Dreamwear at the junction of Harpur Street and The Broadway, is celebrating its first anniversary.

It officially started in 2016 with a few t-shirts and hats, then ventured into pop-ups. But owner Tauseef was ambitious and this was a platform to reach towards dreams.

"We have always been online yet the physical aspect is the most important part. We create an experience which is not your classic retail store, especially with the brand edge as our USP. We want people to come and visit, not just put items into an online basket and get it delivered. We offer something unique and different,” said Tauseef.

"The last year has certainly been a rollercoaster as it naturally would. We were stepped into the deep end at Christmas last year trying to establish and learn about the retail world. January is when we started to build momentum.

"During the lockdown period, there has been a lot of hard work and patience needed to ride the storm. It took a week to come up with a plan and it was as simple as ‘not to change’. Keeping positive was one of the biggest things getting us through, mindset is the key. If you think you’re going to fail, you will. But we didn’t. Overall it’s been incredible and post lockdown things have been better than ever. It’s really all come together and aligned, also it’s allowed us to understand so much more.

"The fact that we are a strong brand is what makes us different and what we are offering is so unique and no one else sells that. If people come in and request and suggest a product we will make it happen! We will always say ‘ es' because we hate saying no. From a personal standpoint it builds you stronger. We had a lot no’s but we progressed through but always stay humble. Our pop up idea was not initially welcome in Bedford and it was a barrier,  but I was dead set on making this work.

"Now, Bedford has welcomed Dreamwear. 

"I now see people walking in, showing support and love as well as wanting to promote the brand. I see people wearing the brand and driving around wearing the products. It’s amazing. We have never had any returns which is a massive achievement and that’s due to the quality. People know what they want when they come into store and we deliver. It’s all love when people come in and when they leave they feel proud of what they’re wearing.

"My favourite product is the LDN hoodie. This was our first hoodie and we made it for promotional basis and had no intention to sell. But, our network and friends kept asking “where do we get one from?” and it had an ripple effect. We then had pre-orders as well as normal purchases and now they are mass-produced. It was so organic and real and that’s why it has a close place to my heart and is now a staple piece.

"There are a lot of plans on the horizon and opportunities to come in the next 12 months. The immediate situation is to keep going and keep growing, putting more focus on branding and our new collection. Watch this space!”