I was born in Sonoma County, California, in the 1970s — a time when the land itself was making history.
California was being put on the map as a leader in the world of wine, proving that America could create vintages that stood proudly among the best in the world. Excellence was not imported. It was cultivated here, in our own soil.
That lesson shaped me from the beginning: that greatness does not have to imitate. It can be original. It can be American.
Years later, my life brought me to Tennessee — another land of excellence, though of a different kind. Tennessee is known around the world not for wine, but for its music and its whiskey. It is a state where talent is born, where craft is revered, where artistry is not just practiced, but lived.
If California taught me vision, Tennessee taught me craftsmanship. Together, they gave me the foundation for RobertJames.
When I created the House, I was not looking outward for approval or comparison. I was looking inward, to the traditions of American excellence I had seen all my life. The vintners who turned valleys into world-class vineyards. The musicians who turned words into timeless hymns. The craftsmen who shaped oak into barrels of heritage.
RobertJames was built in that same spirit — not to follow, but to create. Not to borrow, but to stand firmly on American ground. This is what makes RobertJames an American Luxury House: not in opposition to anything, but in celebration of who we are, and what we are capable of.
From that foundation, RobertJames embraces a level of artistry that honors America’s own legacy of craftsmanship. We work with some of the world’s most beautifully exotic skins — alligator, crocodile, lizard, python — selected not for spectacle, but for purity, rarity, and integrity of texture. These materials are transformed by the hands of highly skilled artisans, each piece cut, shaped, and finished with the same devotion you would find in a master vintner coaxing greatness from a single grape or a musician tuning a cherished instrument.
At RobertJames, craftsmanship is not a marketing word. It is the soul of our House. Every handbag, every accessory, every detail is created with intention. Limited-edition by design. One-of-one when the moment calls for it. Nothing rushed. Nothing compromised. Nothing mass-produced.
What began as a deeply personal vision has evolved into a brand grounded in authenticity, rarity, and uncompromising craft. RobertJames reflects the quiet confidence of American excellence — a confidence shaped by heritage, expressed through artistry, and carried forward through every piece we create.
Our purpose is simple: to honor the extraordinary.
To elevate the rare. To craft handbags that feel personal, meaningful, and unmistakably ours.
RobertJames is not just an American luxury brand — it is a continuation of the story that shaped me. And with each new design, that story grows richer, more refined, and more connected to the women who choose to carry it.