Decorator Profile That’s one way to cure boredom!
Starting a clothing brand because you are bored, may not seem like the most conducive way to start a business. But, that’s just what two sisters from Glasgow did and they have become a hit on social media along the way. P&P editor Melanie Attlesey finds out more.
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et’s begin by turning back the clock to March 2020. I’m sure it’s a month we’d all rather forget, but just in case you need a reminder it’s when the UK was plunged into lockdown to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Like most of us, sisters Ayesha and Karima Hassan found themselves with more time on their hands than they knew what to do with. Having both worked in their mum Rebecca’s childrenswear business from a young age, the pair knew they always wanted to start some kind of fashion-related business together, but life just kept getting in the way. Lockdown provided them with the perfect opportunity to get started.
After doing their research and a trip to a little embroidery shop in Stirling, Ayesha and Karima bought their first single-head embroidery machine and launched Bored Angels – a range of sweatshirts and accessories aimed at the 20-something female market. “The name was the hardest thing to come up with,” says Karima. “We really were utterly bored and that was our inspiration behind the name.”
The modern way
As is the modern way, to get the brand out in the public domain Bored Angels joined the world of Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok. After just 18 short months on these platforms, the brand has amassed a huge 312k followers on Tik Tok alone, becoming something of a sensation promoting behind-the-scenes videos showcasing how their products are embroidered.
“There’s something really satisfying about watching an embroidery machine at work,” says Ayesha. “We get asked for these kinds of videos all the time!” One particular Tik Toker called Hannah Lowther, has posted a couple of videos to her 528k followers wearing a few of Bored Angels’ designs. Ayesha and
| 54 | March 2022 Ayesha and Karima Hassan of Bored Angels
Karima see an instant boost in sales whenever influencers on the social media platform wear their designs. “It’s so humbling seeing Tik Tokers wearing our products. In just a few taps we are getting millions of people watching our videos and thousands visiting our website. Our mum cannot fathom how it is possible to generate that amount of sales from one little video. We wouldn’t be where we are today without social media,” explains Ayesha.
You might think that the sisters give away their products for free to these influencers in return for promotion, but in reality, stars like Hannah purchase their own sweatshirts because they genuinely love the designs and choose to wear them in their videos. Ayesha and Karima were so humbled by the fact that Hannah had purchased one of their sweatshirts that they made her a customised one as a way to thank her and to congratulate her for her successes on Tik Tok. Hannah was just an ordinary girl who danced around in a Tesco uniform on Tik Tok before landing a starring role in a musical in the West End all because of her videos.
“Hannah is typical of our customers – just girls who want to express themselves in a quirky manner and not take themselves too seriously,” says Karima.
Another Tik Toker called The Folding Lady has also been spotted wearing the girl’s brand. “Again, this wasn’t
Bored Angels’ classic varsity design
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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