Why Elephants? The ‘Love’ in Love Brand

The Great Elephant migration kicked off this week with a fantastic event which brought together guests from the worlds of art, fashion, conservation, and philanthropy in a colourful celebration.

Art&Newport and Elephant Family threw the unforgettable cocktail soiree and multi-faith blessing ceremony on Monday and what a way to start the celebrations!

The vibrant afternoon included music and speeches and culminated in guests showering the herd with flower petals in a traditional Indian Puja ceremony - a beautiful tribute to a shared love for nature and Mother Earth. Celebrating alongside us were the fabulous Hadi Falapishi, Waris Ahluwalia, Maddie Moon, Edith McBean, and Minnie Cushing, all dedicated champions of global conservation efforts.

Pictured left: Oliver Tomalin revisiting India with Elephant Family in 2024

Oliver's life-changing moments were all happening at once. That same year, Oliver met his now wife Rose. Rose had recently been in Kenya visiting the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. So whilst on their first date, talking elephants, Oliver and Rose started designing the logo of two elephants forming a heart on the restaurant napkin. With a shared love of elephants, the beach and travelling the world, it was only a matter of months before the love-struck pair embarked on an enchanting journey to India. There, they witnessed Elephant Family’s on-the-ground efforts and met Tara, the elephant heroine of Mark Shand’s epic tale, Travels on My Elephant. This journey cemented their brand's mission and Love Brand was born. Oliver and Rose still run the family-owned brand, blending their love of wildlife with their love of the beach.

Pictured right: Oliver and Rose Tomalin with Tara the Elephant 2010

And not forgetting African elephants, Love Brand is also a long-standing supporter of Tusk Trust and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and their incredible conservation efforts across Kenya and East Africa. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's Orphans’ Project, is the world’s first and most successful elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. It operates alongside daily aerial units monitoring wildlife, deterring illegal activities, and providing swift responses to anti-poaching efforts, human-wildlife conflicts, and veterinary needs in the Tsavo Conservation Area and Lamu District. Their mission is to keep these gentle giants and other wildlife safe and thriving.

Our prints tell a story, raising awareness of conservation efforts around the world. Oliver hand-designs the prints, with his favourite being ‘Elephant Palace,’ an intricate print of elephants creating the illusion of majestic Indian palaces with their trunks.

“It encapsulates the style of my prints. From afar, they are geometric patterns, but on closer inspection, there is a story to be discovered. The animals are lost in my prints, as they are almost lost in the wild. Our mission is to do our bit to help ensure these wild animals and wild places still exist in the future.”