Miles Tonne History
Little did he know that a simple short cut through the woods while walking his dog would plant the seeds that would eventually grow into the designs displayed on this web site. He stumbled upon a factory that he had not even known to exist. Behind that factory was a dumpster that was overflowing with scraps of suede and leather. “I just couldn't see this beautiful material going to waste. I grabbed as much as I could carry and brought it home and started thinking about how I could use it.” Driven by his ecological awareness, that dumpster became a regular stop and his stockpile of material grew as did his innovative ways of patching them together.
Having no knowledge or experience with sewing, he started making simple things like pouches and bags. Miles says, "In the beginning I made vests for myself but when I was recruited to make mini-skirts for some girlfriends, I got hooked." He realized that this "Fashion Stuff" could be a lot of fun.
After receiving his BBA he was accepted to the Wharton School of Business to work towards his MBA degree. It didn't take very long for him to abandon the corporate direction and follow his creative drives in music and fashion.
"I see myself as a creative recycler, taking these luxurious materials that were being wasted and finding new ways to utilize them." This path has led him on an incredible journey, selling his work directly to individuals at many of the best arts and craft shows in the country and more recently Renaissance festivals. There was a stint in the 1970s where Miles had his own shop (see press articles), but Miles and his wife, Judy, preferred the "gypsy life" and the freedom that comes with traveling around the country and doing shows. His awards and recognition include many first-place ribbons from some of the most prestigious Arts festivals in this country. He has also been honored by being included in the select group of craftsmen chosen to exhibit in the Washington Craft Show at the Smithsonian.
"My design sense develops from shapes in nature. While drawing inspiration from clouds, fire, feathers, and landscape, I seek to distill their essence to symbolize the different emotional ties within these archtypical themes. Evolving toward the abstract, I find myself expanding into multi-colored swirls, fringes and jagged shapes incorporating textured leather and suede with painting - constantly striving to go beyond the boundaries to break new ground."