Life & Work with Tara Rose of Agoura Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Rose.

Hi Tara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Being in the fashion industry can mean a million things, even in just the retail space. I wasn’t confidant in my ability to draw to go into design, so I thought, shopping with a big budget sounds fun! Buying and merchandising it is. A naive decision, as I didn’t know at the time that meant more spreadsheets and numbers and less runway shows and editorial shoots that was portrayed in the media. I spent a lot of time at the assistant/associate level in my career, making lateral moves and jumping around and generally learning everything I could from different categories and businesses in different cities. My career has compounded over the years, and for that growth I give a lot of credit to that time I invested in the first half of my career learning what makes a strong leader and finding my voice.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There’s been a couple times where I almost quit this industry. Burn out is real and frustration can grow into a persistant ugly cloud before you learn how to communicate effectively and advocate for yourself and your work. Really early on my career (like within the first 4 years) I worked for an organization that threw me into a business with very little mentorship- so in a desperate attempt to escape I jumped ship and did something totally different that was easier but less fulfilling. Once I was ready to come back to the industry, I spent a lot of time trying to find my footing again and re-flex muscles that I hadn’t worked in a while. Ultimately, I learned less by giving up than if I had just invested in finding the right coaching and mentorship.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Director of Merchandising, and I’ve spent my career working at the intersection of product, consumer behavior, and business strategy. At its core, my job is figuring out what customers want, sometimes before they know they want it, and translating that into an assortment that feels compelling for the brand while also driving the business forward.

Merchandising is equal parts art and science. I spend a lot of time looking at data- what’s selling, what isn’t, where there’s opportunity, but the numbers are only part of the story. The other part is understanding how products interact with eachother within a given assortment, having strong product and consumer instincts, and knowing when to trust them. I work closely with design, planning, marketing, e-commerce, and wholesale to help shape everything from what products we develop and how we price them to how we launch them and where they show up.

I think what sets me apart is my ability to connect the creative and commercial sides of a business. I can get incredibly excited about a product idea, a color, or an unmet customer need, but I’m always thinking about how it fits into the bigger picture: What role does it play in the assortment? Who is it for? Where and when will it fit in most effectively? What does it add to the brand? And ultimately, can it become a meaningful business?

What I’m most proud of is the role I’ve been able to play in building and evolving brands through product. There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing an idea go from a conversation or a gap you identified months or even years earlier to a real product that customers connect with. Those moments are a great reminder that merchandising isn’t just about predicting what will sell; it’s about helping create what comes next.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I recently found my way back to LA, which feels a little like coming full circle. I spent my early years here before my career took me to Denver, where I worked as a buyer, and later to Seattle, where I started my family. Each city shaped me in a different way, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to be back in LA.

There’s an energy here that I find incredibly inspiring, especially working in a creative, product-driven industry. Inspiration is everywhere- in what people are wearing, where they’re going, what they’re eating, the neighborhoods, the mix of cultures and perspectives. I love being in a place where I can absorb that just by going about my day. Coming back at this stage of both my career and my life feels especially meaningful, and I’m excited to rediscover LA through a new lens.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taramarierose_
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-rose-89778840