bags by calista By Chinwe Calista Adetula

BAGS
BY
CALISTA

The "Taj" Tote, silk georgette, $80

Taj bag" in 'Arabian Black', $80

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1.	i am so proud of my lovely cousin,chinwe.she's not just an attorney,but also veeeerrry creative and fashionable.i know yuo would do very well in this.go cousin chinwe! - chika uchendu from nigeria, December 06, 2007.
2.	WAY TO GO MAMA KIDDY, GOD WILL CONTINUE TO SHINE ON YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, LONG TIME THOUGH, I HOPE THE MAMA KIDDY CLUE WILL HELP YOU REMEMBER ME? - ANONYMOUS from EVERYWHERE, December 19, 2008.

My name is Chinwe Calista Adetula and I adore fashion. The "Taj" Bag came about when I was looking at fabrics for my clothing line - I felt the patterns were so gorgeous and versatile they needed to be used for more than just clothes. I currently am producing just the Taj Bag this year, but I will introduce the 'Calista Haute Hobo" next year in addition to a line of diaper bags.

At 'bags. by calista' we use beautiful exotic fabrics from Asia and Africa to create functional, versatile pieces. I come from a culture where the women adorn themselves in vibrant colors and so I do tend to gravitate towards certain colors and textures that mirror that. For the 'Taj' Tote, we used silk georgette fabric and the 'Haute Hobo' is made from assorted wax prints. My Target audience is all women who love beautiful and unique things! Our bags are unlike anything I have seen on the market - like carrying a tasteful tapestry on your arm. How decadent!

I started my line with personal savings and an idea. I had never been to fashion/design school nor sewn a stitch (successfully) in my life. I just yearned for something different and I couldn't find anything like what I had in mind. So I decided to make clothes and accessories as if I was making for my own personal closet - only a bit larger. The ironic thing is that I used to HATE my middle name - Calista - pretty ironic that my line is named after it, eh?

My biggest design nightmare was caused more by my naiveté than anything else. I had no idea that it took so much effort and cost so much to put out a product. I thought it would literally be from sketch to cutting table to finished product. I must say, I grew up some by the time I had gotten my first two samples. But the experience was a necessary one and SO worth it. What I value most is that I can say I set out to do something for which I had no experience, training, not that much capital and against the odds I did it. For better, for worse, profit or no, I still did it. Not many people can say that they that - so I get bragging rights :-)

What is your name?	Chinwe Calista Adetula
Where are you from?	U.S. born by Nigerian
Where do you live now?	Maryland
How old are you?	32
Do you have a design background?	No.
Do you still have a day job?	I'm an attorney
What year were your bags born?	2007
Bag brand name:	bags by calista
What is their retail price range?	$80 - $100
Where can a shopper buy your bags?	www.calistaclothiers.com
For more information, contact:	www.calistaclothiers.com

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