Ashlee Muhammad usually features other designers at Harlem Haberdashery. But now, she's showing off her own work, a silver crossbody bag, a collboration with top brand MZ Wallace.  

"I love everything about fashion. I like that there are no rules," she told us the store. "I would describe my style as comfort cute. Need to be able to go from a work event to picking up my kids from the school bus."

Muhammad's style caught the attention of MZ Wallace co-founder Lucy Wallace Eustice.

"I loved her style and the posture of her Instagram because it was about positivity and empowerment, so we reached out to her and said 'I have to meet you. You have to come downtown,'" she told us as she stopped by a photo shoot with the two women in outside the boutique.

Muhammad did, and was shocked when MZ Wallace asked her to design a bag to benefit a Harlem nonprofit as part an ongoing series of philanthropic collaborations MZ Wallace has done over its 20 years in business.

"The first thing that popped into my mind was my grandmother saying, 'You've done it,'" Muhammad said. "Her whole life's mission while she was here raising me was for me to step into my purpose - I'm going to cry - to step into my purpose fully and be happy and do things that I love and design beautiful things for people. I knew she was smiling down and was very proud of what I had become in my life."

Muhammad worked at a school, but was bursting with designing ideas. Her husband encouraged her to make it her life's work. Now, she styles Harlem Haberdashery and has her own line, Be Eye Conic. Born blind in her left eye, the logo celebrates her unique look.

A working mom of three kids, she designs for the busy woman.

So what makes her corssbody a great mom bag?

"So first off is size. You can fit so many things in there. It can be worn two ways, a fanny pack and a cross body strap, so either way you wear it, you still have hands free. You can transition from day to night," she said.

It costs $285. It's an ode to her grandmother, who carried everything in her pocketbook. A celebration of her style, and a way to give back to her neighborhood.