TSW Spotlight: Our Favourite Small Businesses in December 2021

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... and the dreamiest one too! This month we’ve taken a bit of a different spin and have gone through specifically sneaker-scene related brands, but trust us, we’ve covered A LOT of ground.

The best part however, all of these brands and products are multi-season staples. So if your Christmas wish list has no space left (we get it, same), we truly believe some of these will be the top of your 2022 must-have list.

Can’t wait to find out what we’ve got for you? Then keep on reading!

Handcrafted *clap* basketball *scream* bags

The brand started from a t-shirt design and only then moved on to the first ever basketball bag: the Nike Mini. Kelly, the founder of TOMME, says that she spent years perfecting her products and selling them on various platforms like Etsy. However, the brand as we see it now started in 2019.

“TOMME really started as a hobby,“ says Kelly. “When I began making the basketball bags it was for myself and my friends, I never set out to have a business. It was purely as an outlet to create the ideas I had in my head and the business side has grown organically. I always wanted to sell what I was making and for people to enjoy the product, so now it's the community and the customers that inspire me to keep creating and keep the business going.“

TOMME (pronounced “Tom”) offers a blend of masculinity and femininity by turning an item that’s originally rooted in a male-dominated field into a bold, unisex piece of art.

Kelly has a personal love for the game as a fan and a player, so creating basketball bags has been her way of paying homage to the sport.

“The first version was terrible and it's evolved so much since then,” says Kelly. “It's taken a while to work out which basketballs work and which don't, and how to avoid denting etc., so there has been a lot of trial and error and developing a process to produce the best product (and that’s still evolving even now).”

TOMME is already getting lots of attention and has already ticked off collabs with beasts like adidas, Warner Bros and Selfridges. If this already sounds like a dream to you, then get ready because TOMME’s aspirations don’t stop here. Kelly says that one of her dream collabs would be to work with the Jordan Brand, and frankly, we feel like this would be the ULTIMATE collab for TOMME. All we can say for now? Watch this space!

No matter how tomboy-ish or girly, these bags are for anyone who loves streetstyle and wants to stand-out. This is for someone who can appreciate not just fashion, but also art and craftsmanship, because it takes A LOT to turn a ball into something so beautiful.

TOMME bags are all made to order and also have a vegan option upon request. So make sure you don’t wait too long if you’re planning on getting one for yourself or your bestie!

“If it’s your passion just start working on it in any way you can. Sometimes it's just about taking the leap - making that first sample, experimenting with your concept, sharing it on social media to get feedback, reaching out to someone for advice or a mentor. It has to come from the heart: starting and running a business in the beginning is a 24/7 job as it is just you. It is a passion, so if you don't love it you will get burnt out.”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommestudio/

Website: www.tommestudio.com

Custom sweets for all occasions

Run by two sisters Lairab and Laika, LAXStardust was founded in 2016. They made lemonade out of life’s lemons - but better!

“This is so unconventional, but it was actually heartbreak,” says Lairab has she explains their inspiration to start the brand. “We were both going through break-ups at the time, and as cliché as it sounds, we were sat in front of the TV at 3am with a tub of Ben and Jerrys watching Means Girls. The girl power kicked in and we decided to get a grip and channel this energy into our new idea, instead of investing anymore time into floods of tears and barrels of ice cream!”

LAX are the initials of both sisters: “We’re both L.A, the X stands for the unknown (like the value of X in maths)”. LAXSTARDUST, or LAX, is all about the fun, sass and a sprinkle of boujie, so the first ever product came to us as no surprise: “it was our sparkling lollipop. This is one of the coolest things we ever invented. It’s literally a personalised lollipop with a mini sparkler, it brings the wow factor to events/parties.”

LAX has already traveled the world and participated at events in London and NYC, as well as collaborated with Selfridges, blogger Sheikh Beauty and several hotels in London just to name a few. However, our personal favourite has to be LAX’s collab with Mario Dedivanovic and Kim Kardashian for one of their masterclasses at the PlayStation Theater in NYC!

“We’ve always been a tad boujie and would love to collab with some celebs for their upcoming music tours like Adele, Drake and Kanye etc”, says Lairab. So if you’re an artist going on tour, or just throwing a party and need a unique, Kim K-level merch idea - this is your sign.

With a wide range of options, the brand offers FREE customisation provided by in-house designers with backgrounds in animation, illustration and graphic design. Their products aim to be as accessible as possible, so everything is vegan too!

This one is for the sweet-tooths in your life, and those who like to live their life a bit extra. Or someone who needs that added sparkle and a pick-me-up. Sweets are a great way to cheer up anyone’s day, and what could possibly be better than a fancy lollipop that looks almost too good to eat!

“You don’t need to work hard, you need to work smart. Do this by finding your niche and believing you’re the best in the business – your mind is a powerful tool. Be prepared to have thick skin because a lot of people out there will try to replicate your business and the products you sell, this is why it’s important to believe in everything you do, as it will eliminate any competition.”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laxstardust/

Website: www.laxstardust.com

Re-worked Nike socks, totes and bucket hats to fulfil all your aesthetic dreams!

Started during the first lockdown in 2020, Sophie - the owner - has made it her goal to create the accessories that would go well with her own sneaker collection.

“My first products were actually pastel tie-dyed Nike socks,” says Sophie. “However, I've seen this done before and wanted to quickly establish a niche and develop a neutral-themed brand instead, which is what we're now known for! The Earth, Oatmeal and Bone are now our bestsellers. I also sell them in a bundle called 'Send Nudes', which have been flying off the shelves since they hit the market.”

But Sophie’s ties to the industry go beyond SS.LAM. While caring 24/7 for her business, on weekends she also works at a leading sneaker shop in London, which allows her to stay very involved and aware of the scene and key trends. “It was my passion for sneakers and fashion that lead up to the creation of SS.LAM, and I’m super grateful to be able to do what I do everyday and to share it with others!”

Currently SS.LAM is going through a major change - moving from being a ‘bedroom business’, to owning a very own studio! “I've been working from home since the start, but with the support of all my followers and customers, I've had the greatest opportunity to expand the business.”

Next year’s plans are even better: Sophie is aiming to work in collaboration with other small businesses and charities, as well as hopefully get her pieces out to the high street shelves.

As a business, SS.LAM is also striving to be as sustainable as possible. Since these pieces are handmade there’s sometimes an ‘oops’ here and there. However, none of these go to waste. All pieces that haven’t passed the quality-check for sale are donated to charities or sold to customers at a discounted rate. Alongside this, all orders come in plastic-free and eco-friendly packaging.

And it doesn’t stop there - SS.LAM works closely with the non-profit organisation, One Tree Planted. Can it get any better than this?

You can read more on the brand’s sustainability pledge here.

Well, who doesn’t need socks? Maybe this is for someone who loves to wear a lot of colour, or someone who is stuck in the white-sock ways and needs a little help getting out of their comfort zone! Either way, these neutral tones will be the perfect addition to anyone’s wardrobe.

“GO FOR IT! No idea is a bad idea. Believe in yourself and your products/services and the support will follow. Sometimes business is slow, but with determination, you'll get through it if you stay focused on what you're trying to achieve. If you love what you do, where's the down side?”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sslam.london/

Website: www.ss-lam.com

Prints, stickers and calendars for the real sneaker enthusiast in your life

The start of her journey Caitlin - the artist - describes as “purely accidental”. To fill time during the first lockdown Cait started teaching herself illustration. After receiving requests to create prints with her artwork, she managed to take it from there to now and is currently doing it full time!

Her first ever product was the Travis Scott medley print, but since then her offering has massively expanded: besides prints, you can also find sneaker-themed stickers and calendars in her shop.

This year Cait had the amazing opportunity to work with Nike, and she says that she’d love to work with them again. “My dream would be to collaborate with them on my own sneaker and see that release,” says Cait, and to be honest, now this is our dream too. Where do we pre-order!?

The sneaker and street-culture lovers, collectors, and THAT friend who has all their favourite posters hung up in the room. Surely they’ll find the space for another one!

“My main piece of advice: just go for it! It will never feel like 'a good time' to start, so if you’re passionate about an idea you just need to put things in motion and the rest will come. You’ll most likely make mistakes but you’ll learn along the way and it’s such a rewarding experience.

Some other advice: whatever you choose to do, stay consistent and don’t underestimate the power in writing down your goals. ”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createdby.cait/

Website: https://createdbycait.bigcartel.com/

Handmade sneaker candles of our dreams

It was during one of the lockdowns when Kyara, founder of Kyri Studio, got inspired by the bubble candle trend that took over everyone’s Instagram feeds. “I became interested in candle making but I didn't want to make candles that everybody made,” says Kyara. She wanted to incorporate her obsession with sneakers and decided to try turning baby sneakers into candles. “After posting a picture of the candle on my Instagram, my DMs blew up with questions asking if they could buy one from me. This inspired me to start my own business in creating and selling sneaker candles,“ she says.

When thinking about the first product, Kyara decided to go with a well-known classic silhouette. “My first product was the AF1 sneaker candle. I wanted to make something that was inspired by a commonly known sneaker all over the world. I ended up buying a baby Nike Air Force 1 and created a candle out of it.”

Kyri Studio has already made waves in the local sneaker scene with some exciting collaborations - including one with JD Sports for their Christmas campaign! Her products are also being sold in local sneaker shops, so the brand expansion doesn’t stop.

Kyara’s dream collab would be one with a cult-favourite brand, Nike. “Nike inspired candles are my personal favourite, it would be an honour to collaborate with Nike for a special-edition candle.” Who else is up for a Nike-exclusive candle? I know we are 100% here for it.

Every candle is hand-poured by Kyara, and because of the unique shapes of the candles this process takes time, precision and lots of attention to detail. Every candle is also unique in its colour, as those may vary due to the hand-crafting process. And when it comes to sustainability, Kyri Studio also ticks the box: “we choose to use rapeseed wax for our candles because it is natural, vegan, sustainable, animal friendly, and has a reduced carbon footprint. This makes our candles eco-friendly,” says Kyri Studio’s “About” page.

Kyri Studio describes themselves as something “born out of boredom, and continued with passion”, and we can feel that passion even through our phone screens.

The friend who enters every pastel sneaker raffle when they already have a wall full of pinks, lilacs and blues. Someone whose life motto is “omg CUTE”, and those who need that little extra warmth and light.

“I always had the dream of having my own business but was afraid of doing it. I did a lot of research on starting your own business including asking friends and family with their own businesses, which helped me a lot. I also feel like it is important to know your strengths and how you can differentiate yourself from others. Finally, I would say that the online environment and social media are extremely important. It is important to stay active and benefit from all the different tools that social media platforms offer. For me, it is a 24/7 job but I couldn't love it more!”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyri.studio/

Website: https://kyristudio.com/

And that’s it for December, and 2021! If you’d like to get even more small-biz inspo, make sure you check out November’s TSS Spotlight. Happy Holidays!