New Chicago Company – TOLA – Introduces Full Line of Luxury, Hand-crafted Leather Accessories for Men and Women
Chicago, IL — October 1, 2013 — TOLA, specializing in fine, entirely hand-crafted accessories – launches October 1 – unveiling a stunning line of luxury leather items for men and women -- all designed, hand-cut, hand-sewn and hand-stitched in their Chicago studio -- and ready for the fall and holiday season.
Each individually made with remarkable hand-crafted details, TOLA’s leather accessories, originated from fine Italian and Brazilian leather; include an array of items for both men and women such as wallets and cardholders, iPhone and iPad holders, hair-on-hide and leather clutches and purses, coasters and guitar straps. TOLA also offers distinctive and customizable banded ties, made from top-quality Italian wool. More items are on the drawing board to be introduced in time for the 2013 holiday season.
All designs are cut, sewn and stitched by hand in TOLA’s new Logan Square showroom, and reflect the personality of TOLA’s Chicago roots.
“Many of the accessories from the line have been named after Chicago streets, neighborhoods and landmarks – the Damen, the Roscoe, the McKinley, the Gramercy,” said Laurie Roberts, President and founding partner of TOLA. “We wanted to harness the mood and vibe that these classic Chicago places have, and channel their diverse energy into each of our fashion pieces.”
Each accessory comes in a large variety of colors and textures – including python and crocodile tooled patterns, and magenta, tangerine and indigo leather accents. TOLA also specializes in hair-on-hide accessories, offering a chic, unexpected accent to an evening clutch or everyday handbag.
With leather accents and accessories taking center stage at the Fall/Winter 2013 runway shows last spring, TOLA’s high-end line has hit the scene just as the fabric has been named one of the most “luxurious,” “it” accessories for fall by fashion trends expert Lauren Rothman of Styleauteur and others. Adding to its status of individuality and luxury, TOLA’s leather accessories line is the only leather fashion line of its kind known to be designed and handmade with this quality of craftsmanship in Chicago.
“Our level of detail is unmatched – in both design and execution,” Roberts said. “The TOLA vision lives out in the personal details of every stitch and seam, to add individuality to everyday accessories.”
Named TOLA – which, coincidently, turns out to be a Sanskrit unit of measure in the gold weight standard – is a fitting acronym of the first names of its four founding partners. Last fall, Laurie Roberts, TOLA’s ‘L,’ sought to establish a business that would grant her and her associates – Teresa Kuriata (T), Olena Petyurenko (O) and Agnes Kula (A) – a true, creative outlet for their talents in apparel and fashion design.
“We all have extensive apparel backgrounds,” Roberts said. “TOLA represents our collective belief in the significance of creating something just for us. Every design that comes from our studios is a reflection of our own personal style and passion for individual creativity. It’s why we’ve made a point of crafting accessories with so many handmade touches and details – TOLA is an extension of ourselves.”
Roberts is a successful veteran of the apparel industry for nearly 20 years, and, in addition to TOLA, owns and manages Primo Interiors – also based out of Logan Square. For the past eight years, Roberts has helmed the Primo Interiors workroom, designing and creating sumptuous custom bedding, draperies, pillows and cushions alongside Kuriata, Petyurenko and Kula.
“Over the past eight and a half years, I have had the incredible pleasure of working with three amazing women who also love to design,” Roberts said. “As they were and are designers at Primo, I wanted to start a business that would allow them to not only be creative, but to share in the growth and ownership of a business. That’s when TOLA was born.”
This summer, TOLA’s accessories line was selected to be featured in the Juried Boutique Division of the America’s Mart Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market in Atlanta, GA in July and, most recently, at the high-end WWDMAGIC•WHITE Market in Las Vegas, NV in August, where TOLA was among only a few, select accessories to be featured in the daily apparel runway shows, sponsored by InStyle and Nine West.
Cardholders and wallets are priced $40-$100. All purses, depending on design and style, range from $160-$370. Phone cases are available for $50-$80 and iPad cases can be purchased for $95-$145.
TOLA’s designs can be purchased online or at various Chicago and U.S. retailers.
To view TOLA’s full line and purchase, please visit www.tolachicago.com, or call (773) 525-6885. Follow TOLA on Twitter @tolachicago, Pinterest and ‘like’ on Facebook.
For more information, contact:
Murphy Knott Public Relations, Inc.
(312) 867-9177
To view TOLA’s full line and purchase, visit www.tolachicago.com, or call (773) 525-6885.
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