What started as a dream to globally impact others led to a 23-year-old fashion designer landing a multi-million dollar deal with Shark Tank entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary. Tristen Ikaika, owner and founder of his eponymous fashion brand, saw a distinct vision of interconnecting mental health awareness within the scope of fashion. After going through a rough patch, the rising “ring king” described how his life immediately changed after seeing his father undergo negative health conditions that severely impacted Ikaika’s mental health.
“My dad kind of had some health challenges when I was in fifth grade and then again when I was a junior in high school. I think it kind of gave me a different lens on how I saw life,” Ikaika said. “Life, it’s just so short and it’s not really fair. Like, we all get dealt different cards, and I’m very grateful for the ones I’ve been dealt. But, you know, they’ve been hard and taught me things that I don’t think I would’ve learned the other way. After I graduated high school, I really did not know what I was going to do with my life.”
Subsequently, within a year of his father undergoing severe health conditions, his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. “When I go to the core of why. Why me? Why did I start this brand? I always go back to my parents’ health issues. And then my mom had breast cancer that same year, and I was like ‘OK, what do I really want out of life?’ Because tomorrow isn’t promised. Like, I could die walking out of here,” Ikaika said. After undergoing a series of inner turmoil, Ikaika saw a lasting dream he did not know was possible. It all started with the craftsmanship of turning everyday cutlery into detailed rings that were inquired about by friends, family and others.
Ikaika’s presence, ever so confident yet ever so humble, transcended through an interpersonal way as we talked about the importance design plays within a person’s life and the way they express themselves. His rings not only sparked his passion for talking about his journey but also sparked conversations from others urging the designer to start his own business and later take his idea to one of the most lucrative entrepreneurship television shows to date.
“Someone had commented on one of my pictures and they’re like, ‘Does anyone know where he gets his rings?’ And something about the way that was worded, I was just like, ‘Oh, people would actually buy them,’ he said. “Sometimes, I really didn’t know what I was doing, and I felt like this was all crashing. My friends, my family and other entrepreneurs told me, ‘You’re killing it. You’re putting your heart and soul into these products and you’re seeing a response.’ They told me to just keep going and, you know, lean into the things that made me feel good. I think it’s really those conversations and just being able to connect with those people helped to fulfill me and led me to just keep going.”
He had 90 seconds to pitch his vision to "Shark Tank" entrepreneurs.
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Much like having to prepare for an interview to land a dream job, Tristen had 90 seconds to present his resume orally to a set of wealthy millionaires. The designer recalled his experience of landing an open casting call and everything that followed before his deal with Kevin O’Leary.
“Going in there and presenting my business and myself so vulnerably, you’re kind of just like, ‘Ok, how are you guys going to throw me around?’ Like, I remember when I came down the hall, just thinking, am I the joke? Like, I’m the one they’re going to rip apart and make for good television.
“But after I landed the deal with Kevin and went through that whole in-the-tank intenseness, I was just like, I couldn’t believe it. I was like, my body kind of went into shock,” said the designer while fiddling with his rings. “It was really weird. And like, I remember the producers were like, ‘Are you okay?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know what just happened.'”
His collections promote mental health awareness and empowerment.
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His collection Are You Okay highlights a much-needed conversation surrounding mental health by asking real questions, and in turn, sparking conversation for real answers.
“I think giving people a moment to feel seen and also to feel like someone is there for them is extremely important to me. Sometimes you don’t know what you need. You kind of just need someone to cry with you. You don’t need advice. You don’t need them to bring you dinner. You just need someone to be there with you. So yeah, I wanted to put that into the apparel,” Ikaika told Blavity.
“I think consumers are sick of buying just products and other people are sick of making just products. At least I am, so I’m making products with a deeper intention. Yeah, That’s everything to me.”
His rings sold out the first night they were released.
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Before Tristen landed on Shark Tank, his brand hit massive success and reached an influx in sales. His keen attention to detail helped to promote his brand on a broad scale that appealed to consumers from all walks of life. With jewelry and fashion being pivotal forms of self-expression, Tristen saw the potential in connecting with others through interpersonal designs that are just as unique as his customers.
“People were waiting for this. And the first night they sold out and I was like, ‘Wow, I really just sold 155 rings and made four grand straight out of high school.’ It felt like I had enough to just retire now,” he said. “So, I got to work by making them for other people. And I was like, “I’ll do it again next week. And then next week.’ And we’ll kind of see how long this goes, and then it just evolved. It’s been four years and we’re still seeing a lot of influx.”
Whether it was the critical point of experiencing life-changing hardships, Tristen’s monumental moment of securing a deal on Shark Tank or the high demand for ready-to-wear accessories through an ongoing pandemic, Tristen Ikaika needs no introduction for seamlessly building and sustaining a multimillion-dollar empire at just 23 years old. His advice for budding creatives wishing to live their dreams is to “just throw yourself off that cliff of starting. I wish everyone could see their fullest potential and harness it. Just start. It will be really hard, but you can do it.”
