Katelyn Freeman
Founder & CEO, Havre de Luxe
Katelyn Freeman is the founder and CEO of Havre de Luxe, the luxury handbag care brand she started in the English countryside ten years ago. She is the original creator of designer handbag hardware protectors and luxury handbag care wipes. Every Havre de Luxe formula is developed with leather experts and made to the highest of standards in England, and is loved by over 75,000 collectors Worldwide.
At a glance
- Role
- Founder & CEO, Havre de Luxe
- Founded
- In the English countryside, ten years ago
- Known for
- Creating the original designer handbag hardware protectors, now made for over 250 designer styles, and luxury handbag care wipes
- The ritual
- Gentle Foam Cleanser, Nourishing Conditioner, Water and Stain Guard, Cleansing Wipes, Leather Restore Pens, Hardware Protectors
- Collectors
- Over 75,000 Worldwide, rated 4.9/5
- Milestones
- Over 1 million products sold, over 400,000 Cleansing Wipes sold
- Made in
- England
- Trusted by
- Bag spas, professional restorers and leather experts
- Trademark
- Havre de Luxe is a registered trademark in the US and the UK
Where it started
At 23, I had finally saved enough for my first designer handbag. After one use, I found a scratch on the hardware. I searched for something to protect it, and there was nothing. So I invested my savings, found a UK supplier and spent months on prototypes.
The first listing sold fifteen sets overnight. I hand-wrote every address and every thank-you note, and collectors began sharing it in handbag groups I had never heard of. Within a week I had built my first website from YouTube tutorials.
Ten years on, the same promise runs through everything we make: care tested on real collections, gentle enough for the finishes you love most.
How every product is developed
Every formula is developed with leather experts and tested on real luxury collections before it reaches you. Our products are used in bag spas, recommended by professional restorers and have been used on handbags worth £50,000 and upwards.
I always recommend a quick test in a hidden area first. Every leather is different, and Vachetta in particular will deepen to a warm honey tone over time - that is its natural patina.
Care guides by Katelyn
- What Vachetta leather is and how to protect it
- How to remove marks and water marks from Vachetta
- How to restore scuffs with Leather Restore Pens
- The Love Your Louis care guidebook
