CEO STORY
Hello, my name is Nicki founder of TweedLaBel, its lovely to meet you, Today I’m writing my first ever blog I really hope you enjoy..
Born in Jamaica, As a child I loved making clothes for my dolls, using old bed sheets, curtains and all sorts of scrap materials I could find around the house, I taught myself how to sew by watching my aunt that raised me , who was a dress maker in our community. I then moved to the UK aged 10 to live with my father
I didn’t enjoy my secondary school years. I couldn’t see the point in most of the subjects I was required to study and at the age of 18, I moved to London in order to broaden my horizons and it was then that my interest in fashion and in developing a business of my own began to emerge.
Looking back, a critical inflection point was enrolling in a course at the London College of Fashion. This was the first time in my life that I found studying interesting and relevant. I knew even back then that I didn’t want to merely work in fashion… I wanted to build something of value where I could be my own boss and where my mistakes and successes were mine and mine alone.
I was hungry (something I now realise is a critical ingredient to become a successful entrepreneur). Working 9-5 for someone else was never for me but in truth it would be a lot easier, less risky, but way less fun and rewarding. For anyone thinking of starting their own business, whether in fashion or something else, be prepared for it to become an obsession, something you live and breathe 24/7
In the early days I worked two jobs to fund my entrepreneurial ambitions. A shot girl (waitress) in the Westend and a self-employed beauty therapist (which ended up being extremely helpful in-terms of the networks that I built). often visiting clients in their stunning homes, attending fashion events , working on film sets with A list celebrities such as Daniel Craig (James Bond), Uma Thurman, Pippa Vosper and many others, providing luxury beauty treatments. Attending these events as a beauty therapist really exposed me to the spectacular wonderland of London fashion. In particular, I became drawn to the timeless elegance and sophistication of tweed.
Like most of us I couldn’t afford to spend thousands of pounds on an outfit but wanted the Chanel look and so began to search online and in-store for that special tweed jacket, suit or dress that would project to the world what I was feeling inside: “I am a beautiful and confident woman”!
With the exception of a few isolated pieces carried by high street retailers or ‘fast fashion’ sites, I quickly discovered that finding the ‘Chanel look’ at an affordable price was much more difficult than I had imagined. It was at this moment the idea for TweedLaBel – a brand dedicated to lovers of tweed (like me) was born.
TweedLaBel isn’t my first attempt at building a fashion brand. I have had two prior attempts, neither of which were successful, but like most entrepreneurs will tell you, it is rare to strike success at your first attempt and the key is to learn from your mistakes and then channel this learning into your next project. For me the biggest learning was that in the ubiquitous world of fast and affordable fashion that we live in, to be successful as a new entrant, it is helpful beyond measure to be distinctive or niche.
Nothing in life that is worth anything comes without struggle (or so I have come to learn) and in 2018 with work and stress levels running high I was diagnosed with Lupus (a rare and chronic autoimmune disease that affects the bodies major organs). To be honest this rocked me to the core. Amongst other symptoms, I began to lose my hair (Alopecia) and developed lesions on my skin. As a product of the Instagram generation where beauty standards are distorted anyway, my self-confidence took a big hit and it is only recently that I have come to terms with my condition and realise that I am still beautiful (inside and out). TweedLabel has been a big factor in this as it has kept me busy and focused through the pandemic.
About the Brand
At TweedLaBel you will find one thing and one thing only…TWEED!... tweed, jackets, tweed suits and tweed dresses. Rather than spending valuable time trawling through sites just to find that one piece, only to find that it’s not quite the colour of style you really wanted, at TweedLaBel we curate tweed collections that mean there’s generally something for everyone’s style and tastemakers.
Not only did I want to make my brand to be accessible I want my customers to receive all the benefits of a luxury brand without the huge price tag, superb customer service, amazing quality fashion tweed, beautifully packaging gift wrapped, a suit bag and a personal hand written thank you note from me as I want my customers to have a personalised shopping experience and a very generous return policy. 
After testing several manufacturers Around the globe (and rejecting 90% of the samples we were sent), we have developed a relationship with a single manufacturer working together every step of the way to fullfill the final products to ensure the best quality for you, then items are shipped directly to our headquarters here in the London and packed with love, making sure that each garments is of the finest quility and shipped within 3-5 days working days of placing your order
Thank you for reading
