It’s been a while, hasn’t it? 

In fact, it’s the longest break I’ve taken since starting this brand back in 2015. I’m sure some of you have been wondering where I’ve been, as I’ve been fairly quiet, or rather, completely silent, since the beginning of the year. Why is that? 

Well, to be completely honest, a lot has changed. 

Over the course of 2023, toto experienced a few major events that would completely change how the brand would operate going forward. So, over the last year, we took a step back, took some time to think, and while figuring out where to go next, came to a realization. 

A lot has changed since we started the brand 9 years ago. 

Our thoughts have changed, our styles have changed, and we, as people, have changed. And as another one of the brand’s anniversaries has come and gone, there felt like no better time than now to begin a new chapter. We’ve already had a few up to this point, and now it's finally time to move on to the next one.

So, where do we go from here?

Well, to make it a bit easier, I made a little list of our major changes:

1) We are going back to our original name.

As you may have already guessed by now, “toto” has always been an acronym for “Tales of the Observers”, and we'll be going back to that. That said, are we still toto? Yes. Can you still call us toto? Of course! We are and will always still be toto as well. But with how the brand is evolving going forward, it seemed like an appropriate time to go back to the full moniker.

2) The brand will be going back to its roots.

What does that mean? 

Well, for many, many years, the brand was a passion project, not a full-time business. The latter being an opportunity we were extremely lucky to have, as some very kind people out there decided to take a chance on us. But now, after all is said and done, it's back to just being me. So no more fancy ad campaigns, or generic copywriting on posts, just me, talking to all of you. About what exactly? The designs, the progress, the ideas behind them, and occasionally sharing the things I like as well (mostly other local creators).

3) There will no longer be a set release schedule.

Over the last 5-ish years, I’ve put out 2-3 collections every year, along with a handful of pieces in between each season. That, for better or worse, will no longer be the case, due to many different factors. Going forward, with the ideas I have in store now, it makes more sense to focus on more intricate designs that will take more time to complete rather many, which leads to the final point:

4) Pieces are going to be more unique/limited.

Although there are plans to put out the occasional piece in multiple sizes, the vast majority of designs going forward are going to be one-of-a-kind. So once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. Does that mean they won’t/can’t be remade? Not necessarily, but at the same time, each piece will remain unique in one way or another, so it’s really first come, first serve. It’s a little hard to explain here, but just trust me, the new ideas will be worth the wait.

So I think that about covers it. For those who took the time to read this, thank you. And for those who’ve stuck by the brand all this time, know that you have been, and will always be appreciated. Keep an eye out, as we already have a couple of things in the pipeline, so take care, stay tuned, and until we meet again:

 

Be aware of the world around you.