This year we are celebrating a momentous achievement! 2023 mark 10 years of Hiro + Wolf. That's a whole decade of colourful accessories, original designs, pawsome events and extending our pack! To celebrate, we asked our co-founders Amy and Bee to share some of their favourite memories from the past 10 years so that we could all look back on them together...
Back in August of 2019, we made the journey across the pond to launch our New York! New York! print in the big apple itself! We put on some furbulous social events in pawtnership with NYC's finest dog-furiendly establishments and made some friends for life! Some of our fondest memories from the trip were putting on events with Frankie Eats JC and Boris & Horton and getting to meet so many of our customers who live in The States! We even got to shoot our New York! New York! print with talented local photographer, Nuria using some of the adorable residents of Pupstarz Rescue as models.
We've also arranged some wonderful photoshoots over the years that have challenged our creativity and produced some amazing results. Our tiny team always pulls out all of the stops to bring our creative visions to life, no matter how wild they may be! Some of our best memories on set are shooting our Year of the Dog collection in China Town, London, back in 2018 with photographer Grey Dog Photo Studio and stylist Russell Philip Peek.
Another brilliant memory has to be our Wizard of Dog photoshoot! With our friend and resident photographer Ben Broomfield behind the camera and Amy's husband Freddy on prop design, this shoot came together thanks to the dedication of our pack. We were thrilled to see one of our customers even recreated the hot air balloon shot at home (thanks Anna!)
Collaboration is one of our favourite parts about owning a small business and Hiro + Wolf has seen plenty of collabs! We were fortunate enough to meet and work with Aries Moross after meeting them at our launch at Aria in Islington (more on that later!) Together we created such a fun collection that many of our customers still love to this day.
One of our favourite collaborative collections was with Dashing Tweeds for our Dashing Dogs Collection in 2016. The brainchild of Guy Hills and Kirsty McDougall, Dashing Tweeds' fabrics have been exhibited at the V&A and graced catwalks worldwide. It was such a joy working with them and we have some very fond memories of designing and shooting the collection.
Another amazing achievement for us was back in 2014, when the Royal Academy reached out to us and asked to stock Hiro + Wolf in their shop as part of their RAted range which was full of emerging British designers. This was a huge opportunity for us as an independent brand just starting out and we are so grateful to this day.
We've also been lucky enough to supply some of the world's best stockists. From independent pet boutiques all over the UK (and the rest of the globe!) to big names including Liberty and Selfridges, Hiro + Wolf accessories have graced the shelves of many an amazing shop. Being chosen to provide stock for a shop is always a wonderful achievement for us, and something we will never take for granted!
Another exciting opportunity for us was putting on our very own doggy fashion show in collaboration with The Athenaeum for London Fashion Week in 2015. We showcased our latest collection of luxurious pet accessories inspired by the 5* pet-friendly Athenaeum Hotel's opulent interiors. Two and four pawed guests to this exclusive press event were treated to canine inspired canapés including parmesan bone (shaped) biscuits, dog paw marshmallow cupcakes and hot-dog sausage rolls washed down with champagne.
In 2017 we undertook our biggest adventure yet - opening a new store in sunny Margate alongside our sister brand, AARVEN. We were overwhelmed by the love and support the local community of pet-lovers showed us and are thrilled to still see so many familiar faces to this day. Having a brick-and-mortar store is such a joy and meeting our canine and feline customers never fails to put a smile on all of our faces. On a personal note, Hiro and Wolf also loved retiring to the seaside and making new friends on the many sandy beaches by our store. Our seaside home continues to inspire us and may even be the theme of an exciting, upcoming collection...
Over the years, Hiro + Wolf has garnered the attention of many a celebrity fan! From online influencers including Jasmine Hemsley, Marcel Le Corgi and Puggy Smalls to radio presenters Emily Dean and Nick Grimshaw to TV stars Gok Wan and Katherine Ryan. It's still so exciting seeing our accessories on the big screen or printed on the front of a magazine cover!
For four weeks, the wonderful Aria London invited us to collaborate on an exclusive Dog House pop-up shop featuring our pet accessories! Not only that, the pop-up event was featured in the Evening Standards Top 5 Things to see in May. It was such an incredible opportunity and we were lucky enough to meet lots of new friends and extend our pack! Our co-founder Bee fondly remembers the launch, which she could not attend as she was camping on the side of a mountain in Kenya!
Seeing our products and brand featured in fashion publications, lifestyle magazines and television shows around the globe is always so exciting! From GQ to Elle Decoration, Japan to the UK, Hiro + Wolf has gained significant media attention worldwide! It is always an honour to be featured and we are so grateful for every publication that has chosen us.
Another of our favourite parts of having our own small business is taking it on the road! Whether it is events we organise ourselves or ones we are invited to take part in, there's nothing better than visiting somewhere new and introducing the brand to people and their pets all over the country. Some highlights for us include launching the inaugural Dog Brunch at Savage Garden, Fur the Love of Dog show with our friends Good Time Gals, our annual Easter Treasure Hunt for dogs, various Doga classes and of course the fabulous festive event with The Ivy Social Club at the end of last year!
