Fashion Slow Lane!

I recently interviewed David Larson, from www.negotiatingsalary.com .   Daivd is a professional negotiator who focuses on women in the workplace.   I reached out to him for an interview because women’s topics have always interested me.    When I first started negotiating with factories in China over 10 years ago I would change my name to Thomas Sauvage in order to get the respect and timely replies I required for the brands I represented. More recently my interest in women and discrimination in the workplace peaked due to recent interview in which my marital and family status was scrutinized and then I was offered a part time job for a few dollars above minimum wage!    Wait! That’s not all… to top it off…the hiring manager said the reason he wanted me to leave by 2 pm was so that I could get home in time to make dinner!   Really?   Yes, really.   (See my blog post here .) The part of my conversations with David  that w...

Today is my Grandma's 104th birthday.     It certainly is interesting how some people live to be 104 and some live to be 40 or even 4 months.   Life is certainly not fair across the board.   "Life is like a train, you get on and you get off at different stops."   So true.  My grandmother has certainly had a long life.  I don't know how interesting it has been for her personally.  She had a childhood with a lot of siblings and it was not boring, they moved around a lot.   Then she married a really nice guy and they had 5 children.  She did not really have a career but she got to live a little and enjoy life.  I think the reason she has lived so long is because she is super social.  She loves people and laughter.  I think that is the key to a long life.  She loved to entertain and play cards and games with other people.  She smiles more than most people.  It is crazy how time flies.  I have had a bu...

Check out one of our best sellers!  The Dani mini bag!  Comes in a wide variety of fun colors..just in time for winter!  This bag features a fun side zipper trim with contrast Vegan leather.  Gold tone hardware and a removable adjustable shoulder strap complete the look.   This is a must have for the days when you want to carry just the essentials!   To order go to www.vertigousa.com or email tara@vertigousa.com Have a great day! Ciao!  Rocco

In the past few months a lot of people have asked me about my personal experiences with AirBNB. I have used AirBNB in Los Angeles and Seattle to date.  As a single white female  I am pretty careful about what types of bookings I make in Los Angeles. As most people know, Los Angeles is a huge sprawling city with lots of great neighborhoods and many pockets of seedy neighborhoods that are part of the landscape of a crazy urban wasteland. I normally look for listings that have a separate entrance or studio on the property.  I do not book listings where it is a private room inside the home of a stranger.   I am no longer a college student and do not feel comfortable just crashing in a bedroom in a random  house.   I have to have my own entrance and bathroom.   I am not an expert on Los Angeles but I do try to find locations that are safe. The first place I booked was a studio attached to a house in Mt. Washington.  The listing said it was in a ...

I found this in an old textbook and I don't know the author... Risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.  He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but hs simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love..live.  Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom.  Only a person who risks is free. Wow. Well said. What do you have to risk? Photo by Tara, Bologna, Italy

Millennials, also referred to as Generation Y are the largest generation in the USA and will out pace baby boomers in spending $200 Billion by 2017.   As a fashion brand how do you cater and target this group?  You must first know who they are and what is important to them.   What is a Millennial?       80 million in the USA       Born between 1980-2000 (approximate)       Largest generation in the USA       What are some of their Traits?          They Love Technology:   They adopt technology quickly and expect it to work.   They grew up with technology and digital devices on a daily basis and most of them sleep with their phone! Overall the millennial don’t watch too much TV and they like to text.   They all have cell phones and almost half of them do not own a land line phone. They use a mobile device to research for shopping and check ...

Tara Sauvage Sauvage Private Label Design & Consulting Tel:   310-994-9624 Email:   taras@sandiego.edu www.tarasauvage.com Tara Sauvage has over 15 years in the fashion and consumer goods industry. After a decade of designing handbags, belts and fashion accessories for corporate companies in Los Angeles and Seattle, Tara decided to launch her own private label design and consulting business, Sauvage Private Label LLC. Tara handles everything from the first sketch through the final production for handbags, belts and fashion accessories. Sauvage Private Label also offers startup business consulting for consumer goods and fashion brands that are just starting out. Tara works with a team of factories, graphic designers and raw material vendors to help her clients bring their ideas into a viable to consumer good.   She works with factories and suppliers worldwide including India, Korea, China, Italy and the United Sta...