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Life and Work with Valerie and Peter Katz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie and Peter Katz.

Valerie and Peter, please share your story with us. 
Rhoda Katz & Co. began over 44 years ago with my grandmother’s dream to bring her fashion sense first to home interior design and then to the fashion accessory business. Born and raised in New York with a successful background in painting, sketching and sculpting my grandmother wanted to bring her vision to home decor opening her own interior design business in 1971. After building a very successful independent interior design business in New York they moved to Houston, TX where in 1979 my grandmother ran the interior design department first for Joske’s then Dillard’s. In 1983, she decided to bring her impeccable taste to the fashion accessory business joining with my father (who had been in the fashion jewelry business 25 years) opening her own fashion accessory showroom in the Dallas Apparel Mart. My father joined my grandparents in the spring of 1999 which gave him the unique opportunity to get to know his parents on a whole new level. They were a great team that he was fortunate enough to get to see for a few years till my grandmother’s passing in late spring 2002. In 2005 my grandfather and father moved our showroom to our current atrium location on the 13th floor in the WTC “Fashion Center Dallas”.

Even after my grandfather’s retirement in 2007 he always wanted to know “what’s going on with the business”. My grandfather has since passed away as well in the fall of 2010, however the lessons learned in those few years together were invaluable to my continuing growth in the fashion accessory business. Now, I continue with my grandmother’s dream. I am the last of six grandchildren and the only granddaughter. I have been told that in many ways I see things as my grandmother would have. I received both my Associates of Arts Degree from FIDM, Los Angeles, CA. and Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree from University of North Texas in Denton, TX. With past experience of internships with Disney in Los Angeles and Haggar Co, I have made time over the years to work all the major trade shows in Dallas. My love of the business shines through with every customer I work with.

Now, as of Summer 2016, I have decided to join the family business as the third generation; continuing with not only my grandmother’s impeccable taste, but with my experience in buying/sales. I could not be more proud to be working with my father in the name of our family. His experience in sales/this industry can only better prepare me for when I take full ownership. Together, my father and I have built a collection of lines that compliment/enhance each other. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store, this is just the beginning!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Of course, with any family business, nothing is ever “smooth”. Try working with your father and then after work going back to becoming “dad” instead of “boss”. There’s a fine line that crosses over a little too frequently, but that is the beauty of working with family – it’s a work in progress! I am thankful and grateful to even have this opportunity. Not many people can say they have a full-time job straight out of college and I was fortunate enough to have one. There are many times that I feel like I am not good enough. Working with buyers who have been in the industry for 20+ years or buyers who work half million dollar deals are very intimidating/demanding. There were times, that I broke down crying because I didn’t properly handle situations and therefore lost big deals. My advice for women facing any challenges: go eat that ice cream, cry it out that night, and get up the next morning and see it as a new day. You cannot change the past, just look at the future and make it better than the past. My favorite quote when facing a big situation is: “Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded”.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Rhoda Katz and Co – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am the Senior Multi Line Independent Sales Rep here at Rhoda Katz and Co. I work with buyers, brands, and designers to help rep and sell their product to thousands of buyers across the globe. I work mainly with boutique brick and mortars and e-commerce retailers here in the US, but because I am bilingual I have a handful of accounts in the Central and South America. Here at Rhoda Katz and Co, we specialize in wholesale women’s accessories including handbags, jewelry, shawls, socks, and hosiery. We have been a staple women’s accessory showroom here at the Dallas Market Center for over 25 years. We pride ourselves on customer service to ensure that every customer is happy with what they are purchasing and believes in our product. If they don’t love it they won’t be able to sell it, it’s as simple as that! What sets us apart is that we are the third generation.

In this building, you don’t see many family showrooms and buyers LOVE that. They love to see that the whole family chips in, especially when they are generational as well. It’s almost like our first bonding session before we set them up with a good line to carry. On and off markets, we always offer complimentary snacks, food, and during market breakfast/lunch. We understand what its like to be on your feet shopping all day and to just be mentally drained. So we are here to let you relax, eat, sip on a refreshment, and enjoy the buying process!

Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
In my industry, there aren’t many barriers for women. In my opinion, the fashion accessory side of wholesale is mainly women. Men typically are the shoe dogs and apparel wholesale is pretty even. The only “barrier” would be commission rates amongst you and your brand you are repping, but that goes for both women and male.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:

Valerie Katz, Peter Katz, Macy Stover, Carly Mauldin, Sara Burks, Ed Olvera, Brandon Brewer, The Boutique Hub Members

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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