In October, NIKIN celebrates its 4th anniversary. But how did it all begin? A look back at four eventful years surrounding the NIKIN fir tree.
It all started four years ago. On October 20, 2016, two friends, Nicholas and Robin, who have known each other since childhood and get along well, met for a beer in Lenzburg. The meeting had a reason: they had long wanted to get something done together, to start a joint project.
The inventive spirit was probably already instilled in the cradle
Nicholas started his own small project in 2013 while still studying business. Under the name "NIKIT," he designed and sold black gym bags emblazoned with his own logo. The popular bags were a huge hit with his friends and acquaintances, and the few hundred bags sold out in no time. His success didn't go unnoticed; it wasn't long before a world-renowned snowboard brand from Iceland asked him to stop producing under the name "NIKIT" for trademark protection. He was forced to temporarily put his booming project on hold.
Robin, originally a trained automotive mechatronics engineer, lacked the creativity he'd always oozed from his childhood in his job, so in 2015 he decided to take a new path in life. He earned his vocational baccalaureate, completed the preparatory design course with flying colors, and began studying industrial design. He had never enjoyed school so much before – now he could finally give free rein to his creativity. The language stay in Canada broadened his horizons even further. The breathtaking nature and the gigantic forests of Canada inspired him and, as it later turns out, also the idea that had been slumbering within him.
Back then, Nicholas and Robin shared the sleigh, now it is their joint venture.
A name and logo are needed
So they came together: the shelved label "NIKIT" and the inventive spirit brimming with ideas. Outside, the autumn weather raged, winter approached, and that's when the idea that would make waves was born. The two considered:
“How about our own fashion label and winter hats for all our friends?”
But it wasn't supposed to be just a regular beanie; the market was already completely saturated. The two former Boy Scouts and skaters continued their studies.
“Why not plant a tree for every beanie sold?”
But how could that work? The two googled and found the perfect solution: OneTreePlanted, a US-based non-profit organization that plants trees worldwide. A request for collaboration followed.
“What do we want to call the hat?”
"Hmm, it's a beanie and we're planting a tree to go with it... how about "Treeanie"?"
“And what does our logo look like?”
Robin scribbled on a napkin a narrow fir tree with a long trunk – like the thousands he had seen in Canada.
“But what should the whole thing actually be called?”
“Why don’t we just replace the letter ‘T’ with an ‘N’ – NIKIN – the combination of Nicholas and Robin.”
This is roughly how the first meeting of the new business partners in the pub went, and then things really got started.
Preparations are in full swing
With a budget of just 5,000 Swiss francs saved up and no real fashion know-how, the two guys started their own business. Creating designs and selecting materials (first, they had to figure out how to do that), finding producers, setting up a website with an online shop, creating social media channels, taking product photos, and setting up logistics. These were the first tasks the two worked on late into the night alongside their full-time studies. On December 11, 2016, the moment finally arrived: the website went live!
The first photo shoot in the improvised studio in Robin's garage.
The rush is growing
The first NIKIN release included the Treeanie in three colors and a new version of gym bags. The Treeanies were initially named after the locations where a tree was planted in collaboration with OneTreePlanted (Africa, Asia, Canada). At the start, the two had a total of 20 (!) of each color in stock. So, it all began with 60 Treeanies. Nicholas and Robin proudly packed the first orders that evening (almost exclusively from family and friends). Robin's childhood bedroom at his parents' house served as the logistics center. What a first day! All of his friends were now sporting a tree hat – and word got around. Demand continued to grow in the days that followed, and all of the Treeanies were sold out in no time.
A cry for help that is heard
The next supply of raw beanies without logos (then still from China) arrived about two weeks later. But the labels that would turn the raw beanies into Treeanies were still missing. Since neither Nicholas nor Robin knew how to operate a sewing machine, Robin's mother stepped in. Working long night shifts, she sewed one label after another onto the beanies. This continued for weeks, with demand steadily growing. In the early weeks, Robin's mother sewed several thousand Treeanies, which have since been shipped throughout Switzerland. Since then, a personalized tree certificate has been sent with each order, guaranteeing that a tree is actually planted.
Robin's mommy diligently sewed the labels onto the raw beanies.
The logistical and communication effort grew, and so Robin's brothers, Lester and Jeffrey, were brought on board to help. Shortly afterwards, the new NIKIN headquarters was set up in a small rented space in the neighboring village – where farmers' wives had previously sold their vegetables. There, the first external employees, Jonas and Regula, were also trained. Later, Nicholas' wife Carla also jumped on board and has been keeping an eye on NIKIN's finances ever since. Orders piled up day by day, and so we staffed the local post office several times a day with hundreds of packages, which were now being sent to places we had never heard of before. We were probably the best customers there, because shortly after we moved away, the post office had to close. More and more people from all over Switzerland wanted to wear a tree hat, and to this day, seeing a stranger on the street with our Treeanie on their head for the first time remains one of the best feelings I've ever had.
So we went to the post office several times a day.
It goes steeply uphill
Over the months and years, we've not only expanded our product range with various new products such as hoodies, shirts, socks, and much more, but have also largely achieved our original goal of fair and sustainable production. Today, we produce almost exclusively in Europe, using certified sustainable materials.
With the rebranding in summer 2018, the old NIKIN logo disappeared and made way for our flagship – the NIKIN fir tree. The move to the larger premises of Wisa-Gloria in Lenzburg enabled further growth. Many new, motivated employees were hired. Today, NIKIN employs around 40 people who are driving the idea of cool and sustainable fashion forward. We remain innovative, keep up with the times, and continue to deliver at full throttle.
The NIKIN Team 2019
Several visits to OneTreePlanted, where we also got involved and planted trees ourselves, further strengthened our collaboration. We've now planted almost 750,000 trees worldwide – and the number continues! Our online community has also grown significantly – there are now over 100,000 people on Instagram alone who follow and support us and our vision every day.
NIKIN visits OneTreePlanted 2019
So that's the story of how NIKIN came to be – in a nutshell. What was once a "small side project" has now become a full-time job that has completely turned the lives of the two founders upside down. Nicholas and Robin used to build cabins in the woods together; now they run their own company and grow their own forests all over the world. We raise a glass to four amazing years with NIKIN!
