Our Story

 

It all started when our founder, Aksha stumbled upon this idea while doing her university thesis. Upon conducting various primary and secondary research it was found that cotton waste was a huge contributor to landfill – so the concept of Tikauo was born out of the need for a more sustainable future for cotton manufacturing industry. The idea was simple -  to take the cotton waste and recycle them to create a more practical and sustainable fibre for the future.

Hailing from a family who are one the largest Textile Manufactures in South India, she was no stranger to the intricacies of the weaving and fabric design world. She took the idea back to her family run mill in south India and worked towards developing handwoven home textiles made of recycled cotton.

Vishnu is an engineer by profession and was constantly driven by new ideas and innovation. So the couples mutual love for interior design and sustainable living gave this brand a strong environmental ethos.  

Like every business there were many road blocks, trials and tribulations that went into getting the brand started.  The biggest challenge was perfecting the fibre which was entirely made from recycled cotton and recycled PET bottles. It took many iterations to create the perfect woven fabric that was machine washable, environmentally friendly and suitable for indoor and outdoor use. When they look back, each day was an adventure that they were lucky enough to experience and learn from.

Today, Tikauo’s team are excited to offer beautiful home textiles made entirely of sustainable fibres which are durable and environment friendly. All the products are designed in Tikauo’s London Studio and handmade in India at co operatives who pledge to offer better economic and working condition for all their employees.

As all the products are ethically made, every product is different and every detail that goes into it has a story to tell. They are handmade , ethical and sustainable – that is truly what Tikauo is all about.