Long Live the Tartan

Local Businesses TOGA HERITAGE and Frittelli & Lockwood Textile Studio are making and keeping traditions!

WRITTEN BY RALPH VINCENT PHOTOS BY KATIE DOBIES PHOTOGRAPHY

“Having grown up in this area, I have fond family memories on Beekman Street. Partnering with Frittelli and Lockwood to produce my tartan locally was a full circle moment for me," says DePasquale.

Community. Collaborate. Celebrate. Those three words are at the core of TOGA HERITAGE’S brand and mission. As a lifestyle company that embodies the legacy of Saratoga Springs, each product designed by TOGA HERITAGE owner Deborah DePasquale is crafted to share a piece of the city’s, and her story with customers. “The common thread is storytelling and playing a role in telling one’s story,” said DePasquale. Saratoga Springs is woven into the tapestry of who she is, and she translates that into her product lines of home goods, apparel and pet supplies. The concepts of time, place and tradition resonate in both TOGA HERITAGE’S ready-made products and in custom pieces. While life took her away from Saratoga and the surrounding area and brought her to points like Boston and Dallas, it was here that she reconnected with family, met her husband and found the inspiration to launch TOGA HERITAGE. The resulting brand and retail shop (on Broadway) are the culmination of Deborah’s career in marketing, event and product design and merchandising, and her knack towards pragmatism and long-term planning. She launched TOGA HERITAGE in 2017 with a focus on Saratoga-themed party and hosting products that she could use in her own event planning and design business and quickly grew the company to include a line of bespoke candles, home goods and apparel in her own shop, tucked behind a Dutch door emblematic of the region’s rich history and roots in the horse racing industry. The uniting theme of “love where you live” is a reflection of DePasquale’s own adoration of her hometown of Saratoga Springs, but also serves as a reminder to “locals or locals at heart,” she says, of the memories and traditions created for those who visit the city.

In 2018, DePasquale launched the TOGA HERITAGE tartan, a custom-designed tartan pattern created and officially patented with Scottish woolen mills and government authorities. The tartan is in harmony with the TOGA HERITAGE brand standard; weaving together shades of black, white, gray, red and gold for an elegant plaid pattern that is understated yet striking. The lengthy process of designing and registering the tartan spoke to DePasquale on a personal level, as her family has Scottish roots, and reflected the sophisticated nature of Saratoga Springs that drew her back home after years away. Products using TOGA HERITAGE tartan are made locally at Frittelli and Lockwood Textile Studio in Saratoga Springs, where the tartan is woven using fine New England wool. “Having grown up in this area, I have fond family memories on Beekman Street. Partnering with Frittelli and Lockwood to produce my tartan locally was a full circle moment for me”, says DePasquale. Located in the Beekman Street Arts District, Frittelli and Lockwood co-owner Cecilia Frittelli was enthusiastic about the project and said producing the TOGA HERITAGE tartan was, “a gratifying collaboration between two local businesses.” National Tartan Day is April 6th and is observed most notably in New York City with parades, traditional bagpipe music and galas, but DePasquale worked with city officials for Saratoga Springs to bring the celebration north. As a result of DePasquale’s advocacy, both Saratoga Springs and New York

State have issued proclamations honoring the day and giving it official recognition. In 2019, flags displaying the TOGA HERITAGE logo and tartan were displayed on Broadway for the first time, and that new tradition continues with an expansion of flags throughout the city for two weeks leading up to National Tartan Day. A party will be held at the TOGA HERITAGE Shop on April 4th, 2020 from 12:00pm - 4:00pm and is open to all.

Giving back to the Saratoga community is essential to DePasquale’s values, and she will be auctioning TOGA HERITAGE gift baskets during the National Tartan Day party again this year, in addition to a portion of all proceeds benefiting the Wesley Community in memory of DePasquale’s Aunt Jeanne.

DePasquale credits the collaborative spirit of other local business owners as essential to TOGA HERITAGE’S success. “Relationship building is how we have grown TOGA HERITAGE,” she said, and later this year she will be releasing new products made in partnership with Frittelli and Lockwood and other local purveyors that include additional Decor, Entertaining and Fashion pieces, DePasquale is very excited about the addition to her Dapper Dutch pet collection, named for her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. “Dutch is our shop dog and is part of all product testing. He is my little love and has quite the social following”.

TOGA HERITAGE products can be found and experienced first-hand in DePasquale’s shop, located in the lower level of 398 Broadway. Information about the company and its products and events can also be found on Facebook and Instagram @TOGAHERITAGE and at www.TOGAHERITAGE.com. S S