Pet-a-porter
When designer Carol embroidered pictures of her beloved dog on to cushions and jumpers she couldn’t have dreamt that it would be the start of a thriving business that has attracted a star following
BY BRIAN McIVER FASHION designer Carol Tai missed her dog more than she imagined when she moved to London from Scotland.
She tried to cheer herself up by embroidering pictures of her beloved collie Koko on to cushions and jumpers – and then had the idea of offering the service to paying customers.
But she never dreamt that it would lead to a thriving business backed by some of the most stylish women in the country.
Carol, 34, draws images of people’s pets – from cats, dogs and rabbits to bearded dragons and hedgehogs – and then creates fabulous fashion accessories featuring them.
Her business, Hoop n Loop, has attracted support from stars such as Lauren Laverne and Sharleen Spiteri within the first year and has been inundated with orders – and she owes it all to her dog.
Carol said: “I got Koko after uni. She was a birthday present and became a big part of my life when I was trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life.
“Most of the opportunities in fashion are in London. I was doing a lot of interning for designers and then took a job pattern cutting, the more technical side of fashion. I still do that freelance, but Hoop n Loop is expanding quickly, so I am concentrating on this.
“I started the business just over a year ago. I was missing Koko and I was kind of making stuff for myself and then for my mum for Christmas.
“Koko’s a collie, too hyper for London. She is with my mum in Scotland at the moment and she’ll bring her down soon for a visit.
“For nine months, I was testing out stuff, did more courses, invested in an embroidery machine and started up the business.”
Carol got her big breakthrough when she attracted a celebrity following.
She supports animal welfare foundation Wild at Heart, who help strays around the world, and the charity’s boss Nikki Tibbles introduced her work to Texas star Sharleen earlier this year.
Carol said: “Nikki is friends with Sharleen and she really loved the jumper, so wanted to get one, and then Lauren Laverne wanted one as well.”
The two stars showed off Carol’s creations on Instagram and word spread quickly.
She said: “I just sent them the jumper, I didn’t even have to ask them to post pictures. It was lovely, I was over the moon.
“I wasn’t expecting that, so it was such a nice feeling to see that happen.
“I’ve had a lot more followers on Instagram and I got quite a few orders through them.”
Customers send Carol photos of their pet and pick a product to have the image placed on, such as a jumper, cushion or a tote bag.
She then sketches it on an iPad, digitises the image and puts it through an embroidery machine.
As well as selling via her website, she goes to trade and fashion shows, such as the SAMPLE Greenwich Peninsula event in London next March.
She is also hoping to break into the US market by visiting American shows in the near future.
For more information, visit hoopnloop.co.uk.