In ELLE.com’s monthly series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between. This month, we spoke with Tara Rudes Dann, a third-generation fashion entrepreneur and partner at L’Agence. The California-based label with Parisian influences specializes in denim, thanks in large part to its founder (and Dann’s uncle) Jeff Rudes, an industry veteran who famously launched J Brand in the 2000s. Suffice to say, style and a business acumen were pretty much woven into her DNA. “It’s in my genes,” she says. And also, quite literally, in her jeans. Below, Dann talks joining the family business, the importance of creating community, and L’Agence’s new jean bar concept in L.A.
My first job
I was told I needed to start at the Gap. So I got a job at a location in Manhasset, Long Island, and learned how to fold [clothes], stay focused, and be patient. This was during the ’90s, which was such a big time [for the brand]. Barneys was a few doors down, and I worked in the shoe department after that, which was where I really learned how to sell.
On growing up in a fashion family
Both of my grandfathers are in the business, which led to my uncles on both sides getting involved. [Fashion] was table talk for me. My uncle Jeff [Rudes] really branched off and created household names—J Brand being the big one. The foundation of our collections and our businesses has always been jeans. It’s what we know best.
How I developed my personal style
My grandmothers were total fashionistas. One dressed very European, like Brigitte Bardot—she loved Pucci, Oscar de la Renta—and the other was more conservative; very tailored, country club-esque. I saw the best of both worlds. Then my mom was the complete opposite: jeans, a T-shirt, and a pair of cowboy boots. They would take me shopping on the weekend, and almost immediately, I fell in love with getting dressed. I remember in school I had one teacher who made me stand up in front of the class, because she didn’t like the fact that my outfit was better than hers.
My guiding principle at work
Relationships are so important. I’ve worked in this industry a long time, and most of the people who are high up started out where I was 20 years ago. We’ve all worked really hard to get to where we are today. One of my grandfathers used to tell me, “You better treat the intern just as well as the CEO, because one day that intern is going to be CEO.”
L’Agence’s Jean Bar at its Melrose Place store in L.A.
The importance of creating community
I always wanted to be a leader, even when I was younger. People thrive on reinforcement and positivity, so I try to provide that to whoever I’m with, every day. If you foster a sense of community internally, it can build externally, too. The juices are then flowing, and they spew out everywhere. Fashion is about looking good, but it’s also about feeling good.
What I’ve learned in my 40s
As a teenager, I always wanted to be older. Now that I’m in my 40s, I can say with confidence that life is an experience full of trials and tribulations. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or the amount of money you have or don’t have; if you don’t have health and you can’t create happiness within yourself, you don’t really have much to stand on. Each decade of my life has brought more strength, more humility, more perseverance, more passion, more drive, more commitment, and more responsibility. That all builds confidence. I’ve banged into walls, and I’ve tripped on carpets, and I’ve stubbed my toe on beds, and I’ve cried, and I’ve had mental moments where I didn’t see clarity for a second, and then I would think to myself, Shift your mindset. Shake the significance off. Tomorrow is a better day. You can’t be a leader otherwise, because you need to make sure others can see that and learn from you. We all have the power to create our own destiny. I’m choosing to be at a stage right now where I’m approaching middle age and am choosing to live it up to the fullest and pay it forward.
My biggest piece of fashion advice
Think back to a movie scene that you can relate to, and manifest that. For me, it’s the shopping scene in Pretty Woman. She knew exactly who she was and what she wanted. I like to think about that whenever I go shopping or get dressed.
What’s next
L’Agence is opening a Jean Bar in L.A. We have all the washes and fits in one place—from low-rise to cargos—so you can sit down on these beautiful pink velvet sofas and try them on. It’s basically the Genius Bar for denim. And you can take more selfies than you could ever imagine.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Claire Stern Milch is the Digital Director of ELLE.com. Previously, she was Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn’t ashamed to admit it.
