INSPIRING MEN: Carlos Saavedra

I met Carlos during my recent tenure as a Coach with Lee Hecht Harrison. Fortunately, he was networked to me by a colleague who thought my extensive years in Fashion/Luxury and Retail recruiting and coaching would be beneficial to Carlos’s networking.

After an initial meeting, I was impressed with Carlos’s positive attitude drive and ambition. While the luxury market has shrunk with the closing of Lord and Taylor, Bendel’s and Barney’s Carlos persisted. Since we initially met, he has made a dream come true by designing a highly marketable dress and getting it to market.

BIO:

Carlos Saavedra is an established designer with a reputation for creating exquisitely designed collections. His love for fashion began when he was just a boy growing up in Puerto Rico. At the age of 14, Saavedra secretly took his first sewing lessons with his best friend's mother, eventually surprising his own mom with the dress he designed and sewed himself. He soon realized that his was devoted to fashion design, so he headed to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

Soon after finishing his studies at FIT, Saavedra broke into the accessories market, designing his own signature line of scarves. His designs were sold at high-end specialty stores such as Barney's, Henri Bendel and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Saavedra has worked for numerous iconic luxury brands throughout his career in executive roles. He served as the Creative Director for the London based accessories brand, Lulu Guinness; Head Designer for Kooba Handbags; Vice President of Design for Ralph Lauren Handbags/Accessories, and most recently Henri Bendel as Design Director. Saavedra has now returned to his first passion of fashion apparel, designing a simple yet stylish and timeless dress with every woman in mind. This clever dress transforms into many unique and sophisticated ways, making it perfect for every occasion and each iteration looks like an entirely new outfit. He calls it the Loop Dress.

Carlos Saavedra currently resides in New York City.