DALLAS — Read this story and more North Texas business news from our partners at the Dallas Business Journal.
Only about two years after launching her luxury handbag company, Deseri Kelley is preparing to open her first physical location.
The Deseri LLC pop-up store is slated to open on May 3 in Galleria Dallas.
It will be the first designer handbag store owned by a Black woman in the mall’s 42-year history, according to a mall spokesperson. Deseri, which currently sells only online, will occupy the former Bearfruit Jewelry space on level one of the mall.
Kelley launched her company in 2022. She's always hoped to open a brick-and-mortar location — a critical step for many small businesses, especially consumer-facing ones that need to build general brand awareness — but the opportunity came earlier than she expected.
"From our start, we had our goal of opening a brick-and-mortar, but that goal was in our long term [plan]," Kelley said. "I tell my associates ... just always be ready for when it comes, because you just never know when that goal is going to be met."
Kelley said at times it has been tough to lock down locations for the young company — North Texas is crowded with luxury stores, after all. She had initially reached out to Galleria Dallas in 2023. In March, a leasing agent with the shopping center reached out via Instagram and presented Kelley with the pop-up opportunity.
The pop-up could last for three to six months, she said.
"They said that we can talk about that at a later time," Kelley said. "They wanted to see how the pop-up goes first."
Kelley hopes to generate at least $100,000 in revenue per month in the pop-up.
Deseri sells luxury handbags and wallets ranging in price from $375 to $915. The bags are made in Ubrique, Spain — the same place where luxury goods are made for other companies such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel.
"I want to bring the same quality and the same craftsmanship to the everyday woman," Kelley said.
For mall owners, pop-ups are a useful way to gauge interest in a product before committing to a long-term store. At Galleria Dallas, General Manager Angie Freed looks for stores with strong sales, foot traffic and growing awareness when evaluating which might make it in the long rung.
Customer feedback, trending brands or products and whether the business is local are also considered, Freed said.
