: Community is everything. Word of mouth is still the best marketing. In Atlanta, you’ve got a lot of cliques and networks—but once you’re in, you’re in. We show up for our people, and they show up for us.
We also do events in-store and give back outside of it. Just today I was at an elementary school talking to kids about careers and the stuff I wish I’d known at their age. We’re trying to build something holistic.
You’ll go broke thinking you need something else to start. Look around and start with what you have
WayMaker Journal: What’s one money lesson you’ve learned that school didn’t teach you?
Herb: You’ll go broke thinking you need something else to start. Look around and start with what you have. My first $45 went to a $30 hat, $10 worth of fabric, a needle and thread. Your time is expensive, but you control that. Once you master what you have, things start attracting to you.
WayMaker Journal: What vibe do you want people to feel when they walk into your store or visit your site?
Herb: Inspiration, nostalgia, and the feeling that it’s possible. We tell stories—ours and others’. We also focus on accessories because you don’t need a whole new wardrobe to elevate your style. Accessories are the sauce.
In the store, we’ve got a hat wall with five years of designs. And my grandfather, who taught me how to draw and be a gentleman, is part of the space too. We want it to feel like home—somewhere you can take a breath.
WayMaker Journal: Do you have a favorite hat you’ve designed?
Herb: One called Greenbrier. It’s named after Greenbrier Mall in Atlanta. I made it after my cousin passed. We were three weeks apart and used to celebrate our birthdays together. On my first trips to Atlanta, he’d take me to Greenbrier to look at shoes and rims—he really introduced me to Atlanta culture. The hat’s a military tie-dye green felt I can’t even get anymore. I only made five. They’re gone now, but it means everything.
WayMaker Journal: How did you choose your store’s location?
Herb: The location chose me. I was looking for a workspace—just trying to get out of the garage. We did a weekend popup at Lenox Mall across from Phipps. Afterward, people kept asking the mall where that hat brand went. About six months later, the mall reached out and offered us the space.
My WayMakers: Herbin Co.
There are multiple sources. My dad and grandfather just because they collected hats, and I didn’t even realize I was really into them. They had about 200 hats [collectively], so I was always around them, and [hatmaking] fell into my lap later on in life. But beyond just the fashion, I grew up under my dad, who owned his own business, and he worked in construction. I worked with him from [the age of nine] until I graduated high school. He taught me the ins and outs of what it means to run a business, what it means to have employees, because it’s more than just being a boss; you’re responsible for them at the same time. So they prepared me for some of the things I’m experiencing now.
And when I say it’s possible, that really always takes me back to my dad. I think about the first time I looked at him, and I thought to myself, what could be possible for me? And that was when he started taking me to the office with him and I would just sit with him after school and watch him sell homes and try to guide people away from subprime mortgages at the time. That was right before the market crash. I literally witnessed all of that. So seeing him provide for our entire family made me feel like I could do the same thing. So yeah, that’s what I would say.
WayMaker Journal: Hats have always been cultural markers. What do you want people to feel or say when they wear a Herbin Co hat?
Herb: That they’re standing out as themselves. Hats say a lot. You can walk into a room and people can tell if you’re a cowboy, a doctor, or a ballplayer. I want our hats to speak for you, but still feel true to who you are.
WayMaker Journal: Who would you love to see wearing your hats or bags?
Herb: DJ D-Nice. I don’t know why, I just always wanted to put a hat on him. June Ambrose, too. We sent a bag to Savannah James. I’d love to see her wear it. For the weekender bags, I’d love to get one to Jerry Lorenzo or someone else in the space. I love when brands collaborate.
WayMaker Journal: Do you have a dream collaboration?
Herb: Pyer Moss–Kerby is incredible. Joe Freshgoods, too. Tom Ford might sound wild, but I love his classic silhouettes. Locally, Mifland has been doing their thing. I’d love to work with them too.
WayMaker Journal: What did you think of this year’s Met Gala theme: Black Dandyism?
Herb: I love it. I think it reflects where we’re headed. Millennials especially—we’re moving from streetwear into more tailored looks because we’re in different rooms now. The challenge is feeling comfortable in it. That’s the space we’re in…blending both sides.
I love that they’re highlighting how dandyism was a way for free Black people to stand apart from those still enslaved. There’s so much history in it.
WayMaker Journal: What’s one tip you’d give for someone developing their personal style?
Herb: Start with the basics: your blacks, your neutrals. Then ask yourself: Do I love it? Can I afford it? Is it missing from my wardrobe?
If you say yes to all three, go for it. And whatever you wear, wear it with confidence. That’s the real secret.
