Jill Obrochta Dambro: Giving Old Coats New Life as Handbags
Through her works, Florida resident Jill Obrochta Dambro aims to give a re-birth to fur that is no longer being worn so as to honor the life that was already sacrificed to obtain the fur.
“Living in Florida many people retire with a fur coat, or have their mother’s or grandmother’s fur,” she says, “I would open closet after closet of girlfriends that would be a ‘closet fur-worshiper’. They loved the look, feel and essence of the fur but, did not want to be politically incorrect. I thought each time: how sad. I decided to take a stand and take the fur out of the closet and honor it! My concept is to use only recycled fur. I honor it with a re-birth. Each beaudacious bag gets a name and a birth certificate. Our philosophy is to honor fur that has already had to sacrifice life to be just ‘fur’. Instead of being embarrassed or angry…we honor the life that was lost. There is enough existing fur in this world to honor in this way, make many women proud to be the wearer of this fur and never have to sacrifice another animal.”
When asked what first got her interested in designing handbags Jill says, “I have just always been a ‘girl-y’ girl and love accessories. My mother taught me to sew as a child and I just have always toyed with the idea of designing bags. When I saw Monica Lewinsky’s bags I just knew I could do (frankly) a better job…so I did!”
Jill graduated with a degree in dental hygiene and for years she created branding and marketing programs for extreme make-over dentists and physicians across the country but says, “I kept having a little voice inside my head tell me to create a line of handbags. I came up with the concept and worked it into shape over the course of year. I made prototypes, a philosophy, a marketing plan and hired a graphic artist to create my existing website.”
As far as handbag designers that she admires or feels have influenced her style she mentions, D & G, Gucci, Chanel and Anne Turk.
Jill loves doing work that “helps promote women being stronger, feeling better, prettier, more healthy or balanced.” “I have always admired and appreciated women who have taken the time to lift me up when I have been down,” she says, “It is my greatest pleasure to be able to offer the same back at this point in my life.”
In conclusion we asked Jill what advice she would give to aspiring handbag designers, “Chase your dream. Improve and revise. Do not let critical thinkers steal your thunder. Surround yourself with people who are positive influences or mentors.”
If you would like to see more of Jill’s bags you can find her at Beaudaciousbags.com. Jill is also hosting her own TV show called What Every Woman Wants that will make its debut on November 16 on Sarasota television.
