Our 2023 Recap

A year of beautiful brand adventures 

It's happened again, a whole year has swept by. I know this time of year can be a bit difficult and there’s so much pressure to quickly get those pesky New Years resolutions in. Everyone seems to get so caught up in finding ways to improve the year ahead that they seem to forget to appreciate the year they have had.

So instead of jumping forward, I wanted to do something a bit different, and take a moment to look back and really appreciate all the incredible memories we have made at AcaciaZuri this year. This year has been one of the most challenging ones yet, but also somehow the most magical and rewarding.  

So buckle up and join us for a ride through the 2023 AcaciaZuri memory bank.

We started the beginning of last year as we meant to go on: in style. Because what could possibly make life better than combining skiing and pyjamas? This led to a lot of compliments on the slopes and the most comfortable ski wear we could possibly have dreamed of. 

We decided 2023 was the year for a pyjama party on the mountains 🏔️ 💫

This picture was taken on my Iphone whilst I was back home in Zambia. I think that this effectively sums up just how breathtaking African sunsets can be. There is nothing in the world quite like an African sunset. These beautiful colours have always been such a big part of my design inspiration. I was lucky enough to go back to Zambia to spend some time where I grew up, surrounded by wildlife and sunset splendours.  

In my family, we have a strong tradition of watching the sunset every night on the deck overlooking the Zambezi river - usually with a glass of wine, because a splendid sunset deserves to be toasted to. 

As many of you will know, African wildlife is a defining feature of my AcaciaZuri designs. In January last year I went on a camping adventure (which is a bit outside my comfort zone, I'm more of a glamping kind of girl.)

However, being fully immersed in nature and seeing these wondrous animals up close definitely made the whole trip worth while. So much so, that I am returning this year for round 2! 

Last year we made our first ever appearance at Badminton Horse Trials. This was quite the adventure as I convinced some friends to come out and join me where we were camping for a week. After my last camping trip, I assumed I would now be a pro. It didn't take long for the realisation to kick in that camping in Africa and England are two very different experiences. 

There were certainly less deadly animals roaming around, but unfortunately I massively underestimated the cold weather. Our first night in our eight man tent had us huddled up in sleeping bags and fighting unashamedly over blankets. I guess in a way some could say this was a good team building exercise. Luckily we managed to bond over it, and I now look back on this week as one of my absolute favourite highlights of the year.  

 

 My absolute highlight this year has without a doubt been the gorgeous customers I have met along the way. I have genuinely met some of the most beautiful people, who have been so supportive and invested in my brand, and this has really given me that spark of motivation to believe in myself. 

Whilst at the Spirit of Christmas fair this year, my team and I met a lovely family who go to the fair every year together. I was soon chatting away to them about the brand story and how I grew up in Africa. I then found out that not only had they been to visit Livingstone - the country I grew up in - but they had actually rented out my house during their stay! On top of this, one of them had honeymooned at the lodge my dad set up when he first moved to Zambia. 

It was such an incredible moment to meet people who had experienced firsthand, the beautiful surroundings I grew up in that had inspired AcaciaZuri. Being able to connect with people who truly understood the story behind the brand and loved the designs as much as I had loved creating them, is a definite highlight of AcaciaZuri's 2023.