TOP ADVICE FROM A BRAND OF BROTHERS

INTRICATE Zoe at work in her studio Rob and Paul Forkan began their social-conscious fashion brand Gandys six years ago – a business helping others and born out of tragedy.

The brothers, from Croydon, South London, spent a lot of their childhood travelling in India. They lost their mum and dad to the Boxing Day tsunamis in 2004 and started Gandys (gandyslondon.com), with the dream of building children’s homes worldwide as a tribute to their parents. Now it’s grown from a flipflop brand to a lifestyle line with three London stores and two children’s homes built with another two on the way. Here Paul shares their tips and experience. Hard work and determination

It’s not an easy road so you need to be passionate about your goal.

You can’t see it as a job, it’s a lifestyle. We live and breathe all we do. We love design, travelling and seeing people in our latest creations. We are so determined to build the kids campuses and that is what drives us to design winning products. Standing Out

Most industries are very competitive so you need to ensure you stand out, have strong values and are not the same as everyone else, whether that’s a product or service.

We met royals at Buckingham Palace in flip-flops and shorts, while everyone else was in suits or ballgowns. We spent our first 18 months at festivals and talking at schools and corporate events to get our name out there.

Tips

■ You must be 110% passionate about what you are doing.

■ You need vision from the start – working with a partner/ family member will help drive it and share the ups and downs.

■ If you hit any walls with two, it’s easier to smash them down.

■ Ask for as much help as possible at the start and get out everywhere – you never know who you might meet. ■ NEVER give up. Just keep going back to the drawing board until you get it right.