Kara Marie Trombetta
photographer
Austin, Texas
she's proof positive that
dressing like a mom is a GOOD THING.
before we launched, back when époque évolution was just a glimmer in our eye, we would dream of the women we were designing for. the answer, always? entrepreneurs, adventurers, mothers. strong, passionate, stylish. well, guys, Kara Marie Trombetta is all of that — and more: she’s a kick-ass photographer. an inspiring mother of two. a champion for women. hilarious to follow on Instagram. and a true devotee of époque évolution. in short: she’s everything we dreamed of; she’s why we started the brand.
you’re a photographer: what’s that like?
“i spend my days celebrating the modern woman through black and white photography while delivering a therapeutic photo shoot experience. it is sincerely the most rewarding work, and i am so blessed to be able to do it all around the world.
my work is very physical, so i need to be wearing clothes that allow me to move freely — and, because i offer a luxury service, i also need to look professional. the époque évolution nonstop tee dress allows me to look chic, on brand, and gives me the ability to climb around my studio without worry. the sleeveless design and back cut out allows me to stay cool in a high pressure setting, and the hemline that hits below the knee keeps things professional as i move about. i swear this brand was made directly for me.”
why do you do what you do?
“because women are inherently hard on themselves and society doesn’t give us much reason not to be. i’ve made it my mission, one woman at a time, to help develop a greater sense of self awareness, self love, strength, and confidence through a photo shoot experience with me. i want to see more strong women, and more women supporting other women.”
what gets you out of bed in the morning?
“my very, very annoying alarm clock. if that didn’t work, my kids would do the trick! if we’re speaking philosophically: the hustle. eleven years ago i created my own dream job so i genuinely LOVE the hustle of it all. i thoroughly enjoy growing my business, making a difference in the lives of women, and — let’s be honest — making money. while we are evolving as a society, many women tend to have feelings of shame and guilt surrounding money, success, and wealth. i feel no such shame (any longer: past shame-a-holic here!) and try my best to spread the message that it’s not only *ok* for women to have a career, but it’s AWESOME and we need more of that!”
your day to day?
“when i’m working in Austin, i have a very routine schedule, especially considering my profession is creative in nature. i wake up at 5:00am and get ready for my day, get my kids off to school, and i’m at my studio no later than 6:45am. i usually have one shoot a day, followed by one photo reveal appointment in which i get to theatrically show my client their images and help them select which ones to print and hang to celebrate themselves. in between appointments, i’m doing all the usual things that business owners do — answering e-mails, delegating tasks, pulling my hair out, editing images, scheduling social media posts... you know, all-around chaos. after work, i eat dinner most nights with my family (shout out to my husband who loves to cook and therefore does ALL the cooking!), wrap up any household business, plan the next day, and turn in embarrassingly early.”
kids! motherhood, in five words or less?
“messy, consuming, thankless — and the absolute best.”
thing you love most to do with your kids?
“have conversations with them. my husband and i both silently agreed that baby-talking our kids was not the way to go early on. as a result, our boys — six and eleven — can have very grown-up and HILARIOUS conversations with us that always leave me in awe. i love hearing them articulate the things that go through their heads. in general, adults don’t give kids enough credit. they’re really smart and can often teach US (or at least, REMIND us of) very important life lessons.”
most repeated words as a mama?
“every single morning, as i’m sending my kids off on the school bus, i grab their face with both hands, look them dead in the eyes, and say, “be kind. excel. i love you.” sometimes i even catch myself saying it to my husband out of habit.”
most repeated words to yourself?
“it is one single word, tattooed on my wrist for constant reminders: KARMA. spread the good and the good will come back, and no ugly behavior goes without consequence.”
the perfect evening?
“a night at home, sitting on the patio with my boys, listening to music and having spontaneous dance parties.”
all-around life hack?
“A CAPSULE WARDROBE. the day that i discovered époque évolution, i said, “HEY!!!! THIS WAS MY IDEA! AND I DIDN’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING! AWESOME!” i’m always on the move, always traveling, always working, always wishing that more clothes that i liked were machine washable and wouldn’t wrinkle. i dress myself daily out of a minimalist capsule wardrobe and don’t have time for irons and constant dry cleaning, so époque is RIGHT up my alley.”