Hi loves!

As we soak up the gorgeous fall colors 🍂 and say farewell to the scorching Dallas heat, I want to share some news about Cykochik – it's evolving, just like the seasons.
 
I want to express my profound appreciation for your unwavering support throughout our two-decade adventure, including the pandemic! It fills my heart with joy to reflect on the remarkable journey that began in my dorm room in 2003 when Cykochik started from an art project.

Back then, at the age of 20, I could never have envisioned that my passion for art and animals would lead to the creation of a purpose-driven fashion brand awarded internationally for its compassion and creativity. I still remember the trepidation of selling my artsy handmade bags at my first holiday market, fearing that no one would buy them. To my surprise, I nearly sold out, marking the start of Cykochik's custom-made handbags.

I take pride in the fact that Cykochik championed recycled and animal-free materials long before it became a fashionable trend in 2003. We've been at the forefront of promoting eco-conscious and ethical fashion, and it warms my heart to see these values now embraced by the mainstream fashion industry. There is still much work to be done to advocate for animals, people, and the environment within the fashion industry. I've decided to close Cykochik to allow me to focus more on my activism and non-profit endeavors.

Our journey has been made possible by the dedication of our team, the support of our community, the creativity of our artists, and the partnerships with like-minded organizations. From the depths of our hearts, we thank you for being part of this incredible journey since 2003.
 
Cause Partners:
ATG Against The Grain Productions 
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Project PB&J
Art Conspiracy
The Humane League
The Orchid Giving Circle
 

Collaborating Artists:
Alexander Gorlizki
Beverly Ann Moore
Emie Le
Ernesto Pacheco
Gabriela Gasparini
Goran Krstic
Jody Pham
Jonathan Burks
Kevin Obregon
Michelle White
Mira Alibek
Monica Moody
Patricia Rodriguez
Terris Poole (Vanguard Bots)
Trung Vuong (Loyal K.N.G.)
Veronica De la Peña
Willie Baronet
 
Please stay connected on Instagram @Cykochik, where I will continue to share my passion for activism and art.
 
With love and gratitude,

❤️

Nikki Koenig
Chief Cykochik

As we reflect back on 2017, which was a wild year (to say the least) for us, the world, and for animals; we're overwhelmed with gratitude for our 4th full year as an independent creative & cruelty-free company and 14th year as a brand. We're also grateful for all of our fans, near and far, for supporting us through another year!

In January, we received victorious news from our Cause Partner, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus would be shutting down on May 21, 2017 – after decades of animal abuse. Thanks to the tireless work of animal activists over 3 decades, the Cruelest Show on Earth has ended. We are proud to support PETA's lifesaving work for all animals worldwide through our Cykochik X PETA Cause Collection!

In March, we celebrated more victories for animals with another one of our Cause Partners, The Humane League, by sponsoring their Dallas chapter's gala and donating 20% of sales from our Pop Up Shop to help THL reduce the suffering of farm animals worldwide.

In the summer, we did two V-Market pop-up shops in Dallas, at the newly opened sustainable home-goods/design store Treehouse and at the Good Local Market in Oakcliff - where we launched our official Vegan International Flag clutch/crossbody

For fall, we were a vendor at our 4th consecutive Texas Veggie Fair in Dallas. It was bigger and better with over 10,000 attendees! Read our TVF recap here.

After the Texas Veggie Fair, we got dolled up to celebrate the wonderful work of our local Cause Partner, ATG Against The Grain Productions, with our 3rd pop-up shop at the 9th Annual Fashion for a Passion fundraising event. 

We wrapped up the year with a pop-up shop at the 2nd Annual PETA Holiday Kind Market at the PETA Empathy Theater in Los Angeles, CA in December! It was so much fun meeting all of the PETA staff/volunteers and our favorite vegan brands from around the country. The icing on our vegan cake was when Moby stopped by our booth to chat! We kept it cool though...

Lastly, we want to thank all of the media outlets for supporting us and for sharing our story in 2017! Nikki did her first ever podcast interview with Katrina Fox on Vegan Business Talk in April. She spoke candidly about how she started Cykochik, her mission, and vision for a compassionate world. 

Thanks to THRIVE Magazine's editor for selecting our "Citrus" vegan crossbody bag as a summer essential!  

Thanks Veg News for nominating Cykochik for their 2017 Veggie Awards, for the first time! Though Stella McCartney won for the favorite vegan fashion brand, we were thrilled to have been nominated amongst superstar brands we love and admire.

Also thanks to Veg News' senior editor Jasmin Singer for rocking our "Vegan Flag" crossbody bag!

Our 15th year will be our best year yet, and we can't wait to make a big impact with your help in 2018! 

The 8th Annual Texas Veggie Fair took place this past Saturday, October 21, 2017, from 11AM-6PM at Reverchon Park in Dallas, TX. Cykochik was a vendor for the fourth year in a row and this year was bigger and better! There were more than 10,000 people and fur babies who came out on a warm fall day to shop/eat/drink/dance/learn/support all things vegan and cruelty-free. Our hearts were filled with love and our bellies filled with delicious vegan foods, we couldn't ask for a better event.  

This year we hung the new official Vegan Flag International with pride in our booth and made a few of our Vegan Flag crossbody bags, printed in the USA on our recycled plastic canvas. 

The best part of our day was having all the animal lovers come by our booth! We love seeing our fans and friends, near and far, old and new, human and non-human <3

The next best thing was eating all of the delicious vegan foods from 40 food vendors! There were already long lines for the food right when we opened at 11AM and the lines continued till 6PM. Our friends were kind enough to get us some fried pickles and vegan corn dogs from Though Cookie Bakery. What's a fair without deep-fried food?? We also got food from our local favorites; banh mi from Nammi's food truck, egg rolls and chicken tenders from Goji Cafe. 

We were excited that The Cupcake Girl from Houston was at the Texas Veggie Fair for the first time, so we had to get a 1/2 dozen of their deliciously moist vegan and some gluten-free cupcakes. As if that wasn't enough sweets, we also had donuts from another first time TVF vendor, Cake Thieves from San Antonio! Whoever says/thinks that there's nothing for vegans to eat has never been to the Texas Veggie Fair. ;P

Aside from all the fair food, there were also educational and inspirational speakers/demos throughout the day.

If you wanted to take a break from all the fair activities, there were free yoga and meditation sessions by the Dallas Yoga Center. 

The Texas Veggie Fair is also about animal activism and we were glad to be next to our friends, Animal Connection of Texas; who led a march for animals through Uptown Dallas to the fair. 

As we reflect on the Texas Veggie Fair, as we do every year; we get a bit emotional because we can see and feel all the love, compassion, and passion of the growing vegan community (locally and nationally) all in one place, in our hometown of Dallas, TX! 

We can't wait to see y'all at the 9th Annual Texas Veggie Fair in 2018!! 

Hey lovelies, we're so excited and honored to be nominated for "Favorite Fashion Label" in VegNews Magazine's 2017 Veggie Awards!!

VOTE HERE >> http://bit.ly/VeggieAwards2017

It would mean the world to me if you'd vote for us. 
This is our first nomination since I started Cykochik 14 years ago! It's definitely a dream come true. You can skip right to question #23 if you like. 
xx Nikki

Happy 2017!

2016 was an amazing 3rd full year for Cykochik as a company (13th year as a brand)! 
We packed in a lot in 2016 so we have so much to look back on and to be grateful for. 
Everything that we did was made possible by YOUR support - our fans and partners from around the world, because we are an independent community-centered brand, driven by our vision and mission. The positive impacts that we've made on the lives of people, animals, and the environment are also YOURS, so we thank you for your compassionate and conscientious support in helping to make this world a better place for all living beings through your fashion choices!

We started the year with our 2016 VegFest Tour from coast to coast as a vendor and participated in a record 15 pop up shops and events. We got to meet so many fellow "Animal Lovers"!

• Los Angeles, CA - VegFest
• Golden, CO - VegFest
• Austin, TX - Texas VegFest
• Dallas, TX - Texas Veggie Fair
• Washington DC - Compassion Over Killing's VegFest

Our Founder/President, Nikki Duong Koenig, spoke about the importance of wearing ethical vegan fashion at the Texas VegFest, the National Animal Rights Day ceremony in Dallas, Texas Veggie Fair, Ignite DFW, TEDxSMUWomen, and on the CBS Plugged in to DFW show.

2016 also brought Nikki Duong Koenig/Cykochik back as a Presenting Designer for the third time at ATG's 8th Annual Fashion for a Passion fundraising event in Dallas, TX. This year, we partnered with a fellow vegan Dallas apparel designer to educate attendees about ethical vegan fashion and how fabulous it can be on the catwalk! 

In March, we partnered with our 5th Cause Partner, The Humane League, and launched our exclusive Cykochik X The Humane League Cause Collection of vegan handbags -which we donate 10% of proceeds to support THL's work to save farm animals.

Our proudest accomplishment of 2016 was being able to give $3,000 in cash and products to our Cause Partners and additional non-profit organizations to support their work. Our goal is to double that amount in 2017!

Lastly, we want to thank the following media outlets for supporting Cykochik and sharing our story in 2016. 

• CBS TXA 21 "Plugged In To DFW"
• A&E FYI "Plant-Based by Nafsika"
• ABC WFAA 8 "Good Morning Texas"
• La Fashionista Compassionista
• THRIVE Magazine

Cykochik traveled to Washington, DC as a vendor for our very first DC VegFest on September 24th, 2016! We felt right at home in our nation's capital amongst 20,000 attendees, 100+ compassionate companies/non-profits/activists from all over the country who are all trying to create a better world for people, animals, and our planet. 

For us, the highlights of DC VegFest were the amazing vegan foods, adorable fur babies, and our fans who came to visit our booth. We had fresh-made vegan handbags and shirts for our fans and unveiled a few new bag designs, including our beloved Cat Crossbody Bag.  

It was an unforgettable fun-filled day and we can't wait to be back for DC VegFest 2017!

See our upcoming events, we might be coming to your city. 

Featured food vendors:
Sunrise Caribbean Cuisine
Sticky Rice
Mango Grove
Zoe's Vegan Delight
Vegan Treats

To commemorate my 2 year vegan anniversary, I decided to finally get my first tattoo! I've waited more than a decade to decide on a meaningful tattoo design that I would love for the rest of my life. I've drawn many potential designs over the years, but decided that the most significant symbol is the American Vegan Society's "V". I like its simple design and the work that the AVS does. I'm committed to living a compassionate vegan life that's free from animal consumption/exploitation and to practicing ahimsa for as long as the tattoo is on me! Vegan for Life.

Once I decided on the design, I searched for a tattoo artist who uses vegan ink - because I don't want any animal products in my skin. My search lead to Josh Hall of J. Hall & Co. Gentleman Tattooers right here in Dallas, TX. 

Since this was my first tattoo, Josh was very kind to answer all of my questions and for letting us capture the experience. He started by placing the stencil of the design on my inner left wrist over the veins to my heart. 

Who knew that Thomas Edison inspired the first tattoo machine ?

If you've never had a tattoo done, it's like a cat scratching your sunburn....really really fast. The discomfort was brief (5 minutes) and I'm glad I started with a small design. I decided to do a gradient color from black to bright green to represent my vegan journey from darkness (unawareness of human inflicted animal sufferings and exploitations) to green growth and awareness. 

Pssst...I want to be a tattoo artist. I have so much respect for their artistry in creating living works of art.

The finished tattoo! I like the juxtaposition of my single tattoo against Josh's full tattoo sleeves. 

 The gradient and colors are gorgeous! 

The final step, putting a bandage on the tattoo to protect it from infections as it heals. The whole process took less than 10 minutes but we chatted for about 30 minutes. Josh made my first tattoo experience fun, safe, and most importantly - cruelty-free! Can't wait to rock my healed tattoo and share more of my vegan journey with you guys this year. 

Cykochik was a proud sponsor of the 6th Annual Texas Veggie Fair and also a vendor once again this year! This eco-conscious and compassionate event keeps getting better each year and we can't wait to be back in 2016.

The Artist Series 4 - Chiks Rock Collection made of printed eco-canvas from recycled plastics (water bottles, etc.) and vegan leather (PU).

This year ,we debuted our "Vegan Tattoo" canvas tote, illustrated by our collaborating artist Michelle White, and offered special surprises for all of our fans who rocked their Cykochik bag to the fair!

Our #1 fan Chris rocked her 2014 limited-edition Texas Veggie Fair X Jody Pham canvas tote, mini "Vanguard Bots" bag, and "Googly-eyed" wristlet, each inside another like a Russian nesting doll. 

Norman Not Just A Pig and his mom visited our booth.

Love was everywhere. We were amongst loving friends, fans, and attendees (humans and their human/fur babies) who share our mission to create a more compassionate and sustainable world for all living beings!

There were several animal welfare and rescue organizations like Mercy for Animals and Recycled Pomeranians on site. 

What's a VegFest without amazing vegan food vendors like Best Thai Signature and their pad thai and veggie rolls. Yum!

There were musical performances throughout the day.

Inspiring and educational speakers like Paul Shapiro, Vice President Farm Animals Protection of the Humane Society of the United States.

And free adult yoga sessions in the park provided by Kat Kunze.

Overall, it was a fun-filled day for the whole family (a record 11K attendees) and the weather was perfect. Our hearts were filled with love and our bellies were full with vegan goodies! 

See y'all next year at the 7th Annual Texas Veggie Fair at Reverchon Park in Dallas, TX! 

Cykochik X Art Conspiracy - Causes Collection

This week's ultimate Bag Battle is between 12 tote bag designs by Dallas artists for our new Causes Collection collaboration with Dallas nonprofit Art Conspiracy in celebrating our 12th birthday! 15% of the net proceeds will be donated to support Art Con and the artists. 

CLICK to VOTE here >>>> bit.ly/ac-bags
Vote for your favorite design by August 10th.
The top 3 designs will be printed on recycled eco-canvas totes, made from recycled plastic bottles.

Cykochik at Texas VegFest in Austin, TX

Saturday April 4, 2015 - We kicked off our Spring VegFest tour with a road trip down to Austin, TX for the 4th annual Texas VegFest! It was a fun-filled day unveiling our new Artist Series 4 Collection, meeting new veg friends/fans and hanging out with old friends from Dallas (The Humane League, V Apparel, Kick Butt Boots, Reverie Bakeshop), Austin, and around the country. There were educational lectures, cooking demonstrations, amazing vegan food, craft beer, and live music. All for a healthier, more compassionate and sustainable world. We can't wait to be back for next year's 5th VegFest!

The best part of our trip was a stop at the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization that rescues and rehabilitates animals since 1990. Just being in the presence of these gentle and majestic domestic and exotic beings is humbling. Unfortunate circumstances have brought them to the sanctuary but fortunately they are the very few who are saved, loved, and cared for.

Their mission is to assist animals in need, through rescue, rehabilitation, and education. Please consider supporting the work the sanctuary is doing by donating or visiting them. They were robbed last year - can you believe it??

Thank you to our many volunteers who came out to join in the fun!  With our Team Cykochik alone, we made 825 peanut butter sandwiches of those 26,710 in an hour.  

Cykochik Founder Nikki Duong Koenig with Which Wich Co-founders Courtney & Jeff Sinelli after the exciting accomplishment. 

All 26,710 PB&Js and the many volunteers, sponsors & supporters behind breaking the world record! Thank you Which Wich for letting us be a part of spreading the love with Project PB&J initiative and give back to our community in a HUGE WAY!

Ways you can support Project PB&J year-round

• Purchase a PB&J sandwich at Which Wich locations nationwide and two sandwiches will be donated to someone in need.
• Purchase an exclusive Cykochik X Project PB&J bag and we'll donate 10% of net proceeds to Project PB&J. 

Thank you for an amazing 2014! Many fabulous & rewarding moments in 2014 for us but the highlight is being able to GIVE and make a difference in the lives of children, animals, and those in need around the world through our Causes Collection. As we reflect back, we're more thankful that we can continue to work towards our vision of making the world a more compassionate & happier place for all living beings. We look forward to our 2nd full year in BLOOMING 2015 with you!  

We launched our CAUSES COLLECTION! 
The Pin Show, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 2.22.14

We kicked off our year in fabulous style and compassion by officially launching our Causes Collection at one of Dallas’ biggest fashion shows, The Pin Show!  Our special friends received yummy vegan cookies by Reverie Bakeshop. 

The collection has exclusively designed clutches with each clutch representing and supporting a cause we're passionate about. Portions of the sale from each clutch in the Causes Collection benefits the organization associated with that specific cause. We created clutches for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Against The Grain (ATG).

A pop-up at the RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR!
SXSW Edition, Austin, TX :: Saturday, 3.13-15.14
We went south to the heart of Texas or what we call the Lone Star State in mid-March to set up shop at one of the largest indie markets in the country, the special Renegade Craft Fair March Market in Austin: SXSW Edition. 

   
Our Cykochiks are really the best fans and supporters! It was great meeting fellow indie designers, artists and fans!

A pop-up at the DESIGN DISTRICT MARKET! 
Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 3.29.14

This was our second year participating in this market and it was even more fun this second time around! It's always fun when our friends and fans stop by our booth to show-off their Cykochik handbags and take pics with us! 

An unveiling of our CYKOCHIK X DALLAS VIDEO!  
WAAS Gallery, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 4.12.14

 
Chiks just wanna have fun and we sure did with this video! We created this awesome video which features cool Dallas chiks having fun hula hooping around the Big D as our way to celebrate our 10 years (& growing) love for our fans & Dallas! We teamed up with WAAS GALLERY for POP UP, where we combined WAAS pop up art galleries + Cykochik Pop Up Shop + unveiled our

CYKOCHIK X DALLAS! 

Our guests enjoyed Kruto Vodka cocktails and nibbled on yummy vegan cupcakes provided by Reverie Bakeshop.  We even had a Cykochik Cosmic Hula Hoop battle where each guest had to battle or knock down the other’s hula hoop. Competition got serious when they knew a Cykochik custom handbag was the winning prize!

A finalist for PETA SEXIEST VEGAN NEXT DOOR! 
Who, me?!  Cykochik Founder/Designer Nikki was one of the 10 female finalists for the "2014 Sexiest Vegan Next Door" contest, held by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) annually.

  
Although the title is kind of silly, Nikki was honored to be a selected finalist amongst so many amazing candidates!  Nikki didn’t receive the title but is so thankful to the many fans and supporters who voted for her!

A pop-up at ETSY DALLAS SPRING BASH! 
The Shops at Park Lane, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 4.26.14

We had so much fun with our fans and fellow Dallas indie makers at the 6^th annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash! We introduced our fun and cute heart wristlets as our newest arm candies, and they were snatched up!

We played host at the HUMANE HOEDOWN!  

    
What an honor! We got to be on the host committee of the 1st Humane Hearts Hoedown and celebrated compassion in the Texas (what we call the Lone Star State!) and The Humane League - Dallas Office's first year in Texas! 

 
Spring wrapped up nicely for us at the Wildflower Art and Music Festival! The 3-day arts and music festival gave us a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather, meet our fans and clown around!

We were featured in the SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE! 

This was a great birthday surprise for Cykochik Founder Nikki to see herself featured in her alma mater’s magazine that was fittingly their Celebrating World Changers Spring/Summer issue!

Launches of our Summer Tees, #FashionFridays, Wednesday "What's in Your Cykochik Handbags?" & Tuesday #Bagbattles 
Global :: Summer 2014 

Many exciting launches this past year, including our Summer Tees, which were screen printed in Dallas & designed by some of our favorite artists!  We also introduced our #FashionFridays where we either feature different fashionistas to style a 100% vegan outfit for us or we share a fun outfit that we style for you in mind.  Our fans and art patrons are tons of fun so why not take a peak into their handbags and find out more about them so "What's in Your Cykochik Custom Handbags" was born!  Then on Tuesdays, we thought it be fun to play favorites between our collections & to get input from our trusted fans so the battles began this year!  

Fashion show at 12th Annual The Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (UNAVSA) Leadership Conference
Hilton Anatole, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 7.26.14

"Summer of Love" was our theme and the ladies wore fun handmade daisy crowns with our custom cruelty-free vegan handbags and accessories!  Cykochik was one of two designers who showcased our collection at the UNAVSA-11 Gala on 10 smart and beautiful models who were young ladies from different cities around the nation in presenting our collection.   

Fashion show at 2nd Fashion & Film 
Margo Jones Theater, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 8.16.14
    

It was fun & fabulous to be one of the 5 designers featured in the recent 2nd FASHION & FILM!  We rocked the runway with other brands like Status, Cantoinette Studios, Love, Peace & Stones and aftershock LONDON at the historical Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park.  

Fair Park is the same venue where Chanel showcased their Chanel’s Métiers d’Art “Paris-Dallas” collection.  Click here for the full video of Chanel's Paris-Dallas fashion show at Fair Park, plus the fashion house's video interview with Karl Lagerfield.   

Pop-up at PETA's first #VeganFashion pop-up
PETA's Bob Barker Building, Los Angeles, CA :: Saturday, 8.23.14
    
Aaaah Los Angeles, what can we say?  Y’all welcomed us with love as big as the state of Texas or California rather, and we loved you right back! We’re so grateful for the special invitation by PETA to be at their very first #VeganFashion Pop-Up and to be among some of the most respected, recognized and cruelty-free brands, like Vaute Couture.  It was inspirational to be there!   

Pop-up at Dallas Design District Market 
Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 8.23.14
  
It’s always a great feeling to be among our fellow Texas-made, Texas-owned brands and meet our fans!  Cykochik returned to the Design District Market at the Dallas Contemporary for our second year where local vintage collectors, experimental artists and quirky creators showcased their goods. There were vendors, food trucks and the infamous giant dumpster pool. No kidding, this brought a whole different meaning to “dumpster diving!” 

Pop-up & panel discussion at Creative Women's Conference
Denton, TX :: Tuesday, 9.16.14 

The conference was an awesome event to celebrate and promote women in our creative endeavors!  We celebrated and got to meet many talented & creative at the conference.  Our Founder Nikki was a part of the speakers line-up to discuss Cykochik's successful Kickstarter campaign and case-study.  

Pop-up & sponsorship at 5th Texas Veggie Fair
Reverchon Park, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 10.19.14 

We were excited to be involved with this year's fair as a vendor and a sponsor! Spreading, promoting and supporting the veg lifestyle and cruelty-free fashion is our mission everyday and we're so grateful to be a part of this growing compassionate community.

Lead Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Animal
Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 11.1.14
    
We led with love & compassion!  It was an honor for Team Cykochik to walk alongside 100+ passionate & compassionate animal advocates speaking up for farm animals everywhere!  Thank you, Farm Sanctuary and coordinators Elizabeth and Aubrey for the opportunity to lead the Dallas group for Walk for Farm Animals!  Funds raised will go towards rescuing, feeding and administering urgent care for farm animals.

Pop-up at Against The Grain Production's 2014 Fashion for a Passion  
Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 11.1.14

Against The Grain is dear to our hearts since it's one of our causes & an organization that our Founder Nikki is actively involved in.  We were the sole pop-up at this year's event where we donated 20% of our sales to the organization to aide orphanages in SE Asia and fund leadership and artistic scholarships stateside! 

Pop-up at Etsy Jingle Bash
Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 11.15.14

We heart our hometown Dallas (or Big D)!  Cold or not, our fans came out & made it the best Etsy pop-up yet for us! 

Compassionate shopping & pop-ups at 2nd Cykochik Chiks Night Out 
Kettle Art :: Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 11.22.14
    
We brought Chiks Night Out back this year with a focus on compassionate shopping & of course, fun! We invited all chik artists and artisans to set up pop-ups for the evening, partnered up with  Kettle Art for their all-female art exhibition's closing night party & also invited the The Humane League - Dallas Office to join us as our Cause Partner for the evening. 

Unveiling of Cykochik X Project PB&J Collection
Chiks Night Out :: Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 11.22.14 
  
Partnering up with Which Wich & collaborating on our newest Cykochik X Project PB&J Collection was the highlight of our 2014 year!  We unveiled our newest vegan handbag collaboration with Which Wich Cykochik X Project PB&J at our annual Cykochik Chiks Night Out!  Which Wich power couple & founders Jeff & Courtney Sinelli were there to join us in the celebration!  

Pop-up at Unbranded
Dallas, TX :: Wednesday, 12.3-6.14

Such a cool concept.  We were the few selected and featured with the city's top makers in photography, artwork, co-working, coffee, fashion and design in a 1,500 square foot pop-up event space.  Unbranded provided a platform for creators to showcase their work in a well-considered, prominent and exciting manner.  

Thank you for an amazing 2014 year!  Let's bloom together in 2015 & continue to make this world a more compassionate and happier place!  

Join our Cykochik Patron's Newsletter, follow us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram @Cykochik, #Cykochik

Rain & even a small earthquake didn't stop us in Dallas from celebrating female artists & artisans at our 2nd Annual Chiks Night Out!

 

We're bringing it back and this year, it's all about compassionate shopping & art!

Start your holiday shopping early & join us for a fun evening with your friends. Let's celebrate & support local female artists and artisans while sipping on signature cocktails, munching on bites & dancing to the tunes of DJ Sierra Sounds! The Humane League - Dallas Office also joins us this year as our Cause Partner. 

We will be launching our new Causes Collection collaboration with Which Wich's Project PB&J! 
Be the first to purchase from the collection and help give PB&J sandwiches to those in need. 
The founders of Which Wich, Jeff Sinelli and his wife Courtney will be there to #SpreadTheLove with us.

Cykochik CHIKS NIGHT OUT 2014
Pop-Up Shop + Art
in partnership with the Kettle Art's DEEP Closing Night
http://on.fb.me/1A5fyqI

Saturday, Nov 22
6-10 pm @ Kettle Art
2650-B Main Street
Dallas, TX 75226
www.kettleart.com

Free admission, just RSVP@cykochik.com by Nov. 20

Chik artists & artisans !

We led with love and compassion!

This past Saturday, 11-1-14, it was an honor for Team Cykochik to walk alongside 100+ passionate & compassionate animal advocates speaking up for farm animals everywhere! Thanks to our donors for helping us surpass our team's fundraising goal & raising $550 for farm animals. Thank you, Farm Sanctuary and coordinators Aubrey and Elizabeth for the opportunity to lead the Dallas group for Walk for Farm Animals!  Funds raised will go towards rescuing, feeding and administering urgent care for farm animals.

At 11AM, after a good stretch & yoga lead by Mary Mecca at Main Street Garden, Team Cykochik with our human and furry friends proudly walked the 2.5-miles around downtown Dallas for our voiceless animal friends.  

"Animals are friends, not food!" and "Eat more veggies!" we chanted.  

We finished up the walk with some tunes by DJ Spadus, food from Spiral Diner, and an enlightening speech by Ken Botts, a food service consultant for the Humane Society of the United States. We also gave away a "10 Speed" 15" laptop sleeve to our lucky raffle winner Linda! 

As a vegan handbag brand proudly based in Dallas, Texas – it's our mission to lead the way for animal rights and show everyone that a compassionate lifestyle can be easy, fun, and fabulous!

Join Team Cykochik at next year's Walk as we continue to speak up for animals and create a more compassionate, sustainable, and happy world for all living beings. 

Let's talk the talk & walk the walk to save farm animals everywhere this Saturday! 

This Saturday, November 1st, we're proudly leading the walk for the annual Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Farm Animals - Dallas at Main Street Garden, and we want compassionate animal lovers like yourself to join us!  

Join our Team Cykochik by signing up or show your support by helping us reach our goal of raising $500 by clicking here to donate. The funds raised by the walk goes to rescuing, feeding and administering urgent care for farm animals.

Farm Sanctuary runs three sanctuaries and is the largest farm-animal rescue in North America. More than 8,000 animals have called Farm Sanctuary home and 3,000 more have been placed in loving homes. 

Thanks to Farm Sanctuary for our opportunity to not only be a part of an extraordinary cause but to lead it.  It's truly our duty to be a voice for those who cannot speak and join forces with organizations that do the same.

Let's walk the walk this Saturday & get closer to our vision of a more compassionate, sustainable and happy world! 

On Sunday, October 19th, Cykochik took Reverchon Park as a sponsor and vendor at the 5th annual Texas Veggie Fair. 

At 10:30 am there was a line of festival goers wrapped around the fence ready to get their hands on Spiral Diner's infamous nachos, Reverie Bakery's delicious cupcakes and our official Cykochik X Texas Veggie Fair X Jody Pham canvas tote. It was a beautiful day for some sunshine, yummy vegan food, and cruelty-free handbags.

As one of the few Dallas-based, vegan brands, we were excited to be involved with this year's fair. Spreading, promoting and supporting the veg lifestyle and cruelty-free fashion is our mission everyday and we're so grateful to be a part of this growing compassionate community.

Pets, from dogs to pigs, of all shapes and sizes wondered around the fair with their beautiful humans and helped everyone meet their daily cuteness quota.

We came, we saw lots of new and familiar faces, and we conquered as much vegan food as we could stuff in our bellies. We were bummed to see the fun day come to an end, but very thankful for all our friends and fans who came out to see us and support vegan entrepreneurs.

Until next year Veggie Fair, we can't wait! 

Dallas

Cykochik returned to the Design District Market at the Dallas Contemporary for our second year where local vintage collectors, experimental artists and quirky creators showcased their goods. There were vendors, food trucks and the infamous giant dumpster pool. No kidding, this brought a whole different meaning to “dumpster diving!”  

Dallas is our hometown so it’s always a great feeling to be among our fellow Texas-made, Texas-owned brands and meet our fans!  

Los Angeles

Aaaah Los Angeles, what can we say?  Y’all welcomed us with love as big as the state of Texas or California rather, and we loved you right back! We’re so grateful for the special invitation by PETA to be at their very first #VeganFashion Pop-Up and to be among some of the most respected, recognized and cruelty-free brands, like Vaute Couture.  It was inspirational to be there!   

Oh, and the event was so full of great energy and people, like the many animal loving advocates and fans who swarmed the event and stopped by our booth, including actress Elaine Hendrix and model/actress Hannah Jones.  We can’t wait to be back to Los Angeles and wherever PETA invites us!  It was that cool.  

We held a friendly social media battle between the two cities where we had our fans #cykochik + either #LA or #Dallas to see which city had showed more love & to be included in a fun giveaway of one our mini Vanguard Bots!  Los Angeles won as far as love between the two pop-ups but our random winner is @sherryag! 

Until next time fans, much love from where it's always a little "cyko" but in the best way possible!  

Fair Park is the same venue where Chanel showcased their Chanel’s Métiers d’Art “Paris-Dallas” collection.  Click here for the full video of Chanel's Paris-Dallas fashion show at Fair Park, plus the fashion house's video interview with Karl Lagerfield.  

The theme for the evening was inspired by the song Pure Imagination in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory so we totally went with that by adding fun striped stockings and big candies with our looks for the models.  

This picture was taken from the sound room overlooking the runway's finale.  What a fun and whimsical time! 

Photos are courtesy of RED iD Agency & Mario Zie.  More photos from the event can be viewed here. 

We're on cloud nine & flying high from our fashion show at the 11th annual Union of North American Vietnamese Student Association Leadership Conference at the beautiful Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX.

Cykochik was one of two designers who showcased our collection at the UNAVSA-11 Gala on Saturday, July 26, 2014.  We had the opportunity to work with 10 smart and beautiful models who were young ladies from different cities around the nation in presenting our collection.  

"Summer of Love" was our theme and the ladies wore fun handmade daisy crowns with our custom cruelty-free vegan handbags and accessories!  

Cykochik Founder/Designer Nikki Duong Koenig celebrated the fashion show with other fabulous leading ladies, including Teresa Nguyen of RED iD Agency (pictured on top left image), Elizabeth Dinh of CBS 11 (pictured on left in top right) and Tammy Nguyen Lee of Against The Grain Productions. 

 After the finale, we gathered on the stage to take a group photo!  

We launched our CAUSES COLLECTION! 
The Pin Show, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 2.22.14

We kicked off our year in fabulous style and compassion by officially launching our Causes Collection at one of Dallas’ biggest fashion shows, The Pin Show!  Our special friends received yummy vegan cookies by Reverie Bakeshop. 

The collection has exclusively designed clutches with each clutch representing and supporting a cause we're passionate about. Portions of the sale from each clutch in the Causes Collection benefits the organization associated with that specific cause. We created clutches for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Against The Grain (ATG).

A pop-up at the RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR!
SXSW Edition, Austin, TX :: Saturday, 3.13-15.14
We went south to the heart of Texas or what we call the Lone Star State in mid-March to set up shop at one of the largest indie markets in the country, the special Renegade Craft Fair March Market in Austin: SXSW Edition. 

   
Our Cykochiks are really the best fans and supporters!  It was great meeting fellow indie designers, artists and fans!

A pop-up at the DESIGN DISTRICT MARKET! 
Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 3.29.14

 
This was our second year participating in this market and it was even more fun this second time around!  It's always fun when our friends and fans stop by our booth to show-off their Cykochik handbags and take pics with us! 

An unveiling of our CYKOCHIK X DALLAS VIDEO!  
WAAS Gallery, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 4.12.14

 
Chiks just wanna have fun and we sure did with this video! We created this awesome video that features cool Dallas chiks having fun hula hooping around the Big D as our way to celebrate our 10 years (& growing) love for our fans & Dallas! We teamed up with WAAS GALLERY for POP UP, where we combined WAAS pop up art galleries + Cykochik Pop Up Shop + unveiled our CYKOCHIK X DALLAS! 
Our guests enjoyed Kruto Vodka cocktails and nibbled on yummy vegan cupcakes provided by Reverie Bakeshop.  We even had a Cykochik Cosmic Hula Hoop battle where each guest had to battle or knock down the other’s hula hoop. Competition got serious when they knew a Cykochik custom handbag was the winning prize!

A finalist for PETA SEXIEST VEGAN NEXT DOOR! 
Who, me?!  Cykochik Founder/Designer Nikki was one of the 10 female finalists for the "2014 Sexiest Vegan Next Door" contest, held by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) annually.

  
Although the title is kind of silly, Nikki was honored to be a selected finalist amongst so many amazing candidates!  Nikki didn’t receive the title but is so thankful to the many fans and supporters who voted for her!

A pop-up at ETSY DALLAS SPRING BASH! 
The Shops at Park Lane, Dallas, TX :: Saturday, 4.26.14

We had so much fun with our fans and fellow Dallas indie makers at the 6^th annual Etsy Dallas Spring Bash! We introduced our fun and cute heart wristlets as our newest arm candies, and they were snatched up!

We played host at the HUMANE HOEDOWN!  

    
What an honor! We got to be on the host committee of the 1st Humane Hearts Hoedown and celebrated compassion in the Texas (what we call the Lone Star State!) and The Humane League - Dallas Office's first year in Texas! 

A pop-up at WILDFLOWER ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL! 
Richardson, TX :: Friday, 5.16-18.14

 
Spring wrapped up nicely for us at the Wildflower Art and Music Festival! The 3-day arts and music festival gave us a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather, meet our fans and clown around!
We were featured in the SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE! 

This was a great birthday surprise for Cykochik Founder Nikki to see herself featured in her alma mater’s magazine that was fittingly their Celebrating World Changers Spring/Summer issue!

Spring 2014 was fabulous!  We leap forward into Summer with much excitement and can't wait to collaborate with more artists and causes, plan for our sponsorship and participation at the annual Texas Veggie Fair in October, to finalize details on our annual Chiks Night Out in November and whatever fun comes our way! We hope you continue to join us on this compassionate journey! 

Let's keep in touch!
Join our Cykochik Patron's Newsletter, follow us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram @Cykochik, #Cykochik

It was an amazing experience to be a part of such a fun fashion event with 23 other Dallas/TX indie designers, who are all supporting local manufacturing. We showed 6 looks on the runway and debuted our new Causes Collection in collaboration with PETA and ATG Productions. We couldn't be prouder to present a cruelty-free collection of handbags on the runway!

Here's a look of the final walk down the runway from our GoPro cam!

See our PETA Clutch in this recap by TopoChico USA

It's been almost a week and we're still recovering from all the fun! Looking forward to next year's show and getting ready for our next event, The Design District Market on March 29th.

Nikki Duong Koenig debuted Cykochik at Southern Methodist University's (SMU) Fall Craft Show in Dallas, TX

2005

The media took notice of our signature custom-made, hand cut, Portrait Tote Collection, which launched Cykochik into cyberspace.
Nikki Duong Koenig graduated from SMU and jetted off to New York City to pursue her advertising career while working on Cykochik part-time.

2008

We launched our Artist Series I Collection from New York City in collaboration with 6 different artists:
Terris Poole, Mira Alibek, Goran Krstic, Willie Baronet, Emie Lee, Gabriella Gasparini

2010

We launched our Artist Series II Collection from Dallas, TX in collaboration with 6 different artists:
Michelle White, Veronica de la Peña, Beverly Ann Moore, Jonathan Burkes, Enest Pacheco, Willie Baronet

2013

We celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary.  
Surpassed our $10,000 campaign goal on Kickstarter!
Nikki left her advertising/marketing career to dedicate 100% of her time to growing Cykochik.

We launched the Artist Series III Collection with an Arm Candy 10 Year Celebration and this new website.

Our proudest moment was when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals honored Cykochik with the PETA Compassionate Business Award
for "establishing high ethical standards in order to provide conscious consumers with cruelty-free, environmentally friendly options."

We had so much fun participating in 10 events, from markets to parties to fashion shows. We also got to meet a lot of awesome friends and fans :)
For the holidays, we debuted Cykochik's Chiks Night Out: Holiday Pop Up Shop, 

Much love and thanks to our family, friends, and fans from around the world for all of your support for the past 10 years!!
Cheers to 2014!

As a Dunny collector, I'm like a kid in a toy store at ATAMA – a Dallas boutique shop at Mockingbird Station dedicated to designer toys like Kidrobot and limited edition {affordable} art. I love that they support local artists so I'm extremely excited to have Cykochik available at ATAMA and share our support for emerging artists! Pick up a few of our ready-made, animal-friendly mini "Vanguard Bots" bags in store as "stockings" and fill them with lots of goodies for the holidays.

ATAMA
Mockingbird Station
(across from Starbucks)
5307 E. Mockingbird Lane Suite #107
Dallas, Texas 75206
(214) 295-7646
shopatama.com

If you're in the Uptown Dallas area, visit the Libre gallery store inside the McKinney Avenue Contemporary. Cykochik is a proud supporter of the MAC – a Dallas nonprofit organization advocating emerging and established artists in all disciplines. We've donated 40% of proceeds from our sales in store to the MAC since 2011. 

The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (MAC)
Uptown Dallas
3120 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204
(214) 953-1212
the-mac.org

Our 3rd gallery location is at the Gallery at Midtown inside the Valley View Center in North Dallas. Cykochik is a part of an emerging community of 100+ artists represented at the gallery. Select ready-made bags from our Artist Series 3 Collection are available along with some limited edition bags. Come during the gallery's monthly ArtWalks to meet with artists and tour their studios/galleries.

Gallery at Midtown
Valley View Center
13331 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75240
(469) 374-0491
galleryatmidtown.com

Happy Holidays! 
Support Dallas artists and art galleries by giving a unique work of art.

In mid November, Cykochik was selected out of 300 to be a part of Art Conspiracy 9 - an amazing annual street-level art philanthropy event as an artist this year! 170 artists "conspired" to raise funds for My Possibilities, a Dallas 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving adults with special needs through continuing education programs. A week prior to the event, all of the artists met up at a secret location to work on their 18"x18" wood panel within 4hrs. Nikki Duong Koenig created an original design with butterfly wings titled "Change is Beautiful", which she hand cut from our animal-friendly polyurethane fabric (the same way we make our handbags) and mounted it on to the gold wood panel. It was exciting to see our piece sell in the lively auction and to see artists and art patrons come together for such a great cause. We hope to conspire again next year! 

Right before Thanksgiving, we participated in our 10th and last event for the year at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash!
The weather outside was frightful but we had fun inside. It was great showcasing with so many great local Dallas artists and artisans. Thanks to all of our new and long-time fans for coming out to support us at our last event of 2013.

With all the happenings this year, we've always taken the time to be thankful and give thanks to our supporters – family, friends, and fans, because you've made Cykochik possible for the past 10 years and for many more!  

Happy holidays to you and your family! We hope it's festive and truly one-of-a-kind! 

Earlier in the month, we joined our collaborating artist Jody Pham along with other local artists at Art Love Magic’s monthly “Art & Coffee”, where artists create their work LIVE – Nikki was hand cutting the bag designs.

Within a week, our Artist Series 3 Collection rocked the runway at ATG’s Fashion for a Passion No.5, a glamorous charity fundraising event showcasing Asian American fashion designers, musicians, and artists at the Dallas Contemporary. Cykochik was a presenting designer at this event in 2010 and has come full circle this year as a returning designer and with Nikki Duong Koenig as ATG's vice-president. Right when we didn’t think our month could get any better, it did.  

PETA President/Founder Ingrid E. Newkirk (herself!) honored Cykochik with the PETA’s “Compassionate Business Award” for being an “exemplary cruelty free business” at the Nasher Sculpture Center while she was in town for her "Naked Truth" tour.  We are beyond grateful and thrilled to be awarded and recognized by PETA for doing what we believe is right for the past 10 years – that is responsible manufacturing of eco and animal friendly vegan handbags and accessories.

Following our PETA celebration, we spent some time getting to know our "neighbors" at the “Market in the Meadow” where we had our ready-made handbags and accessories available for our Lake Highland’s community. 

In between all the excitement, our Founder Nikki Duong Koenig and Cykochik were featured in three online publications: Green Source DFW, Lake Highlands Today, and our fav DFW Style Daily!

Whew, what an amazing month! We're excited about the holidays ;)

Let's celebrate Cykochik's 10 Year Anniversary and start your holiday shopping early! Join us for a fun evening out with your friends. Support local Dallas female artists and artisans while sipping on Cykotinis, munching on bites by Pho is for Lovers and dancing to the sounds of DJ Sista Whitenoise. 

Cykochik CHIKS NIGHT OUT 
Holiday Pop Up Shop

Saturday, Nov 2
7-11PM @ Evol Society
(The Shops at Park Ln, right next to Gordon Biersch)
8060 Park Lane, STE 126
Dallas, TX 75231

No cover, just RSVP@cykochik.com by Oct. 31.

Our 10 selected local Chik artists & artisans:

custom-handbags.com	hautesweetspatisserie.com	lilcoletterpress.com	lindseyowencustomjewelry.com
littledaydresses.com	www.etsy.com/shop/lovewho	phoisforlovers.com

Video installation by performance and video artist Danielle Georgiou

Music by DJ Sista Whitenoise

Live drawing by illustrator Jody Pham 

Sign up for our Patron's Newsletter to receive exclusive holiday promotions, updates and more! http://eepurl.com/uA4Sz

Today, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) President/Founder Ingrid E. Newkirk (herself!) honored Cykochik with the PETA “Compassionate Business Award” for being an “exemplary cruelty free business” at the Nasher Sculpture Center while she was in Dallas,TX for her "Naked Truth" tour.  We are beyond grateful and thrilled to be awarded and recognized by PETA for doing what we believe is right for the past 10 years – that is responsible manufacturing of eco and animal friendly vegan handbags and accessories.

Nikki Duong Koenig founded Cykochik in 2003 with the belief in freedom of self-expression without endangering people, animals, or our planet in the process. We are humbled by PETA's recognition and will strive for a more compassionate and sustainable world everyday.