A note from Alzheimer's Research UK
Tikiboo is delighted to partner with Alzheimer's Research UK, the UK's largest dementia research charity. Find out more about our partnership in the guest blog from Alzheimer's Research UK below: "Alzheimer's Research UK is proud to be the official charity partner for Tikiboo in 2020. By supporting the UK's leading dementia research charity, you'll be raising much-needed funds and awareness for dementia research. But why is this so important? One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime unless we find life-changing preventions and treatments. So, Alzheimer's Research UK is committed to funding groundbreaking dementia research to make breakthroughs possible. But we need your support! That's why we've teamed up with Tikiboo to create a collection of activewear that will help to change lives. We hope you love all the amazing designs on offer, whether you go for the galactic Solar Comet, the colourful Alzheimer's Research UK polka-dots or the zesty #ShareTheOrange. With orange being the primary focus of the range, you may be asking 'what does an orange have to do with dementia?'.
The theme is in celebration of our #ShareTheOrange campaign, featuring Samuel L. Jackson. The campaign reveals that dementia is caused by physical diseases, most commonly Alzheimer's. A brain with Alzheimer's disease can weigh 140g less than a healthy one. That's about the weight of an orange. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to the collection now to kit yourself out for a dementia breakthrough! Each purchase of Tikiboo's Alzheimer's Research UK Collection will see a minimum of 20% of the RRP donated back to dementia research. Once again, a huge thank you from everyone here at Alzheimer's Research UK for supporting our cause, and we can't wait to see you all in your gear!
5 Years Of Tikiboo
5 years. Five years since I sat on our living room sofa with a laptop (in Ashford, Surrey), clicked the 'publish' button in nervous anticipation and launched the Tikiboo website into existence. With few products to promote and limited stock, we didn't quite know what to expect. With only 5 orders in February 2015, we knew this project would be an uphill struggle, but an exciting challenge all the same. At the time we had no idea that we'd still be running the website 5 months later, let alone 5 years! We had no plan to become a brand (an online shop selling other brands was the initial intention; the original name in 2014 was Tikiboo Boutique for this reason), but through the support of our amazing customers, we (somehow) became one.
What went from being something Faye and I could work on for a few hours in the evenings soon completely took over our lives (to the point that we had to leave our day jobs and dedicate all of our spare time to Tikiboo). From modelling and photography to social media and customer service, to product development and design, to website updates and packing orders, the 2 of us worked relentlessly to keep the business growing. There were points when I often worked 20 hour days to keep up with the workload (I'd like to say that this has changed now that we have a team, but as everything has become a-million-times-busier, I still find myself working late at night trying to keep things running smoothly!) Admittedly, I never quite understood the appeal of colourful leggings initially. Not being from a fitness background, I couldn't quite work out why our Tikiboo products were popular (not that I was complaining as I was grateful for the custom, but I was also puzzled).
I appreciated the products from a design perspective (coming from a creative background), but wearing them? I didn't get it. Aside from Faye championing colourful leggings to every fitness class you can ever imagine, I didn't see many people wearing clothing like Tikiboo in 2015 (the landscape has changed somewhat nowadays!) However, when I started seeing customer photos across social media hashtags showing their enjoyment from Tikiboo products, and the brand itself, it all started to make sense.