Couture Kingdom interviews @tikiroombby

The month of May is in full swing and we are almost halfway through 2019 (wait.. what?!). We sat down with our much-loved @tikiroombby to talk all things Disney. There are two wonderful humans behind the Disney magic of @tikiroombby- Tanya and Bryan. Many of you would know Tanya’s face and awesome style, while Bryan is a mysterious man behind the camera (professional photographer @fdzney, sometimes bounder and ultimate Insta BF). We wanted to learn a little more, and how all things Disney have started for them; both as a couple and individually.

Couture Kingdom: Tanya, you have definitely made a mark in terms of your Disney Fashion style. Has it become a full-time job for you yet?

Tanya: Thank you, that means so much and also makes me feel a little bit better about basically my entire wardrobe being Disney pieces! While @tikiroombby is not quite a full-time job (yet!) here’s hoping, so I’m just going to put this out here for the universe to do its thing, haha.

Couture Kingdom: What surprising lessons have you learned along the way?

Tanya: I think the most surprising lesson I’ve learned since creating my Instagram is that I don’t have to buy crazy amounts of new clothing every season to freshen up my style game, I have just encouraged myself to find new ways to style garments I already own and look at them in new ways! A few new-to-me vintage Disney pieces every so often don’t hurt either, though. ;)

Bryan: When it comes to content creation, I’ve learned to keep things fun, simple and clean. Outside of the Disney community I’m used to photographing things that are more editorial and moody. I also do a lot more editing and coloring within my normal work. For @tikiroombby we like to keep things simple and as true to life as possible.

When it comes to being a full-time insta-bf: I think I’ve learned to be a little more patient. While Tanya is pretty comfortable in front of the camera, it can be difficult to explain what I’m trying to convey sometimes (definitely has improved my communication as well). Also, taking pictures at an extremely busy park can be frustrating, so the patience thing has really come in handy.

When it comes to my own Disney style: I think giving it a shot has really helped me loosen up in terms of my everyday style. I’ve definitely been trying to incorporate more fun colors and patterns into my wardrobe. I still have a lot to learn from Tanya though.

Couture Kingdom: What is your favourite thing about Disney?

Tanya: This is a difficult one because my automatic response is to say “Everything!” I honestly think it’s mostly the feeling of nostalgia, youthfulness, and not to be cliché, but all around magic, I get from Disney. Being at the parks, watching the movies, or just hugging a Mickey Mouse plush, you’re (well at least I am) brought back to that light feeling from childhood.

Bryan: For me, Disney is all about the time I get to spend with Tanya and our friends. I absolutely wouldn’t be going as often (2-3 x a week) if we didn’t have our little circle. It’s also nice to ALWAYS have something to do, and the parks are fairly close to us (20 mins from home, 10 from campus).

Couture Kingdom: As the saying goes: “If you don’t use it, you will lose it.” How do you keep your imagination strong? How can we all as adults find the magic that seems to be left in the childhood of many grown-ups?

Tanya: I think a healthy dose of not taking yourself too seriously, especially with your wardrobe, helps you preserve the magic and exercises your imagination. I’ve learned to wear what makes you happy makes other people happy, and in turn, inspires them to have a little more imagination with their styling choices- which makes me so happy to have inspired someone even a little bit! So basically I wear Disney attire on the daily, whether it be a tee or even a pair of Mickey earrings! ;)

Bryan: I try not to ever just be working on one thing. Like I mentioned earlier, I also do photography outside of the Disney community so I’m always coming up with new concepts or ideas for shoots. However, sometimes I’ll be in a creative rut for months…  When that happens, I try to dabble in other forms of art (even though I may not be so good at it) such as printmaking and embroidery. That usually helps me come up with new ideas or inspires me to go back to photography. Also, I work in marketing so imagination is pretty important to the whole creative problem-solving aspect of work.

Couture Kingdom: All Disney characters have their own kind of magic in them. What’s your favorite character and why?

Tanya: I love so many Disney characters for different reasons. Lilo was my favorite growing up, alongside Mulan, Stitch, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan… and I’ve only added to that list. Lilo was the first character who really resonated with me because I felt a real kinship (aside from looking quite alike) to her with her fierce loving side and a bit of a trouble-making side. I also grew up Polynesian dancing and having crazy long hair, haha! I have to give an honorable mention to Peter because I grew up thinking I WAS him and I dressed up as Peter Pan for more than a few consecutive Halloweens. I mean, none of us really want to grow up!

Bryan: This is a tough one for me…I can’t pick between Goofy and Donald… and then there’s Mickey... hmm… If we’re including Pixar in this then the choice is easy, SHERIFF WOODY. Toy Story is my absolute favorite Disney/Pixar film, and quite possibly my favorite movie ever.

Couture Kingdom: You love dressing up. How important is the jewelry in your dress up?

Tanya: When I’m outfit planning, I either begin or finish with jewelry! I always think of it as the cherry on top of the outfit sundae, as cheesy as that sounds. Building an outfit around a piece of jewelry is sometimes my favorite because each perfect piece of clothing you find to style with it is a little victory in itself, and it’s like magic to see the whole ensemble come together!

Couture Kingdom: What’s next for you?

Tanya: Honestly even I don’t quite know what’s next for @tikiroombby, so I guess we’ll find out together!

Bryan: I graduate in a couple of weeks, so major changes coming soon. I hope whatever it is that’s next is good. *fingers crossed*