Sonia-TY Gives Pet Accessories a TENCEL™ Denim Twist
As pet parents travel near or far with their furry (or furless) family members, function is top of mind for leashes, bags and other accessories. But that doesn’t mean that fashion needs to be pushed aside.
Accessories brand Sonia-TY, launching this month, blends style and utility with pieces for pets as well as people. Hands-free belt bags, totes, harnesses, leashes, collars and more keep animals and their humans fashionably on the move. In addition to materials like vegan leather and recycled polyester, one of the key textiles used in the collection is denim made of cotton and TENCEL™, which brings durability and dressing versatility to the line.
Sonia-TY founder and creative director Mindy Elgart spoke with Carved in Blue about the idea behind the brand, the pup who inspired the label’s name and how sustainability is playing into product development.
Carved in Blue: What was the concept for Sonia-TY? What need in the market did you see for this brand?
Mindy: Sonia-TY is a sustainably crafted luxury accessories collection that celebrates the unique bond between people and animals. We wanted to highlight the bond between humans and animals with beautiful, fashionable pieces whose quality and style is throughout our coordinated collection. My love of travel inspired me to create accessories that are versatile and functional day in and day out. Our dual commitments to conscientious creation and craftsmanship reflect a promise to do no harm—to the animals we honor and the planet we share—while offering products that stand the test of time.
Sonia-TY features a range of matching, multi-functional items for pets, horses and humans—all beautifully made of vegan leather and traceable cotton denim by the same artisans who work with Europe’s leading maisons.
Sonia-TY is an innovation born from inspiration. I live a “wandrist” lifestyle, always on the move, and I love bringing my dogs—Roman, a Chow/Shepard mix, and Sonia—to work, social events and the barn. Over time, I grew tired of the tangle of leashes, bags and carriers needed to get my dogs, plus my own belongings, from one place to another. Seeking a streamlined, yet chic solution that would facilitate my multi-tasking lifestyle while keeping my animals close by, I began to envision a single, functional tote that would replace my purse and dog carrier, allowing me to comfortably carry Sonia and my personal items at the same time. Thus, the Wandrist Tote was born.
I have always felt that there was a gap in the market for well-made, fashionable items for dogs and thought why couldn’t we create accessories for them in the same quality as traditional luxury accessories and at the same time make it coordinate with accessories for humans.
Carved in Blue: Could you describe your namesake Sonia? Why is she the perfect muse?
Mindy: Sonia is a 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, my muse and my inspiration. Sonia was bred to be a show dog, but she did not like the lifestyle; she made this abundantly clear to her breeder Cyndy by becoming somewhat of a trouble-maker in order to get attention, so Cyndy decided that she should be placed in a pet home. I had recently lost my 14-year-old Yorkie and her breeder was friendly with Cyndy, so when she heard about Sonia she knew we would be a perfect match.
While she weighs a mere five pounds, Sonia never fails to stand out. She is my constant companion, accompanying me to work, on business trips, social events and pretty much every aspect of my life. Everywhere we go Sonia captures the hearts of everyone she meets with her playful spirit and irresistible charm. Our logo is an image of Sonia in her quintessential position, curiously popping her head out of a handbag, ready for adventure.
Carved in Blue: What types of products are you launching with?
Mindy: We are launching our online boutique and plan to take preorders starting in September 2021. We will have a small, curated collection made in our exclusive Sonia-TY monogram lasered TENCEL™ denim with sustainable Italian leather, along with bio leather made from corn printed with our Villette toile print. The launch collection will include the Wandrist tote; the Corso Freehand bag, which coordinates with our Corso belt to become a belt bag and can also be worn as a crossbody bag when paired with our Flaneur leash; the Romino and Besito dog collars; the Abrazo harness; the Flaneur leash; and later this year the Maxiumus halter and lead for horses.
Carved in Blue: Why is denim, and specifically denim made with TENCEL™, an ideal fabric for pet accessories? Why do you think denim hasn’t really been used in this way before?
Mindy: I have always loved denim and how versatile it is, how it goes from day to night, and I often wear jeans when I travel. I also think denim has an innate durability and timeless style that naturally lends itself to dog and cat accessories. Additionally, denim has long been associated with cowboys and cowgirls and the equestrian lifestyle. So, when I was conceptualizing the collection, I had a “sit down” with Christine Rucci, aka Godmother of Denim, and she had all these headers from Cone Denim. Instinctively I was drawn to the recycled cotton TENCEL™ quality, and knowing it comes from trees seemed so fitting for the sustainable story that is at the core of our brand.
Carved in Blue: How are you working to minimize the environmental impact of your designs?
Mindy: We are committed to conscientious creation by using sustainable products like TENCEL™ denim, bio leathers and recycled raw materials. We also make things locally in the heart of the Garment District and Northern Italy, which helps with socioeconomic sustainability. Our goal is to reduce the harm to the planet as much as possible throughout the supply chain.
Along with our beloved pets, we also care deeply about the animals in the wild. Humans and animals should live in harmony; animals found not just in our homes but in the wild as well add to the joy and adventure that is part of everyday life. The materials we use to make our pet and human accessories are organic, recycled or natural. Our products are made from certified sustainable leather, plant-based vegan leathers, use traceable cotton, recycled polyester, plated, lead-free recycled brass hardware and recycled fillers; our packaging is recycled paper and compostable plastic. We think about each material and each manufacturing step to learn and improve as we grow, and we espouse conscientious manufacturing.
Carved in Blue: As a brand centered on pets and their humans, what social initiatives does Sonia-TY have in place to support people and animals?
Mindy: Our main mission for Sonia-TY is to work with manufacturers who are aware of the fragility of our planet and who have a passion for reducing the harm that manufacturing can cause to the environment. We work with family-run businesses, some of which are multi-generational, that care deeply about craft and quality. We want our products to improve over time and to partner with those who think about each accessory, to test each functional element and to assemble each style beautifully. Our items have to be created as thoughtfully as possible, and before we make anything we ask, “Why do we need it? What problem will it solve?” Then we create it, make it and execute it as transparently as possible.
We do plan to partner with one or more organizations that benefit animal welfare, but that has yet to be determined. Ultimately when the business grows, I would like to found an organization that helps people with unexpected medical bills for their animals—specifically seniors and people living on fixed incomes.
Carved in Blue: What are your goals for the Sonia-TY brand over the next year?
Mindy: Sonia-TY is a grassroots organization, with no outside funding. Currently it is me and my wonderful design assistant Lara that do the bulk of the work—which is everything from all aspects of product design and development, package design, website build, social media, PR, you name it! We both currently have full-time jobs while working on Sonia-TY, so our hope is that once we get this launched and gain enough business that we can move over to Sonia-TY full-time. Our goal is to get the business launched this year and to grow slowly as we learn from customer feedback about what is working and what is not working; then we can fine tune our collection to best suit the needs of our customers.
We plan to expand the range to include equestrian accessories, jewelry for both pets and their humans, and perhaps even some jeans made with TENCEL™ denim.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Mindy: For me, seeing Sonia’s little face literally “Carved in Blue” on TENCEL™ denim. Denim is part of my everyday life, and now I can share it with my pets and bring it to the rest of the world.