What started as a grad school project for designer Ryan Wither has become a signature piece for his accessories company, Tivi. The Tivi handbag, a lustrous clutch made of curved zebrawood or ebony, steel and leather, is the result of many hours of research and design development. The bag exemplifies Wither’s desire to combine unusual materials into both a pleasing tactile experience, and a functional and beautiful object.
The back story: Born and raised in Steamboat Springs, Wither, 29, lived on both coasts after receiving his undergraduate degree in architectural engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1999.
He took a job in San Diego after graduation but found the real-life job experience frustrating. “All the cool creative stuff was edited out,” he says. He wondered if furniture design might be a better fit for his personality and soon headed to the East Coast, where he received his master of fine arts degree in furniture and industrial design from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2002. While studying in Georgia, he met his friend and future business partner, Paul Lewin.
The company: After grad school, Wither headed back to San Diego for a design job with Basile Studio, a high-end furniture and interior design firm. “We did really modern interiors,” explains Wither. “Sort of the epitome of SoCal extravagance.” Lewin also ended up taking a job in San Diego after graduation, and the two became roommates; soon the two designers were sketching ideas for Tivi.
The name stands for “This is very important” and reflects the partners’ commitment to the design process. Wither’s MFA thesis was based on the idea of organization within everyday objects, so he had tried to create a handbag for women that would force them, through its size and design, to prioritize its contents. The U-shaped wooden bag was “a nightmare to build,” says Wither, but it caught the eye of practically every woman who came across it. Once Wither had access to Basile Studio’s excellent machine shop, he was able to streamline the building process, and he and Lewin started shopping their prototypes – including stainless-steel bracelets inlaid with wood veneer, and other jewelry pieces – to trunk shows in Los Angeles.
By January 2004, Tivi became a full-time job for Lewin, who returned to his hometown of Chicago, where he is focusing on the production end of the business. Wither also relocated again, this time back to Colorado, where he now designs for Tivi from his home in Denver and works for a civil contractor in Boulder.
The inspiration: Wither is fascinated with elegant industrial design. “The bracelets are our bread and butter,” he says, “But the purse defines us. It combines our past with metal and wood and furniture with fashion. We are inspired by the materials and the exploration of out-of-context ideas.”
The customer: The sturdy, modern stainless cuffs appeal to men and women, and the sleek Tivi bag and pendants attract mainly young professional women who appreciate the modern style and high-quality construction.
Where to find it: Composition, 1499 Blake St., 303-894-0025; Max Boulder, 1777 Walnut St., 303-449-9200; and Max Aspen, 609 E. Cooper Ave., 970-544-
3445; tiviwear.com.
What it costs: Tivi bag in ebony or zebrawood veneer, $280; stainless steel cuff with inlaid ebony, $120; curved zebrawood cuff bracelet, $60; stainless steel pendant with ebony inlay, $100.
