Harp + Ra started the way most small businesses start: with a problem we could not find a good solution to.

My daughter and I were looking for a bag that could handle a full day without looking like it was trying too hard. Something big enough for a laptop, a change of clothes, and everything else a busy day demands. Something made from natural materials that would last more than a season. Something that did not cost a small fortune or look like every other tote on the market.

We could not find it. So we made it.

Why we started together

Running a business with your daughter is not something most people plan. It happened naturally for us. She has the eye for content and design. I have the operational side. Between us, we cover more ground than either of us could alone.

There is something about working with someone you trust completely that makes the hard parts easier. And there are hard parts. Starting a product business from scratch, learning Amazon, navigating supply chains from the other side of the world, figuring out what works and what does not. None of it is simple. But we have never regretted starting.

What we care about

We are a New Zealand brand, and that shapes how we think about things. We take quality seriously. We take sustainability seriously, not as a marketing line but as a genuine value. We make bags from 100% cotton canvas with no plastic hardware because that is what we would want for ourselves.

We also care about function. A bag that looks beautiful but does not work is not a good bag. Everything we make is designed around how people actually live: commuting, travelling, running between commitments, trying to keep their lives organised.

Where we are now

We sell across the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. We have customers who have been with us since the beginning and tell us they use their Harp + Ra tote every single day. That is the thing we are most proud of.

We are not trying to be the biggest bag brand in the world. We are trying to make things that are worth making, sell them to people who will actually use them, and build something that lasts.

That is still the plan.