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After Studying fashion design and working for the world’s prestigious labels including DKNY, Sergio Rossi, Furla and Elie Tahari, Tonya Hawkes fell in love with designing bags and started her own label. Her lifelong love for the luxury of leather turned into the release of clutches that prove to be the wearable pieces of art. Tonya shares with MORE is LOVE her most memorable moments and exciting future plans for the brand. |
with Tonya Hawkes |
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MORE is LOVE: Tell us a little about yourself… How did you decide to become a handbag designer? Tonya: Designing bags found me, I wasn't looking for it. I went to fashion school to design clothing and when I started my first job at Donna Karan, I found the people in the accessory department were especially warm and friendly. I began working after hours with them for good company and before you knew it, I was traveling to Japan for inspiration for DK handbags. |
MORE is LOVE: Tell us a little about the process… Where does it all begin? Tonya: Usually with conceptual brainstorming… How can I create something new and yet familiar? I begin by studying the past and mixing it with the future to find the new. I cross breed traditional ideas with extravagance looking for a way to balance the two until I have an idea that is ALMOST familiar, but puts you a little on the edge of your seat. |
The brand in 3 words: original, elegant and timeless.
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MORE is LOVE: The best advice anyone has ever given to you… Tonya: That there is a "monster "in every situation and to expect one, even when there doesn't seem to be one at that time. She explains to "feed the monster", meaning to look the monster in the eye and give the monster enough to be happy to neutralize the situation. A big thank you to Caggie Simonelli, I have been able to create more balance and even peace in very challenging situations. MORE is LOVE: What are your favorite materials to work with? Tonya: From when I was 8 years old we shopped for saddles and bridles for my horses and I fell in love with the whole leather tooling and sterling silver adornment. |
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MORE is LOVE: What inspires you the most? Tonya: Because inspiration is visual/emotional process, it's never the same thing twice or ever in the same order. The base is Fine Art, Contemporary Architecture, 1950's Golden Period Culture, Art Nouveau and including South Asiatic- Indochinese, Polynesian, South Colonial African and Native Americans cultures. MORE is LOVE: Do you have any collaborations in mind? Tonya: I continue to collaborate with fine artist Veronika Shiliaeva for nearly two years now, inspiring my trunks with 3 dimensional leather flowers Joy, Bliss and Splendid, as well as trunks with laser incision that was inspired by her prints she made from a photograph of a feather for trunks Tutan & Khamen. This upcoming Fall 2015 she is developing and co-directing my Ad Campaign in Moscow. She seems to be a part of the Tonya Hawkes brand now and we reflect our dreams onto each other, its unusual to find such a special connection that I cherish. |
MORE is LOVE: What is the biggest challenge in running a brand? Tonya: Finding my soulmate in the business! I am eager to find the right person to partner with me on the entire process from nuts to bolts in the fashion business to take my brand into the future in a big way. MORE is LOVE: What music is usually playing in your studio? Tonya: I love Jazz, Classical music and some days Indie, Pop and R&B. It's all light music to me and some of it allows me to float mentally while others ignite my emotions like a fire burning in my chest and sometimes, when I sing the songs tears come to my eyes and it releases the strong emotion. Music is so important to my creative process. When I was creative director for Furla my boss asked me to turn my music off in the design studio and I simply explained that if the music goes off, my pencil stops with it. |
The woman wearing Tonya Hawkes bag is confident, aspirational and admired by her peers.
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MORE is LOVE: Can you recall a memorable moment in your career? Tonya: My first and second promotion at DK. Vogue published my illustration in the Millennium issue. Seeing my ideas/designs come down the runway during fashion week in NYC. Being selected as a top executive 90 employee at DK out of 2000. Traveling the world 100 times over for work. Launching DK and FURLA stores in NYC. Relocating to Italy for work, opening my own design studio there. Launching my own label. How could I pick just one? MORE is LOVE: What’s in your TONYA bag? Tonya: Only the essentials: iPhone 6, Chanel lipstick, house/bicycle keys (without my home alarm box because it doesn't fit) credit card/cash. |
LOVE is…"listening, empathy, sharing and being there when they need you the most."
