Tiffanie Alice - The designer building her own universe one bag at a time!

For this episode we were joined by the wonderful Tiffanie Alice, the founder of Parallel x Studio, one of the most promising accessories brands in the UK right now. 

I first came across Tiffanie via Tiktok last year, the passion with which she endorsed her brand coupled with her transparency in sharing her life experiences endeared me to her. After doing some digging into Parallel and seeing all the amazing pieces she's created it was only a matter of time before I reached out and locked it in! From being deported from the UK, becoming Tumblr famous in Canada, then coming back to the UK and living the life she always imagined for herself - No stone was left unturned in this convo! 

Tiffanie shared how her Congolese upbringing, coupled in with her desire to be successful born out of financially difficulty and a God given eye for aesthetics, all played a role in where she's at today. She broke down her interesting design process that has led to iconic pieces such as the Betty and the Lolita bags, delving into the unique references that influence her creations. 

Since recording Tiffanie and Parallel have continued to go from strength to strength, I'm excited to see what she does next, particularly her in-person activations as her imagery lends itself very well to this. 

Follow Parallel x Studio to stay locked in to Tiffanie's brand building journey.

https://www.instagram.com/omgtiffanie/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/parallelxstudio/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@parallelxstudio?lang=en-GB

https://www.tiktok.com/@omgtiffanie?lang=en-GB

Chapters

• 0:40 Why Tiffanie’s Story Needed to Be Told
• 2:40 Growing Up Between Canada & London
• 3:35 How Being a Middle Child Sparked Creativity
• 7:03 Deported at 14: The Turning Point
• 9:30 Discovering Tumblr & Becoming a Style Voice
• 13:12 Why Being ‘Other’ Is Her Superpower
• 17:00 Congolese Style Icons & Cultural Pride
• 22:40 Mental Health & Launching Her First Brand
• 27:30 Fashion Helped Her Through Dark Times
• 33:40 Building Parallel x Studio From Scratch
• 36:00 How She Builds Worlds Through Fashion
• 39:40 Launching with a Capsule Collection
• 42:30 Why She’s Done Chasing Trends
• 45:38 Lolitta vs Betty: The Story Behind Her Bags
• 48:30 Knowing What Products to Make
• 50:10 Using Data to Understand Her Audience
• 53:25 How Social Media Helped Build Her Brand — No Ads Needed
• 58:40 What’s Next: Men’s Bags, Collabs & World Domination
• 1:00:40 How Imagery Sets Parallel Apart
• 1:14:40 Her One Piece of Advice: Be Consistent & Audacious