Sisters Arabel and Lisa Torske are the creators behind the designs, which are based on illustrations hand-painted with acrylic and watercolor paint.
In 2017, the sisters Arabel and Lisa Cod they came together creatively to create their own fashion brand. Tosca it is the adaptation of their surname and the clothing and accessories line that they have developed together. His proposal turns the artistic designs made by Lisa, who is a painter and illustrator, into textiles.
“We started with a line sport and now we do everything from masks to haute couture designer garments, ”explains 42-year-old Arabel.
Each of the designs that are sublimated in the fabrics of Toska’s garments is made exclusively by Lisa, which gives way to original prints. “Most of the brand’s designs are hand-painted, some with watercolors, others with acrylics, others with pencils, but it all starts on paper. Then it is digitized to make the garments, of course, but art is always present from the beginning, ”says Lisa, 39.
Originally from Guaranda and residents of Quito, Arabel and Lisa are the only ones dedicated to design in their family, in which art is the professional vocation of most of its members.
Arabel details that it was in 2016 when the idea behind this Ecuadorian brand was conceived. “We feminize our surname for the brand, as a word that denotes an independent woman, in different ways. Then we developed the project as a brand that adapts my sister’s works of art inspired by the tourism promotion strategy of Ecuador. There will always be elements in Toska from the different worlds that Ecuador has. That is why we are marketed by two of the country’s airports (in Quito and Cuenca) ”, he indicates on the line that will present his new collection on the catwalk of the Quito Fashion Night, this Tuesday, November 30, as a prelude to Fashion Week in the Ecuadorian capital.
Lisa emphasizes that through their designs they want to highlight the importance of making art accessible to an entire community and not just to an elite. “Generally, art does not reach many people, but textile art and fashion reach more massively. So, we think this is a cool way to include art in people’s daily lives. That is why we decided to merge my pictorial work with fashion ”, he adds.
Your process
T-shirts were the first designs they made with their brand. “Little by little we have been evolving in the subject of design. We now create (…) masks, jumpsuits, blouses, jumpers, evening dresses … We have a fairly complete line of textile design ”, explains Arabel.
Toska has two lines: a commercial one and a haute couture design one; the latter was created in 2019. “We began to develop this second line due to the demand of the clients: they came and told us that they would like to have dresses with our designs, and we began to make them. All of our fabrics have prints made from Lisa’s pencil, ”says Arabel.
Among the textiles they use to make the garments, Arabel highlights that they use the majority of national origin (in cotton) and the rest are imported from Colombia and Korea. There are cotton, polyester, crepes, podesuas, lace, silks, for both segments.
For each collection, both develop a specific theme, then the elements to use and this defines the designs to be elaborated. This process can take approximately two weeks, from design done to digitization.
Toska is located at E9-16 Russia and Avenida de los Shyris, Bell Air building (Quito). Their designs can also be purchased on their website. They plan to enter the Guayaquil airport.
New collection
Their most recent designs make up the Zodiac line (45 pieces), inspired by the zodiac signs. “The garments that we are going to present in the parade reflect the four seasons of the year, so you are going to see what spring, summer, autumn and winter are like. The entire collection cannot be displayed, because it is quite large, but we will show the most iconic paintings. It will look like Aries, which is inspired by fiery flowers and has the Aries pantone. We have the part of Cancer, Virgo and Pisces ”, says Arabel about her autumn-winter collection.
In this collection, the elements present in each piece (flora and fauna) are representative of Ecuador. On the catwalk they plan to present twelve haute couture garments for daily use.
Another line that they have developed is that of masks, handkerchiefs and headbands.
Quito Fashion Night
At 20:00, in the Quorum Paseo San Francisco, the Quito Fashion Night catwalk will be held this Tuesday, November 30. Designers Fabrizio Célleri and Jéssica Velasco are also planning to present their creations at this show. (I)
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