Dublin-born Nicola Dames' life changed forever in her early 20s when she started to suffer from Ulcerative Colitis.

At the young age of 29, Nicola - a former high-end Fashion Consultant at the famous Brown Thomas, as well as an NHS Intensive Care Nurse - decided to go ahead and have her large colon removed.

The year was 2006. She had tried everything. Married only one year. She wanted to have children with her husband. She wanted to have a future. She wanted life.

From her hospital bed - and after researching all the medicalised underwear available - Nicola decided she had to set up her own company! However, the unique Vanilla Blush selling point magnifies cutting edge Medical Devices for the mind as well as the body. Merging her two professions, Nicola produced underwear, Supportwear and Sportswear, which combines techsmart medical devices with sharp products designed for everyday wear. 

Launching live on ITV's 'This Morning Show', Valentine's 2008, Vanilla Blush has grown to become a globally recognised award winning brand. Selling female lingerie, male underwear, hernia supportwear, swimwear and sportswear, Vanilla Blush has seen its business develop from being a great-news-story to great-business-story. 

With online sales making the brand available across the globe, Vanilla Blush's CEO, Nicola, still insists on working hands-on day-to-day to make sure each Vanilla Blush customer is at the heart of the VB mission. Re-organising and adapting to face the global Covid crisis, VB continues to grow. Already preparing for 2023, the plans are big and the philosophy simple: Offer Good Service!