Sling out sister!

Stride in style with Toshe's arm candy -- luxury handbags that are hip, Indian with a pop-inspired palette

Sling out sister!

Stride in style with Toshe's arm candyu00a0-- luxury handbags that are hip, Indian with a pop-inspired palette

Sling bags with long straps were the 'it' thing in 2010. Going by recent trends, this might continue through this year. Vadodara-based accessories designer Tosha Patel-Chokshi has taken this trend a step further by creating sleek sling bags that are western in design aesthetics but carry Indian motifs, details, textures and colours. She sells these bags under her brand Toshe. This apart, the designer also crafts cuffs, statement neckpieces and other bag accessories, mostly in fine finished luxury leather. "Our USP is basicu00a0-- colours, textures and shapes defines our products. We don't restrict our designs in terms of any material or style and believe in designing with freedom," shares theu00a0 27 year-old Tosha.

Leather cuffs and rings (Rs 350 and 75 each)

A hint of India
Launched in 2010, leather sling bags dominate Toshe's collection. These are combined with textures and materials including silk, satin brocade, zardozi, denim, velvet and leather with push lock details and leather accents. "Bags are important to our lives. It's not just an accessory. We practically live out of our bags. One's taste in bags says a lot about their lifestyle and personality. So, starting from bags was a given," explains Tosha. What sets her bags apart from the run-of-the-mill stuff is the bringing together of pop colours, Indian fabrics and design motifs. So, a formal leather bag gets a shimmery twist with a flap that is constructed out of zardozi.

Skin issues
But in a world that is getting increasingly eco-conscious and sensitive to animal cruelty, how does Tosha justify the use of leather? "We use different kinds of Indian fabrics, genuine leather and faux leather. We craft our bags from leather that's easily available; we don't use exotic skin. However, we intend to get more eco-conscious and are developing a technique to replace the quality that leather offers. We are looking at a leather-free future," Tosha explains.

A wee bit of me
The brand name is a shortened version of Tosha as she is known to her friends. "I wanted the brand name to be something of me. My friends called me Toshe. But it was actually inspired from the word touch ufffd meaning touched in French," she says.

Tosha's business family roots meant that creating her brand was the next step. After pursuing her Bachelors in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Vadodara's Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, she was drawn towards wearable art design, particularly accessories where she could add a bit of herself. She strengthened her skills by studying Fashion Accessories at Cordwainers, at the London College of Fashion. "It was a highly skilled course that specialised in leather luxury goods. It was exciting for a small-town girl to see people who breathe fashion like the air they needed. I also learnt to concentrate on attention to detailu00a0-- it's what makes a product different," says Tosha

At: Sobo, Hughes Road and Bliss, Versova.
Call: 3071887
Log on to: www.toshe.in