We choose full-grain leather because quality should become more beautiful with time. It preserves the strongest, most natural part of the hide, giving each bag its own texture, character, and lasting durability.

It takes greater skill to shape and work with, but the result is worth it: leather that softens, develops a rich patina, and tells the story of how it has been carried. That is what turns a bag from something seasonal into something you keep for years.

TAH is based in Portland, Oregon, and our leather bags are handcrafted in León, Mexico, a city with generations of experience in leatherwork. Angelina first met TAH’s lead leather maker in Los Angeles, and when he returned home to León, the relationship continued.

After exploring production closer to home, we found that the craftsmanship, quality, and small-batch approach we needed were already there. More than a decade later, every TAH bag is still made by the same dedicated team.

The first TAH design was a tote with a dedicated shoe compartment, created for the daily swap between heels and sneakers, one pair on, the other tucked away.

Tote A Heel.

The name stuck, and the idea grew into a collection designed around the way women move through work, travel, and everyday life.

Angelina was raised in a small town in Eastern Washington. Her father, who was from Mexico, was a master carpenter. Her mother, born in Hollywood, California, had an instinct for style and fashion. From them, Angelina inherited an appreciation for craftsmanship, beauty, and the importance of how something feels.

At 18, Angelina was a young mother of two when she began working at Nordstrom. From the moment she walked through the doors, she knew she wanted to become a buyer, one of the most sought-after roles in the company. She earned her way there through hard work, an instinct for style, and a genuine love of helping people find what felt right for them.

Over the next 17 years, Angelina worked her way through the company, eventually becoming a buyer for women’s apparel with millions in buying responsibility. She developed a deep understanding of what women wanted and an instinct for what they would want next. It was a career she loved and had worked incredibly hard to build, which made leaving it all the more difficult.

Later in her Nordstrom career, Angelina began to see a clear void in the handbag market. Women were often asked to choose between fast fashion and designer luxury. She believed there should be another option: the timeless beauty of a luxury handbag, the utility of a work bag, and the craftsmanship of exceptional leather, hardware, and materials.

A bag rooted in touch, feel, and ease.

That idea became TAH.

Building the brand was an uphill journey. Local production houses told Angelina there was no place in the market for what she wanted to create. The quality could stand beside designer luxury, but the price didn’t fit neatly into an existing category, too high to compete with contemporary brands, yet too attainable to be considered traditional luxury.

But that middle ground was exactly the point.

Angelina knew she was the customer. She trusted there were more women like her, and she kept going until she found a way.

More than a decade later, TAH is still here because women like you continue to believe there is room for something better.