©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jill Nagy
With an early July ribbon-cutting, Toga Heritage, a Saratoga-themed “lifestyle shop” emerged in its own space at 398 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Toga Heritage began in 2016 as a “pop-up” store in the Paper Dolls stationery store in the Saratoga Marketplace, just down the street.
The new space was part of Silverwood Home and Gallery. Toga Heritage owner Deborah DePasquale is renting from Silverwood. She hired a contractor in March to build out the space and “what was once a storage closet is now my retail facility,” she said.
The new store is larger—about 400 square feet—and the range of products has grown tremendously. She said she began with 20 products and now has approximately 150 in stock.
The products are a mix of items made for Toga Heritage and private label items from other manufacturers. The products are a combination of home decor, entertainment and fashion items, all meant to reflect the spirit of Saratoga, she said. Stationery, porcelain and china items have been added. In the future, DePasquale said, she hopes have her own manufacturing facility.
“Everything under one roof is my long-term goal,” she said.
The newest addition is a tartan collection, aimed at the 2018 holiday season. A melange of ice buckets, pillows, blankets, ties, socks and purses will also have a dedicated Toga Heritage tartan.
She designed the tartan with the help of a Scottish consultant. It is a traditional weave with “a little bit of a modern color palette,” she said involving the colors black, gray, red and gold. The result is registered with the Scottish Registry of Tartans, which means it is officially a corporate registered brand, she said.
One of the first items in the tartan collection is a candle in the tartan colors and scented, she said, in a mix of saddle leather, “warm vanilla,” and “sweet sun-ripened fruit.”
The new shop is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, the same hours as Silverwood. She is also selling Toga Heritage items at the Saratoga Race Course and other locations around town. Also in the works is an online store.
The telephone number is 518-944-8951.