It all started with a shared love of easy weekends on the ranch, a comfortable pair of boots, & a good margarita.
Zack and Lauren McLarnon are a Texan couple through and through. Zack is a native Dallasite and Lauren was born and raised in Abilene. They met after their respective time at TCU and SMU and immediately connected over their deep Texas roots – bonding over their shared love for easy weekends on the ranch, a comfortable pair of boots, and a great margarita. Zack proposed, they got married, and the two “settled down.” Soon they found themselves expecting their first child – a little girl named Molly.
This is a time in a young family’s life when most people would consider the “settling down” portion to go into full swing. But Zack, never one to be comfortable with too much free time, decided to invest in a leather company out of Brazil – without telling his wife. He had a vision of selling cowhide rugs to décor minded Dallasites. He thought he’d sell a few hides as a bit of a “hobby” and maybe Lauren would never even find out. But Lauren did eventually find out because as the demand for the cowhides grew, it was a secret Zack could no longer contain. Lauren and their family found themselves enthusiastically part of “Team Cowhide.”
Soon, Zack was busy working with local designers and clients to choose the right flooring for their spaces, and he realized another love and talent – customizing furniture. As Zack began to refinish and design furniture, even incorporating the hides from time to time, word of his pieces spread and demand grew. It was around this time, now expecting their second child, Lauren began meeting with handbag manufacturers, with an idea to create a cowhide clutch. After seeing the demand for an updated, personalized and unique take on an arguably enduring design piece - the cowhide rug - Lauren felt inspired to translate that notion to something all women love – a fabulous bag! So from the color, to the texture, to the tassel – that is exactly what they designed.
Once the first few options were ready to launch, just a few weeks before they were about to welcome their son, Parker, Lauren and Zack took a risk and officially found themselves in the business of selling purses.
Much like the cowhides, where their “hobby” began, the purses were a hit. Between the flooring, furniture, and fashion – Zack and Lauren realized they could no longer call this a hobby- it was a business- and it needed a name. So in honor of their newest family addition, their hobby-turned- business was founded in 2016 and called Parker & Hyde. Now more than 5 years into it, they’ve added on to their family, with the arrival of Preston in 2019, and of course have continued to expand their offerings with customizable patchwork hyde rugs completely taking off. And now the ever-popular, all purpose neoprene tote that is continuously updated with new patterns and combinations.
If you’d asked Zack and Lauren way back when what “settling down” would look like, it probably would not have included running a design and handbag business while starting their family.
Ask them now and they’ll tell you that while they’re still two Texas kids at heart, they’re happy to fill their days dreaming up the next “it” accessory and expanding their company, with Molly, Parker and Preston at their side.
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