Fashion Slow Lane!

Oprah always has great book reviews in her magazine. Yes, I subscribe to her magazine and have for years.  I reread them all, then recycle them in our lobby for other people to read.  She loves her kindle and all those book reader gadgets.  They would all fit in the Italian leather "Messina" satchel.  This is a port town in Italy.   Let me know what you think.  This luxury bag will fit all your gadgets for sure.  So call me, maybe?  roccodante@comcast.net

Rocco e Dante Firenze satchel. I read that Oprah is bring back her favorite things list.  Hmmmmm, I wonder if she would like a Rocco e Dante bag?  If you would like to contact us to put this bag on Oprah's list of favorite things our email is roccodante@comcast.net Ciao! Rocco

I often wonder about what drives people to be a leader, to think outside the box?  I am not a natural born leader, but very strong willed.  I would like to believe I am fearless in many ways or is it just the drive to do something new?   Interesting topic....to be continued, what motivates you?  Is it self motivation or something more?

Dear Friends and Fans, Most of you may have heard we are scaling back the brand due to lack of funding and the economy. However in the meantime, we are keeping the Rocco e Dante online store up and running.  We plan to just sell small leather goods and accessories...and we have a few local Seattle area boutiques that carry our brand.  In the meantime, I am actively seeking a full time job and/or freelance gigs to keep the "wolf from the door" - that is what my Grandma used to call it when someone was looking for a job.  (gotta love the old time slogans!) Please support our online store.  You can shop now by going to www.roccoedante.com and click on online shop.  We have some amazing deals right now.  Some bags are up to 60% off or more!  Its a great time to get your dream bag or fun leather accessories to jump start your holiday shopping. My favorite gift item for gal pals and female relatives is the leather cuffs or Carlo coin purse.  The...

Tara Sauvage Sr. Designer/Product Development Handbags, belts, Small leather goods and fashion accessories. Phone: 206.295.5863 — E-mail: tarasauvage@comcast.net Online portfolio: www.coroflot.com/roccodante/portfolio Professional Experience Rocco e Dante LLC, Seattle, WA:   Creative Director/Entreprenuer                         2008 – 2012 v   Design, sketch, and source handbags, small leather goods, belts, and fashion accessories for brand Rocco e Dante. v   Manage collections from concept to final prototypes and production. v   Work includes: sketching, technical specs, sourcing, product development, and collection editing and review. v   Travel to Italy and Hong Kong to oversee sample and design process, source new materials, and meet with factories. v   Manage sales reps, attend trade sh...

Its been almost 4 years since I have taken a vacation.  Yes, sometimes I get to go out of town for the weekend or a week, but its always for business.  I did not realize how burned out I was until I left town for 5 days.  I totally unplugged.  Where I went is not important, what I learned IS important.  I learned that the body and mind can get mentally and physically exhausted if we don't take time to recharge.  I was completed exhausted.  I slept for 4 days in a row until about noon each day.  Instead of beating myself up for being lazy, I allowed my body to recover from chronic stress. I have promised myself never to get that burned out again.  I hope to make time to renew every few months or so.  And no, going to Italy or Los Angeles for a trade show is not a vacation.  One thing that people NOT in my industry assume is when you travel for business its a "vacation."   Yes, when you travel for business you might get to stay...

As most of my friends know we are winding down the brand.   It's a tough economy for luxury start up brands and I am no exception.  I have scaled the brand back to an online shop and just a few local stores.  Maybe in the future we can ramp it up again, if I win the lottery or find half a million dollars in my mattress. Now I am at a crossroads, I am interested in taking on a full time job as a designer or something in fashion and possibly working towards an MBA to sharpen my skills. I am hoping a big brand will hire me.  I love design, that is for sure.  I went broke being an entrepreneur and I sure learned a lot of things and about myself as well.  One thing I learned is I hate bookkeeping and working in the warehouse, and following Nordstroms one million page routing guide is a complete nightmare.   What I love? Trend research , design, dealing with cool shop owners, and social media!   Love twitter, Facebook, all that jazz.  I would r...