An artist’s eye for detail, an innate sense of style and an instinct for business are just a few of the elements that drive Tonia Kim of Toki Collection. Kim began her career working in the men’s department of Los Angeles’ Ron Herman on Melrose, where one of her designs was quickly snatched up by the store’s impressed buyers. From there, she shifted gears and moved to Chicago to obtain her law degree while she continued to sate her diverse creative sensibilities by editing an architectural interior design book published by teNeues, and writing lifestyle, fashion, and design stories for magazines. She also devoted time to producing and directing documentaries for charities like ROMP (the Range of Motion Project) About Face Film and Young at Heart Pet Rescue, as well as producing international design competitions and music events. But throughout her projects, she never stopped feeding her passion for design, and eventually culminated her energies into her premier jewelry line, Toki Collection. Toki, which means “rabbit” in Korean, was the designer’s childhood nickname and a playful take on her full name. Within a year, Kim was dubbed a “Designer on the Rise” by the Chicago Tribune, a “Rising Star” by Daily Candy and was featured in high-profile publications like InStyle, Lucky, KoreAM Journal and Reed Pages. Not resting on her laurels, Kim began studying metalsmithing, casting and stone setting, further mastering her manipulation of metal and stone. Toki expanded on a global scale establishing accounts with luxury jewelry stores and high-end independent boutiques around the world such as Steven Alan, Bird, Takashimaya, Tomorrowland, Henri Bendel, Assembly, p45, Walker Art Museum and Kick Pleat to name a few.
