Fashion Slow Lane!

Most of us don't connect the state of Ohio with handbags.   When we think of handbags and fashion we tend to think of Milan, New York City or maybe Los Angeles.   As a handbag designer for almost 15 years I would like to point out that Ohio has something to offer.  For those of you aspiring handbag designers who don't want to travel to Milan or Asia for production, look no farther than Ohio. Ohio Travel Bag company has been in business for about 100 years.  They supply handbag metal fittings and accessories to start up and established brands nation wide.    They also have all types of accessories and tools related to leather work.   You might pay a little bit more to get your metal fittings stateside but its cheaper than a flight to China and there is no red eye involved.  The great thing about Ohio Travel Bag company is that they have an awesome customer service team that has been there for years and years and can help you find exactly wh...

To all my friends, vendors and coworkers, Wishing you a warm and joyful holiday season.  Be safe and enjoy the time you spend with family and friends.  I hope everyone gets at least a few days off for the holidays and can sleep in. Cheers! Tara & Family www.tarasauvage.com Dante and Rocco with Santa

Ciao! I get a lot of emails from other start up handbag designers looking for free advice.  I don't usually give out free advice but sometimes if I am feeling generous I will blog about it or if you call me at the right time I will give out the information over the phone. Often I get asked where I get my handbags made.   I don't give out names of my overseas factories, but I can list a few of my USA factories.   I have made handbags with Portchester USA in Long Island City.   I did like the quality and I did like the owner of the factory.  He was helpful, cheerful and honest.   (I can't say the same for all handbag factory owners.)  I don't know how he is doing today, I will have to call him to say hello.   He only makes leather handbags, so don't contact him if you want to make fabric bags.  For more information please see their website www.portchesterusa.com and tell them Tara Sauvage referred you. I will add more to my list ...

I met this really great family owned business in Milan that manufactures and has traditional and unique hardware for handbags and leather goods. In fact, I liked them so much that I decided to help them to bring their business to the USA market. They have great quality hardware and I like the fact that they are a family run business and they can do smaller MOQ for custom hardware! Check out their online catalog here, and if you want to order something please feel free to contact me or contact them directly, I teamed up with them to help with the USA market. Smart Accessori If you need help with your handbag design and collection development, please email me at roccodante@gmail.com   I have been in handbag design for 15 years and can help you design and get your collection manufactured.   We work with leather and non leather materials. For more info on handbag and accessories design check out www.tarasauvage.com Ciao, Tara Sauvage Designer Sauvage Priv...