It's hard to believe, but we're getting close to our first anniversary.
It feels like the perfect time to look back, celebrate how far we've come, and share why we've decided to rebuild our website.
A year ago, Labö Made was just two tables at a small pop-up market.
Back then, we had just over 100 patch designs, a big idea, and absolutely no clue where this journey would take us.
To be honest, we were nervous.
We kept asking ourselves the same questions. Would anyone stop by? Would people understand what we were trying to do? Would anyone actually want to customise something with us?
We still remember our very first customer. It was just one sale, but to us, it meant the world. Looking back now, it's funny how one small moment gave us the confidence to keep going.
Of course, not everything went smoothly.
There were quiet market days, products that didn't quite work out, late nights sorting stock, and plenty of mistakes along the way. We've learnt so much over the past year, and honestly... we're still learning every day.
From those two tables, we somehow ended up opening our own studio in Manchester.
Our little patch collection has grown from just over 100 designs to more than 500, and along the way we've introduced tote bags, notebooks, passport covers, keyrings, pouches and lots of other products to personalise. Every time we thought, "Wouldn't it be fun if we could personalise this too?", it somehow ended up becoming part of Labö Made.
The best part, though, has never been the number of patches or products.
It's the people.
Some of you found us at our very first pop-up. Some discovered us through markets and events. Some popped into our Manchester studio by chance and have been coming back ever since.
It might sound a little cliché, but seeing someone's face light up after they've finished creating something of their own genuinely never gets old.
Watching someone spend ages choosing patches, changing their mind five times (we've all been there), then finally walking away with something completely unique... that's still our favourite part of every day.
Those moments remind us why we started Labö Made in the first place.
As we get closer to our first anniversary, we wanted to celebrate with something a little special.
So... welcome to our brand new website!
This isn't just a fresh design. We've completely rebuilt it to make it easier to browse our growing collection, discover new ideas, and hopefully make shopping online feel a little more like visiting our studio.
We know not everyone gets the chance to visit us in Manchester, especially our customers from other parts of the UK and around the world. While nothing can truly replace choosing patches in person, we hope our new website brings a little bit of the Labö Made experience to you, wherever you are.
We'll also be sharing inspiration, behind-the-scenes moments, creative ideas, and little updates here from time to time, so this is only the beginning.
If you've supported us over the past year, thank you.
Whether you visited one of our very first pop-ups, stopped by our studio, placed an online order, recommended us to a friend, or simply followed our journey, thank you for being part of it.
And if things haven't always been perfect, thank you for sticking with us too. We're a small independent business, and we're constantly learning, improving and trying new things. Your support, patience and feedback have helped shape Labö Made into what it is today, and we genuinely couldn't have done it without you.
Here's to our first year, our new website, and everything that's still to come.
We can't wait to continue creating with you.
With love,
Niko & Maz