Tolani Collection finding new fans through partnership with QVC

What started as a hobby designing silk scarves 16 years ago has grown into Tolani Collection, a clothing and accessory line for Rancho Santa Fe resident Alka Tolani. Tolani’s signature eye-catching prints and vibrant colors can be found at several luxury department stores and boutiques, including Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Sundance, Stich Fix and Julian Gold. The line is also selling successfully on the QVC home shopping channel—Tolani will be the Today’s Special Value all day on QVC on Monday, Sept. 28. The live airing will be filmed at the Cinematic Arts and Sound studio in Oceanside.

This newspaper checked in with Tolani to chat about her business and fall fashion. In a true sign of the times, Tolani has even done a line of face masks in beautiful fabrics to ensure women stay stylish while keeping safe.

What makes Tolani so unique?
Tolani makes clothes that are easy and super comfortable to wear day-to-day from morning-to-night that are also truly beautiful, unique, special pieces. We are known for our expertise in print design and luxe fabrics, we are print specialists and love playing with textures. Our print design process is highly sophisticated, each print goes through several iterations before it is even considered to be used on a garment. We pay close attention to line quality, color selection, hue saturation, shape placement, and many other details that are meticulously attended to. Each print is truly unique and only used once in the collection. They are pieces of art, you won’t find prints like these anywhere else!

How has your business changed in the last 16 years?
I started this company from my garage! In the beginning we were focused on scarves. Since then numerous celebrities and influencers have worn Tolani and we have continued to expand into new categories: ready-to-wear (clothing), handbags, blankets, sleepwear, to name a few. It has been such an incredible journey and I am so excited about the new plans we have for the upcoming seasons!

How long have you been with QVC? What have been some of the benefits of being with them?
We have been working with QVC for about four years now. QVC is such a wonderful space filled with amazing, talented people; it has been a joy to be part of the QVC community! They offer a great platform that has introduced Tolani to a new segment of American women. We love creating prints and designs for them!

What is inspiring your latest designs?
For a while a lot of my inspirations came from traveling, I used to travel so much! Now, with less travel going on, I have been really appreciating my home and nearby surroundings to a whole new level. When designing these days, I am drawing inspiration from my garden, the walls that I painted myself in my house so many years ago, old photos and videos from my childhood and experiences as a mother.

What are your most popular items right now?
Our plaid collection is so popular during the fall. We have our own take on plaid tops and dresses, they are no ordinary plaids! Some feature a “surprise” print in the back, some are embellished with embroidery, some have unique placket details and more.

To shop, visit tolanicollection.com To see Today’s Special Value on Sept. 28, visit qvc.com