Perhaps it was all those years spent living out of a suitcase as a working model, being a busy mother, or jet-setting as part of her more recent role as Mrs. Tommy Hilfiger, but Dee Ocleppo knew she had to build a better bag.
Remembering a cherished, simple design with interchangeable covers from her girlhood, the budding fashion mogul thought she could adapt its versatility for the 21st century. Her prototype premiered on HSN in 2012. She’s since followed it up with a new collection of luxury handbags in exotic materials sourced from the finest mills in Europe.
Dee Ocleppo
“Each bag comes with a reversible cover to achieve three looks,” says Ocleppo. “You are never locked into just one look.”
In addition to enjoying the success she’s found in her career, Ocleppo is also settling into her new oceanfront digs in Golden Beach. (Her husband purchased the iconic Raleigh Hotel, and plans to transform it into a private club.) She’s already a regular at Art Basel, the Bal Harbour Shops and Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau, all places where she can see her bags fitting in perfectly. “Miami attracts such a wide range of people from all over the world, so anywhere on South Beach, you are bound to see interesting people,” says Ocleppo. “It is certainly one of the best places to peoplewatch in the world.”
Bags from top, clockwise: Miami clutch in calf hair, $595. Mustique bag in python, $6,000. Miami clutch in calf hair, $595
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