Meet and greet the leather satchel named Tora and which I`m proud of. If I ask you to think over what do you see in the photo above, you`ll probably shrug your shoulders: “Come on, you. That`s a bag. With a strap and a pocket outside. What`s the deal?”

And the deal is that it`s not just a bag – it`s the product of a long, gradual creative process that results in refined craftsmanship. Before getting its final, impeccable design, Tora has gone through numerous production stages. Each detail is carefully thought out, and that`s why its crafting may appear rather time- and effort-consuming.

So what steps has Tora run up to become your reliable companion?

 

THERE WAS AN IDEA

 

Tora is inspired by a traditional Oxford University bag that was extremely beloved at the brink of the 20th and 21st centuries for its practicality, vintage style, and durability. A few years later, the popularity declined, and a satchel was associated with a scientific world, was thought to be a rather formal-styled, too bulky bag perfect only for work. Having accepted the challenge, I couldn`t think of anything else but rebutting this statement and restyling, enhancing a satchel. Considering the needs of modern women, I strived to prove that a satchel may be a versatile, highly functional bag for everyday use and at the same time minimalistic, cute, and neat.

 

SKETCH IS HALF SUCCESS

 

Believe it or not but making a sketch was the most complicated and responsible moment. A whole team took part in its development. Thousands of variants were rejected not to copy other producers. We pursued one aim – an exclusive design that would be never forgotten. It took more than a month. Having conducted voting, we finally came to the final sketch in 4 sizes.

 

LEATHER AND SEWING PATTERN

 

To embody the idea of the highest functionality that then seemed unreachable, we paid so much attention to the choice of leather. Crazy Horse leather was our best choice as it`s so sturdy but soft, easy to care for, and it stands out with a pleasant authentic leather smell. Before sewing, we touched it a lot, smelled it a lot, fingered it a lot, checked each sewing pattern, and again touched, and smelled, and fingered a lot.

 

STITCHING

 

Tora was carefully and neatly stitched to withstand huge loads. When the stitch was uneven, we had to dissolve it and start from the very beginning with a new sewing pattern. Bringing it to perfection, we noticed that Tora was becoming more and more unique. Checked the quality of stitching again – so we didn`t mind touching and fingering the bag again.

 

HARDWARE

 

We ordered the first-class hardware and…had to wait almost a month. Rivets, buckles, snap buttons, snap hooks were fixed to the bag – and a much clearer picture of the design pleased us a lot.

 

CRASHTEST

 

So thrilling moment. Will it work or all in vain? No one knew for sure. Well, Tora got through hell and back. We tested Tora by time, heat, water, wind, strength, loads, dirt, and power of feminine activity and charm. We all wore it hundreds of times and put there everything a contemporary woman can put at one time – books, laptop, wallet, notebook, a box of sweets, a bottle of water, a huge makeup bag, gym stuff, tech crap, groceries, and even a pooch. And? And a fiasco.

 

RE-CRASHTEST

 

After the stitching was reinforced, Tora successfully withstood all load. Initially, a satchel was designed without a handle but only with an adjustable strap. And again the need to develop a handle to offer more convenience and more options for wearing took us away from a perfect satchel production.

And the most important but pleasant moment of the testing – how does it look on photos? OMG, so photogenic, so elegant, like a bag from the front page of magazines.

 

PERSONALIZATION

 

The last touch – testing personalization options so that you can have a unique bag underlining your nature, style, and taste. We came up with a place for personalization, font and size of the text.

And voila! The goal is achieved – the satchel is restyled and more functional. It`s gaining great popularity again.

 

As you can see, Tora isn`t just a bag. It`s a product of love for details. It`s a product of love for craftsmanship. It`s a product made for contemporary people by contemporary people.