Fashion Tech Accessories
Sauvage Private Label offers design and production services in fashion tech accessories such as mobile phone bags, AirPod cases, AirTag accessories, and related tech accessories. We can also provide design and vendor referrals if you want to start a new apparel or streetwear fashion brand. We have vetted and trusted referral partners in the fashion industry. Contact us for more info.
read morePopArt Accessories
We have designed a new group of PopArt Accessories! Check out the sneak peek here. These are wholesale only. For more info please contact us using the contact form. Thank you, Sauvage Private Label LLC Name(required) Email(required) Website Comment(required) Submit...
read moreFashion: Evolve or Die
Whenever I read an interview about Madonna she talks about reinventing herself. It may sound clique but it is true. As a kid who grew up in the 1980’s I remember Madonna was gyrating on the floor dressed in crazy ripped dresses, gloves, and giant plastic neon hoop earrings. Now at 58, she is still putting on major sold out shows in concert venues around the globe. Why? Because she reinvented herself every few years. In the fashion industry if you don’t evolve you die out. It seems like once a year I have to reinvent myself. What worked 5 years ago does not work today. Digital Marketing has changed the way people shop and the way we do business. Before the Great Recession, I could sell $10,000 worth of leather handbags a month using Facebook. Today you cannot sell anything without spending hundreds of dollars on Facebook ads. Every week we hear about how companies are shuttering stores. (Macy’s and Pacific Sunwear to name a few) Even Unicorn brands groovy girl brands like Nastygal.com have recently filed bankruptcy. Consumers are not flocking to malls anymore when they can just go to Amazon.com and click and have an item delivered to their door for free. What is hot now is direct to consumer brands like www.Everlane.com and major department stores like Nordstrom have bought up e-commerce websites in the past five years to be competitive. I quit doing trade shows in 2015. I took a new innovative brand to one of the most popular Las Vegas fashion trade shows, Project Las Vegas and we did not get one order after 3 days. We had many looky-loos stop by our booth but no orders! That has never happened before. I used to go to the trade shows in Las Vegas and New York and we would write $50,000 per show. As a fashion industry guru, I have had to change how I market myself just to stay productive. In the past year, I have worked directly for China factories, which would have never happened a few years ago. That business model has its limitations, and I am currently reinventing how I do business again. The culture of fashion has gotten so competitive that people who you thought had your back will actually stab you if they feel the slightest bit of envy! (even if you do completely different jobs!). Colleagues in the fashion industry easily forget all about their alliances when they feel that they are losing something. If anything we need to stick together and reinvent ourselves. The Fashion Industry is like the “Survivor” show except we wear Prada instead of ripped bikinis and bandanas. I don’t fear change, I embrace it. The fashion industry is an industry where you either love it or leave it. You also have to have integrity and ambition just to make a meager income in this industry. I am still around because fashion is my passion. No matter what your industry is, you have to evolve or get out. I am still trying to figure out what that next evolution looks like. Stay...
read moreHave a Start-Up Fashion Brand Idea? Need Help? Read On…
In the past several years I have helped dozens of start up and potential start-up fashion brands. I have met them when they are just tossing an idea around or after they have already got their brand idea off the ground and need help with the design or sourcing stage. At Sauvage Private Label LLC, our specialty is start-up consulting for fashion brands. Whether you are just figuring out what your name brand will be or if you are at the point where you need seed money to take your business to the next level, we can help! We are the designer behind your brand. Who said anyone has to know you are not the designer of your products? We have designed several collections for brands that refer to themselves as the “designer.” That is fine. Our goal is to help your brand succeed, not stroke our ego. Need help? Let’s talk money. Many start-up brand consultants put the money talk off for the last minute. We prefer to be up front. The first 20-30 minute call to find out if we are the right fit for you is FREE. Yes, Free. It’s only fair to be able to talk to someone in real life to figure out if what they have to offer is the right fit for you or your situation. If you just need consulting, then our fee is $225.00 per hour on the phone or in person. There is a two hour minimum for in person consulting. Phone calls are a 1 hour minimum. We are based out of Los Angeles and San Diego so if you are in Southern California we can meet up with you. You send us the times that work for you and we will do our best to make the call or meeting work for your schedule! The consulting call can cover any topic that is relevant to where you are at. Do you need honest feedback if your idea is a good one? Do you just need someone to bounce ideas off of or guide you in the right direction and give you resources? We can do that. What if you need more? Do you need help to design your product line or logo? We can do that too. Sauvage Private Label specializes in design and product development for Men’s and Women’s Bags & Fashion Accessories. However, if you need help with apparel our affiliate in NYC can help you with that. Design rates start at $85.00 an hour or by the project. If you feel like you need help please email us at roccodante@gmail.com From bags made out of up cycled fire hose to Vegan Leather fashion handbags, we have designed and done it all. From gun bags to bike bags, nothing is impossible. “If we can sketch it..we can make it.” www.fashionslowlane.com www.tarasauvage.com Fashion Design Product Development Fashion...
read moreHappy New Year 2016!
Happy New Year everyone! It seems like this year has flown by. For the past several months, I have been busy working for a big apparel brand in downtown LA as their Design Director for Handbags & Accessories so I have been crazy commuting between La Jolla and Los Angeles! I really enjoy the work and we have developed some really great collections! I really feel like I need a vacation to some warm tropical place. (: I wanted to thank everyone for their support this past year and for hiring us to work with your brand. I really enjoy building brands and product and I appreciate all the trust that has been given me this past year from clients to help them bring great design and products to the market. Thanks so much! I hope everyone has an amazing new year with great health and happiness. Health is our true wealth! (Prada shoes are great, too!) Cheers! Tara & Dante (Marco...
read moreA Fireman, Fire Hose & the Inspirational Story of Ignition Supply Co.
I am excited to see one of the brands I worked on in men’s bags & accessories is finally open for business. As a freelance designer and startup consultant I work with a lot of different brands, from start ups to large established corporate brands. Some of my favorite projects are unusual and inspirational projects that reclaim and upcycle existing materials. Ignition Supply Co. is just that. It is an inspiring story of a fireman, firehose and a unique idea. It was very cool to be part of that project and I look forward to working with them in the future. From their website…. “The story begins with a request from my Lieutenant to remove one of our recently failed fire hoses from service after it had been badly damaged in a fire. My curiosity began to run as this section of hose had been tossed out like any other piece of garbage. There was a sentimental value left in that pile, though covered in soot and damaged, it had protected me as I entered a burning structure ultimately bringing me back to safety. As a firefighter, one of the greatest lines of defense we carry with us into a fire is a fire hose. When heavy smoke and flames bank down over our heads, a fire hose acts as an escape rope allowing us to blindly determine means of egress. Shortly after this event, I began to experiment by crafting several different items from this condemned material. I fell in love with the appearance of these failed hoses. Tho damaged, the fire hose I was collecting had such a unique story of how it was used to the point of failure. Each individual section had sustained markings achieved only by the most catastrophic events. Not yet knowing what was in store for my new found hobby, I began contacting fire companies around the country to see what was being done with their failed fire hose. The trend was all the same that fire companies were stockpiling their condemned fire hose. -DESIGN- Growing up in a city that was once considered the furniture capital of the world, I was referred by a business associate to create a profile on the site Coroflot to seek out designers. After several email offers to potential designers around the country, the addition of our now designer Tara was secured. Tara has a very extensive background in leather handbag design and specializes in luxury fashion trends. I have always had an interest in the way products were manufactured and the stories which they carried. My grandfather, who spent his early days as an upholsterer still to this day has the tack hammer that he used to pound the brass tacks into place on the furniture he helped construct. With a mouthful of tacks and a hammer, the leather furniture slowly began to take shape. -MANUFACTURING- With Tara’s experience in handcrafted leather goods, we began working with a manufacturer in Los Angeles who fit the products we were designing perfectly. The small leather shop where all of our bags are built are done so with some of the oldest working American made machines known to still be in use. This allowed us to achieve the look and quality that defines the Ignition brand. The team of leather craftsman who build Ignition bags are some of the most skilled artisans left...
read more7 Important Topics To Cover Before Starting a Handbag Line!
7 Important Things to Consider Before Starting a Handbag Line. By Tara Sauvage 1. Do you know how to draw? Can you sketch your bag designs and do a tech pack? If so, fantastic! If not, how will you be able to translate your fabulous design ideas so a pattern maker can make a technical pattern for production? To help bridge that gap you may want to consider hiring a handbag designer to help turn your design vision into a functional bag. 2. Price Point Will Determine Materials. It is important to figure out your retail price point before starting a collection, as this will determine the materials you can use. Many new aspiring handbag designers want to make a luxury leather bag collection that retails for under $100. They will go as far as writing this into their business plan before they do their homework and realize that leather costs $5.00-$10.00 per square foot and an average bag uses 6 to 8 square feet of leather. Add labor costs and retail markup and very quickly they realize this is impossible. 3. Educate yourself on manufacturing abroad vs. domestically. The start-up costs are much higher for making patterns and samples in the USA, but on the other hand producing overseas requires high minimums, which very few start-up brands can afford to produce high amounts of inventory. Educate yourself as much as possible about the difference between producing domestically or in Asia. Do you have time to travel to China for example to interview factories? Can you afford to produce in NYC where the labor costs per piece are much higher than overseas? Hiring a professional handbag consultant they can save you thousands of dollars in manufacturing mistakes. 4. Handbag metal fittings/hardware. If you are going to produce in the United States you will have to source your own metal fittings/hardware. If you are designing a luxury line of leather bags, this is very important. You can do research online or hire a professional to help you navigate the process of getting high quality handbag hardware for your bags, most likely from overseas as there are not handbag metal fittings companies in the United states and the ones that exist just import. Once again do your homework or hire a consultant. Your customers will want good quality metal fittings if they are paying a premium price for your bags! I have had many aspiring handbag designers using expensive Italian leather with cheap hardware that tarnished right away. Once again, this was a disaster and there were many customer returns. 5. Patterns. Once you have defined the factory that you want to product your collection you will note that most factories have their own pattern maker on site. Often aspiring handbag designers’ hire outside pattern makers that may not be well versed in handbag pattern making. This is often not necessary as a good well established handbag factory would have their own on site sample room and pattern maker. 6. Materials. Are your bags going to be leather, fabric, or vegan leather? Most leather factories cannot produce fake leather goods or fabric. The machines are different for leather and fabric. Once you decide what type of materials you are going to use, then you can start to source the right factory....
read morePersonal Branding. What is Your Personal Brand?
A strong personal brand will bring you new opportunities. What is a personal brand? A personal brand is a strong image of what you stand for and what you communicate to the outside world. A great personal brand increases your ability to make things happen for yourself and your business. For your personal brand there are 5 Important Things You Need: 1. Social Media: Make sure you have a Linkedin.com profile. After that make sure you are on social media that is important to your type of business. Facebook and Twitter are super for entrepreneurs in specific categories. For creative types like Fashion, Pinterest and Instagram are vital. You don’t need to be on every type of social media. Research what social media outlets are the most important for your field and then be active on those sites. Choose a professional photo, not an avatar and use the same photo across all your social media sites. 2. Fashionable Modern Wardrobe: You are not going to stand out if you are still wearing the same suit since 2005. First impressions are formed in seconds. If you lack personal style and hate shopping seek outside help. Major department stores like Nordstrom provide personal shoppers at no additional cost. A personal shopper can help you evaluate your career and lifestyle to choose the right wardrobe updates. Your clothing should reflect where you are going and who you want to be. Look at it as an investment in your brand, YOU. Take time to get your hair done professionally. A greasy bun is not exactly professional. On a budget? Check your local mall. You can also find cute updated pieces at The Limited or other mall shops. You don’t have to spend a fortune to look like you are working in 2015. 3. Mission Statement: Create a personal mission statement. Who you are and what you have to offer to your target audience. For example: “I am an experienced fashion accessories designer and business consultant who helps new fashion companies launch their brands. You can use this mission statement on your LinkedIn profile and on your social media bio page. It may take a few tries to get it right. Show it to a mentor to get feedback before you post it online. 4. Cool Office: Keep your office professional and include your professional awards and certificates. Avoid too many cute photos of your children or dog. First impressions count and that extends to your professional space as well. People visiting your office or cubicle should feel comfortable but not like they are stepping into your living room. Tip: Leave the drunk bikini photos from your trip to Cabo on your fridge at home. Leave the drunk vacay photos on the fridge! 5. Be Professional. Have you heard of the 80/20 rule? Use this at work as well. Be 80% professional and 20% personal. Co-workers and clients want to get to know the real you, but they don’t need a play by play of your stomach flu over the weekend. A quick recap of the awesome Thai restaurant you went to for dinner last night is great. Keep in professional and your clients and co-workers will respect and relate to...
read moreThe Power of Risk
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?
read moreThe American Dream Is About Hope and Possibility.
Recently there was a NY Times article on the American dream. The NY Times Article emphasized that in reality the traditional American dream was a mirage or not that easy to attain, etc. I agree. But I believe the American dream has changed since the middle of last century. We all grew up hearing about the “American Dream” – it was a house in the suburbs, a white picket fence, two kids, a house, and a stead job for 30 years and maybe a stay at home wife. To be honest, I don’t want that American dream. Never have. Never will. I had a house in the suburbs in Seattle and I felt lonely. Plus my neighbor next door had a child molester hanging out in a trailer in his backyard. Then the guy that lived in the rental house across the alley behind us tried to kill a neighbor lady and ended up with life in jail. We had a few great neighbors but after 5 years I was glad to get rid of the house. I don’t know what I was thinking to buy in an “up and coming” Seattle neighborhood. The American dream to me is the ability to create the life you want. That is the American dream. As a young girl growing up in a rural area on a pig farm I worked outside in the fields. Sometimes I shoved manure in the pig pens. I hated it. Being a farmer’s wife was not my dream. By the time I was in my mid 20’s I had travelled all over the world and had lived in Asia for a few years. I moved to Los Angeles with the goal of becoming a fashion designer even though I had absolutely no experience doing it. Within one year I was a footwear designer at an established footwear brand. To me the American dream was to be able to move from the pig farm to hanging out in NYC during fashion week. The American Dream is about hope and possibility. It is about creating the life you dreamed of when you were 12 years old laying in bed on the farm reading Vogue magazine....
read moreAbout Sauvage
Tara has 15 years of experience in the fashion & consumer goods industry.
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