…a biography

Tumbler & Tipsy is the new model of chic fashion in the modern world: a green company that produces hand-made, one-of-a-kind items from reconstructed vintage fabrics and clothing. With one eye towards the environment and the economy, a finger on the pulse of the current industry, and a playful sense of humor, Tumbler & Tipsy looks to be the forerunning innovator of today’s fashion scene.

The company was founded in 2009 by Michael Kuluva – an unlikely fashion entrepreneur who got his start as a professional figure skater. Born in Montana and raised in Los Angeles, Kuluva immediately took to the sport at a young age after his first visit to an ice skating rink with his parents. Lessons followed, as did a ten year stint as an amateur figure skater, becoming a Junior Olympian in 1998. He joined the U.S. Figure Skating Team in 2001 and skated professionally for seven years following that, appearing in over 20 shows around the world, including a part as Dash in the Disney On Ice show of The Incredibles. No stranger to media attention and glamour, Kuluva appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Regis and Kelly Live, as well as making an appearance in the Cutting Edge 2 motion picture.

Along the way, however, Michael had maintained a passion for the creativity of fashion. From the beginning, he’d worked with designers on his skating costumes. He knitted scarves for friends. He spent all his extra money on clothes and was continually fascinated by the ever-changing fashion world. So, in 2008, he hung up his skates and took up thread and a sewing needle, making a professional transition that might have seemed strange to some, but for Kuluva was “completely natural.” Michael then interned and eventually worked his way up to a position working for the high end luxury fashion label Libertine, which is produced by Johnson Hartig and formerly Cindy Greene. Michael splits his time between working for the fashion week label Libertine and working on his own passion Tumbler and Tipsy.

His first official foray into the fashion world was nothing short of a minor innovation: the “Tipsy Tie.” Comprised of simply a choice piece of fabric hung on a luxurious chain, the Tipsy Tie has gone on to become Tumbler & Tipsy’s signature item, as well as their best-seller so far. Explains Michael, “For me, ties were always hard to wear. I never could tie them – I just wanted to put one on every day.” Unlike an ordinary tie, you can simply hang a Tipsy Tie around your neck, and mix-and-match fabrics as you see fit. To Kuluva, it was a revelation: “It’s much better than having that one plain tie that I have to screw around with, take it off, put it on and loosen it. This is just much more comfortable.”

Kuluva would next look to apply that same aesthetic – casual yet classy, comfortable yet fashionable, dressy and playful – to reconstructed vintage clothing. He was aware of other reconstructed clothing companies on the market, but according to him, “none of them were really doing what I was looking for. I like the classy style that you can dress up, dress down, mix with other items, and not be restricted to one style. And I don’t want to see everybody wearing Gap.” Furthermore, Kuluva was looking for true singularity with his clothing. “I’m inspired by anybody doing anything one-of-a-kind. I don’t want to mass produce my line. I want everything to be different.”

His final inspiration came through a chance discovery of an old English poem concerning the age-old practice of whiskey consumption. Appropriately, today Michael can’t quite remember the name of the poem or where he found it, but from it emerged his new company’s name, as well as their playful slogan: “Too many tumblers of whiskey might make you a bit tipsy!” British colloquialisms and slightly drunken sensibilities from a time now long gone have become an essential part of the playful sense of humor Kuluva brings to all his products.

Constructing Tumbler & Tipsy’s distinctive line of clothing from scratch has required, for Kuluva, a completely hands-on approach to which he remains committed. He first sources the material from vintage and luxury shops, swap meets and assorted vendors. His criteria is strict – “I never buy two of the same garment, so you’ll never see the same embellishment. Plus, no tears, stains or smells.” Without even so much as a sewing machine, Kuluva then stitches, cuts and assembles each item by hand.

The result is a line of clothing that’s distinctive but never repetitive, one that looks towards the future with a heavy debt to the past and is ecologically recycled. Tumbler & Tipsy now offers men and women’s clothing in small, medium and large sizes, including vests, shirts, blouses and blazers – each emblazoned with the gothic style T & T logo and the occasional slogan. Each item is both comfortable and versatile, ready for wear for a casual night out or a flashy fashion event. And, each carries Kuluva’s promise that you won’t find anything like it anywhere else – not even in the rest of Tumbler & Tipsy’s catalog.

Tumbler & Tipsy’s line is currently offered online and at select boutiques across the country. For the future, Kuluva is wary of dramatic expansion, preferring an exclusive distribution to keep the clothing firmly within his hands-on approach. However, he’s in this now for the long run: “As long as there are old clothes I can work with, I can’t see myself stopping.”

Environmentally friendly, stylish and comfortable, Tumbler & Tipsy will be leading the way of the modern fashion industry.