Colourful handmade jewellery by artisans from Colombia.
Heavy on the statement, light on the ears.
OURSTORY
I'm Lara, the founder of TOAIE. My mission with TOAIE is to reintroduce vibrant colors, exquisite craftsmanship, and stunning statement jewelry pieces to the Netherlands and, fingers crossed, the rest of Europe. Fun fact: my classmates used to call me “The Girl with the Earrings,” so starting a jewelry brand was almost destined!
Originally, I graduated as a fashion designer with a dream of building her own clothing brand. After eight years as a full-time product developer in the clothing industry, I decided it was my time to shine. I booked a one-way ticket to Mexico, intending to spend a year traveling through South America while working on my clothing collection. Next stop was Colombia. Both countries were mesmerizing—the colors, the culture, the people. Despite frequent warnings about traveling alone, I never felt unsafe. The wonderful people I met always looked out for me, and I was blown away by their warmth and hospitality.
MEETTHEMAKERS
In the last part of my travels, I met two incredible women; Luz Maria & Ady, who lead a group of talented women who learned the amazing skill of jewellery making. I bought some pieces from them and didn’t think much of it until February 2019 when COVID hit the Netherlands. My trip was cut short, and after four months, I returned home to focus on my brand, which is now TOAIE. The name comes from my Frisian heritage, my dad, and means "to embellish."
In the summer of 2019, I redesigned the first collection and placed my first order with Ady & Luz Maria. They only speak Spanish and so my basic level of the language sometimes got us in some funny situations. Voice notes via WhatsApp became popular, but their rapid explanations were tough for my basic Spanish. We decided to stick to typing to ensure clear communication.
In February 2023, I traveled back to Colombia to visit Luz Maria, Ady, and their team. It was super special spending time together and refining the collection on the spot. This trip also allowed us to create new designs, which is hard to do over WhatsApp. Plus, we made an amazing documentary about the women behind the brand—check it out here!
THECOLLECTION
March 2024 marked a significant milestone when we got the keys to our very own showroom, which I share with Ella, founder of El Residu. Our cozy haven is right here in Amsterdam at Parnassusweg 126. After painting and decorating with second-hand treasures, we had our grand opening in April. Now, we work together two days a week (we both still have other jobs the rest of the week) at our lovely location. It's great because our customers can explore two brands in one spot, and Ella and I get to brainstorm and collaborate, making the work even more enjoyable. If you’d like to see our collections, feel free to email us for an appointment here.
My goal with TOAIE is to bring back color, craftsmanship, and above all, beautiful lightweight statement jewelry to the Netherlands and beyond. I believe that it's not the earring that gives you sparkle; it's you who sets the spark from within. TOAIE aims to contribute to this with comfortable, lightweight statement jewelry: “Heavy on the statement, light on the ears.”
The collection is about the adventure of exploring and wandering off to unknown places. All the jewelry in this collection is named after different types of travelers.
Meet “The Wanderer”, “The Voyager”, “The Vagabond”, “The Adventurer”, “The Explorer”, “The Nomad”, and “The Pioneer”.