Glam up your style quotient with these convertible bags from TÓL

Slow fashion label TÓL has released a new line of multi-functional bags 
The convertible Bailey bag, that can be used as a purse, sling bag and a clutch bag
The convertible Bailey bag, that can be used as a purse, sling bag and a clutch bag

Rosa George Kainady is all about the slow and meticulous. The Calicut-based designer, who founded the leather bags brand TÓL in 2015, takes as long as six to eight months to design a new collection. Which explains why she has released only four collections in a span of three years. Though Rosa would prefer to forget about the first set of bags that she admits failed to garner a good response — she remembers it for some valuable lessons. “Those were a set of designs I made on order. It fell flat due to many reasons, in aspects like design, material and functionality. I then decided to move on to a bigger manufacturing unit, and start making 3D miniatures of my products before mass production,” says the 28-year-old graduate from NIFT Chennai, who started off on her own after a brief stint at Decathlon, the sporting goods brand, as an in-house designer in Bengaluru. ​​​ ​

The Tang Backpack
The Tang Backpack

This change in approach was also supplemented by her keenness to bring a multi-functionality attribute to her bags. Hence, the second collection, Meraki, ended up being showcased at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore. “Fortunately, the response was positive and motivated me to approach offline and online retailers in India,” she says. Rosa has recently launched a new line for the summer, titled Yorokobi (meaning joy in Japanese), which has two designs across four colours. Featuring a more varied size range and evolved designs than in the previous collections, the bags are ideal for the office environment as well as informal events. She says she works with factories who have their own tanneries. “What I am trying to do now is use upcycled leather rather than producing fresh raw material. I source excess leather from factories and put them through various tests for quality checks,” she says, adding that she makes it a point to use the first samples of each design herself, and only then decide to produce them on a large scale.​ ​

The Bailey Purse
The Bailey Purse
Minimo Drawstring Bag
Minimo Drawstring Bag

“Each bag can be converted and used in separate ways for different occasions. For example, the Bailey bag can be used as a purse, sling bag or a clutch bag,” says the Kottayam-born designer who updates her designs on Instagram, under the handle tolacc. She is set to showcase them in Bengaluru tomorrow, including designs like the Minimo Drawstring Bag and the Tang Backpack. “Since TÓL relies on convertible concepts, I will demonstrate first hand the functions and stories behind each bag. Each product is an outcome of thoughtful design and concepts, with personal stories as inspiration, like designing multi-functional furniture or draping a dupatta or a sari in multiple ways,” she shares, adding that her bags are currently available at The Amethyst Room and the MaalGaadi store in Chennai, Pepper House Design and The Anchovy Store in Kochi, and online retailer IKKIVI from Bengaluru.​ ​


Prices from Rs. 3,400 to Rs. 7,500.​​

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