Conversations with Rachael Becker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Becker.

Hi Rachael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The seductive, sweltering summer streets of NYC. Washington Square Park, CBGB’s, ABC No Rio, Motor City, Tunnel, Limelite. Between the clubs and the streets of the Lower East Side is where my inspiration and creative fire originated.

As an early teen, my mother would drive me into downtown Manhattan from our home in Westchester, NY to explore. I recall being very young and parading into Patricia Field’s store on 8th street (House of Field) with a resume. I’d wanted to work there for years, and the iconic, glamorous staff balked at my paper proposal. Years later, undeterred, I stepped in again, this time to her Soho store, Hotel Venus, and applied. Instead of a resume, I wore a dress I’d made the night before, with sparkling makeup and hungry eyes. I was hired and took my first fabulous step forward into the scene I’d coveted for so long.

I love rebellious, colorful styles. Lifestyle, aesthetic style, out-of-style. I ride a glitter red Harley-Davidson and love muscle cars. In 2008, while deep in the NYC rock scene, I began working with leather and adorned my friends in custom guitar straps. From those first few designs, I created a small business called Heavy Leather NYC, making leather goods for musicians, photographers, and for film. I’ve traveled around the world with guitar straps in hand, hanging backstage with some of my favorite musicians. My gear has been worn by legendary musicians including Prince, Justin Timberlake, Lemmy/Motörhead and members of Black Sabbath.

In the whirlwind of NYC, I found my center in yoga and meditation. I’d been a practitioner for 15 years when I left New York, and my love of it developed into teaching when I came to Los Angeles. The buzz of the East Coast wore off and I found a softer way in the sunshine state.

I’ve lived on the eastside of L.A. for the past six years and call this city home. During the lockdown of 2020, I dreamt up a new project called DIPHDA, which I co-founded with my neighbor, Ashley Etchings. The DIPHDA concept: ‘cross-species accessories’- collectible jewelry and goods that are interchangeable between people and their pets. The designs are modern, edgy, sustainable, and vegan-friendly. The DIPHDA brand sparked a fresh and dynamic energy into my creativity as a designer and showcases a lighter side of my style. It crosses my love of crystals, animals, and high-end iconic design.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If we stick with the metaphor here, my life would be a dirt road: the rocky and playful kind that you plow through on dirt bikes.

I continually choose the adventurous, uneven path. I crave exploration, question everything, and throw myself into the deep end on a whim. I’m a Sagittarius, so my love of freedom and disdain for routine throws some stones under my tires 🙂

I am in the practice of finding the beauty in struggle. There is an internal fire that animates my inspiration, a creative impulse that drives me on this unpredictable and wildly fulfilling path. So when the road is bumpy, I try to be present and align myself with a kind of openness, a courageous spaciousness. A place of limitless potential.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m most proud of my authenticity and versatility. My portfolio includes leather craft, hardware and jewelry design, prop creation, costume design, a runway show, motorcycle and car upholstery, production & development of goods, marketing, sales, building websites, creative direction of photography and branding.

I’m known for handcrafting custom guitar straps. My archive of work extends stylistically from fabulous and glamorous to gritty and gothic. With my new project DIPHDA, I’m most proud of its unique concept and beauty in simplicity.

Above all, I’m most proud of quitting corporate jobs and following my heart.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I love collaboration! We are looking to expand DIPHDA into a full lifestyle brand and that can only work when talented, like-minded people come together. I’d love to hear from people who work with pet CBD, have knowledge of horoscopes/ crystals, or if you have any other skill sets or business ideas that are in alignment. And we are looking for brand ambassadors as well!

At DIPHDA, we donate 10% of each sale to causes we care about and we rotate the charities we give to. I’d love to learn about new opportunities to support the community.

We are currently raising funds for future projects. Check out our Indiegogo campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/diphda-cross-species-accessories/coming_soon/x/26837546.

Thank you for supporting independent, women-owned business. We have so much gratitude for y’all spreading the word. XO

Contact Info:

• Email: Info@diphda.co
• Website: www.diphda.co
• Instagram: Diphda.co
• Facebook: Diphda.co
• Other: www.heavyleathernyc.com

Image Credits:
Aurelia Damore Ryan Schude