About Hobo International

 Hobo International was founded in 1991 by Toni Ray in Annapolis, Maryland. Before opening Hobo International, Ray worked for thirty years as a senior designer and buyer for Georgetown Leather. In 1989, she left Georgetown to work as a freelance designer and retail consultant. It was during this time that Ray developed her philosophy of stylish and practical accessories; she began to focus on designing a line that melded fashion with function. This principal of design led to the creation of Hobo International.

 Ray was personally involved in the creation of each and every bag, from the materials to the production. Each bag is handcrafted with natural, top grade leather along with functional pockets and organizational interiors. When the collection debuted in 1991, Hobo International was an immediate success, earning a following of women interested in affordable, functional handbags with beautiful design elements and high quality materials.

 Orders continued to pour in and, in 1996, Ray hired Martha Radford to expand the designs. The addition of Radford was a success, and in 1999, Nordstrom began to sell the Hobo International brand, with Fred Segal and Bloomingdales soon to follow. Three years later, Hobo International opened their showroom in Los Angeles, with two more showrooms opened in Atlanta and New York in 2002 and 2005 respectively. Almost twenty years after its inception, Hobo International has gone from a small, one-woman company to a luxury lifestyle brand known across the United States and Europe.