Interview with fashion designer Liza Lamar from liza+tara

I had the great opportunity to interview Liza Lamar from liza+tara and I wanted to share with you who's behind the beautiful caftans and fanciful prints!

Background 

Having grown up on a tiny island just off  of Miami, Liza + Tara’s Resort Wear 

reflects a love for tropical living and Caribbean elegance. Living on Key Biscayne, Liza 

and Tara were inspired by a very unique lifestyle of resort year round. Whether traveling 

to the Caribbean, Europe, or just being right at home, they always seemed to find 

themselves inspired by their surroundings.  

Liza Lamar graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in 

communications and went on to work for Sweet Pea Inc, where she assisted to design and 

launch La Befana, a women’s contemporary clothing line. In 2007 Liza retuned to school 

to study design at Parsons in NYC. While in NY she spent the year interning with Ralph 

Lauren Blue Label Concept and Design Team. 

Mean while, best friend, Tara Kunkel, had graduated at the top of her class with a 

degree in business marketing from Tulane University. She went on to intern with Conde 

Nast in NYC at Domino, a home design magazine. Tara then returned to Miami where 

she took an interest in retail and began working for Mermaids, a high-end resort wear 

boutique, learning the retail business side of the swim wear/resort wear industry. 

  

During their time apart, the two girls spent time talking and dreaming up a 

clothing line, that they hoped to create out of their shared love for the bright colors, bold 

prints, and breezy fabrics that surrounded them daily. In 2008, this became a dream 

realized as the girls came together to create a line that could take any chic woman from 

day to night in a tropical location.  

Lua Jewelry {the blog}: Tell us a little about liza+tara 

Liza: Liza + Tara LLC is a luxury clothing line designed to fill a void for 

woman’s contemporary resort wear in upscale boutiques, hotels, and spas around the 

world.  Liza + Tara targets women ages 20 – 45 who appreciate the value of quality 

fashion forward merchandise.  

Lua Jewelry {the blog}: All of your pieces are truly beautiful...where does your 

inspiration usually come from?

Liza: Inspiration can come from so many places. Sometimes its a photograph 

or a painting, sometimes its just a color you see somewhere or a 

person that sets it off. We create inspiration boards that can have 

anything from magazine tear sheets to something we find on the 

street. The inspiration to create Liza + Tara came from our life 

style on key Biscayne and our love of light weight clothing year round.

Lua Jewelry {the blog}: When creating your designs who do you have in mind as the perfect 

customer for liza+tara?

Liza: The Liza and Tara girl in our minds is a true island girl. She likes 

to get her feet dirty but she isn't afraid to wear ruffles or bold 

prints. She is confident and creative when it comes to personality 

and wardrobe. She is original and not too fussy with hair or makeup. 

We create our clothes with hopes that each girl can use it to bring 

out their own personality weather they layer it or wear it with a 

slip or jeans. There is no right or wrong way.

Lua Jewelry {the blog}: Something exciting that you want to share with us? 

Liza: We have signed with an amazing showroom Salon 9 who will be in charge of all of course sales and we will be hosting our first fashion show on the Gansevoort roof top on July 15 to kick off Miami swim week we hope to see everyone there!

Lua Jewelry {the blog}: Thank you Liza, wish you all the best!!

Liza: Thank you so much for contacting us!! For more information please visit our website at www.lizatara.com