We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachael Becker and Ashley Etchings and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachael & Ashley, how do you think about risk?
We have both had challenges in our careers & lives, always being thrown into the deep end looking for the greatest challenge.

Our biggest challenge yet is the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a huge hindrance to our production. When we developed the business in 2020, supplies were not being transported regularly, some local producers had shut down, and others had just gone out of business. Getting sustainable materials and finding local artisans to partner with was no small feat. However, we both have serious work ethics and through sheer determination and a lot of leg work, we brought DIPHDA to life! And even though it has been a hurdle, DIPHDA may have never manifested if it weren’t for the pandemic.

Ashley had two successful event companies that came to a crashing halt with the quarantine. And Rachael’s guitar strap company slowed massively due to the fact that musicians weren’t playing shows. This allowed us time to create and collaborate. So even though we had many challenges due to the pandemic, it also enabled us to start DIPHDA!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ashley and I are next-door neighbors and through our mutual love of handcrafting accessories, of animals, and of crystals, we dreamt up DIPHDA. We launched the business in February of 2021, making Cross-Species Accessories. DIPHA turns the dog park into a catwalk, connecting people and pets in high style with our interchangeable, collectible, sustainable accessories.

We’ve both previously owned businesses and were at a point where we wanted to turn our energy and vision towards sustainable and charitable design. We agreed that there is enough wasteful, fast-fashion out there and wished to create iconic, luxurious, affordable goods that are universally appealing.

A bit about DIPHDA: The name comes from a high-vibration star that is giant in the constellation of Cetus- 145x the luminosity of our sun. We feel that the stars aligned when Ashley and I met in 2020, planting the seeds for DIPHDA.

The centerpiece of our brand: Crystal Slider Charms. These collectible jewelry pieces slide onto our collars and necklaces so you can match your pet. Each Slider holds a crystal or gemstone, and is designed to be worn one at a time, or 10 at a time. We hand set the stones with love and intention in our DIPHDA Design Studio in Highland Park.

Both of us love working on projects from the ground up. With DIPHDA, we are literally starting from the ground- we source our crystals from ethical mines and only use sustainable, vegan-friendly materials for our collars and leashes. In today’s manufacturing systems, it’s not easy to find custom ethical & sustainable materials for accessories made locally or even in the US. It’s much easier just to order bulk inexpensive materials & stones overseas. However, we belive in taking care of the environment and we want to give back to to community by sustaining jobs locally. So even though it’s been challenging. It’s completely worth it.

The foundation of our business is sustainability and charity. Our intention is to create mindful products that have the least environmental impact possible. We are giving back to our community by donating 10% of each sale to causes we care about. As we build DIPHDA into a lifestyle brand, we will continue to become more hands-on with our community efforts.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First we would take them to the beach, a SoCal must! Near the beach is the Reel Inn, with great fresh fish and views of the ocean. Touring the city I would take them to The Hollywood Bowl for a show, one of our favorite outdoor amphitheaters. Food wise, there are so many incredible bars & restaurants, it’s hard to choose. In our neck of the woods, Highland Park/ Eagle Rock/Pasadena, we would have to go to Guisados for tacos, and Hippo or Little Beast for dinner. For cocktails, check out the scenery at Good Housekeeping and Gold Line. Chat under the neon and play pinball at Walt’s. Rachael guides classes at Hot 8 Yoga in Pasadena and Koreatown, so swing by for a class to find your center and detox! And when we wish to sit and connect in abundantly manicured nature, the Huntington Gardens is a dream.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We are so grateful for all of the wonderful people in our lives who have helped us bring our vision to life! A huge thank you to: Luciano Herrera who has been amazingly supportive, helping us with graphics, trade show setup & so much more. Jenna Parker & Andrew Parker, for believing in our company and us, your videography art and love! Our friends & family who helped with our photoshoots and who’ve supported us by buying our products. And to all of our customers! We wouldn’t be where we are today without you all, we love you and thank you!

Website: https://diphda.co/

Instagram: diphda.co

Facebook: diphda.co

Other: Tik Tok: @diphda.co

Image Credits
Aurelia D’Amore Photography Ryan Schude

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