KidStyleFile

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For a few years now we have been meeting with Oobi Baby & Kids – www.oobi.com.au -  designer Alex Riggs just before the release of the new season. Earlier this month I almost fainted with anticipation when I discovered that it was MY turn to work with Alex on the big reveal.  This season’s designs are awe-inspiring, and I just know that you will fall in love with the collection……it’s Oobilicious! – Leah

Oobi spring/summer 2012-13 collection is for babies, boys and girls from 000-6 years, with selected pieces now available to 8 years.
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Dear KidStyleFile readers,

Well, once again it’s time to launch a new season, it feels like winter’s been here forever! I’m so happy to bring you the background story of the shoot, the designs and also a bit of information about how things are made, including how we weave some fabrics –  in summary, some of the mechanisms of how everything works. It’s become a tradition with Oobi and KidStyleFile, and it’s always fun to relive the creation of the range and the theme behind the photo shoot with you.

This season I thought about how I feel about summer… Long, hot, lazy days. The perfect caravan ride. Surf, sand and ice cream, playing in the sunshine. My dream is the retro caravan, decked out in Oobi retro gorgeousness. Kids playing together, having fun, enjoying the sun and the surf and the countryside. How holidays and summer should be. Nothing fancy, just fun with friends.

Claire Murdoch took our lifestyle photos and Sheena Cooke did our studio shots. Sheena and I have collaborated for many years and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She captures something from our models that is impossible to describe. Claire really took my idea of the caravan and the inspiration for the shoot and brought it to life. That was truly wonderful! She really saw my vision and made it happen – she even found and decorated the caravan! Collaborating with talented professionals who understand your aesthetic and your crazy stream-of-consciousness ideas is such a joy.

Love,

Alex (Big Oobi Alex!)

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This is how it should be… Beginning with Jessie and Sophie, best friends, playing together.

The Gypsy style skirt is classic Oobi in a way, it’s called Sophie. Mix-and-match prints including my new “Apple Pip” print. It comes in two different colourways, pink and blue. The Sophie skirt has two big pockets and a tie sash, both can be worn front/back, so you can mix it up. The gorgeous girl on the left is also wearing the Anna Tee which is a new spin on our Allegra Tee. It’s a printed jersey with our Apple Pip print and comes with a signature Oobi rosette. On the right is our new “Jessie” dress. This dress is proving to be a huge hit with our European customers. We recently showed it at the trade show in London and the first delivery sold out in seconds. We’ve mixed-and-matched with our gorgeous little handbag and, of course, a Bridgette Hat in Apple Pip print. In the background is Betsy, our very photogenic caravan!

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Anastasia – more of the Russian princesses!

My background is Russian so Russian names have been a bit of a theme with our princessy dresses and looks. This one is called Anastasia, and it’s a lovely dress for any special event. I also did an ivory version which would be lovely for flowergirls or Christenings – so we did ivory starting at size 00. I love the tulle and the gorgeous brooch. The tulle can be tied to the front or the back. It’s quite a simple, ethereal dress which looks lovely on bigger and little girls alike. You can also add our new lacy hair bows to complete the look.

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A gorgeous dress to delight younger girls…

The Butterfly Dress is so pretty, girly and whimsical. I’ve done it in three unique prints. One is red dot with a soft cherry print overlaid on a beautiful voile with a slub. One is a blue chevron and one is a pink chevron. I’m in love with chevron this season and it’s amazing because, like most designers, I design the seasons a year in advance so this time last year I was thinking chevron and it’s so perfect now that we’re launching summer. That’s the incredible thing about fashion, people dreaming of the same thing at the same time, who knows why. I adore this dress on our beautiful models, they look stunning! And I’m very happy with my new cherry print, I think it’s very sweet with the polkadots underneath.

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OH, MY GOODNESS! “Birdy” Overalls make me giggle.

I’m so in love with this little boy! Look at how cute he is with his big eyes and gummy smile. Every photo is a dream. Sheena Cooke is amazing with babies. Our little model is wearing our “Birdy” overalls (sooooooo retro, yum!!!) You can remove the straps for a long-line short. Underneath the Birdy is our Lighthouse Tee which goes up to 8Y. Our little girl is wearing the pink version and they also come in red (of course!). With the Birdy she’s wearing our Pocket Tee and Bridgette Hat. So adorable.

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Our dress to suit bigger girls…

My friend Gabrielle has been hassling me (OK suggested, suggested!) that I do a fun maxi dress for bigger girls so I did – and I named it after her daughter, Amalie. This is a lovely halter dress with three tiers of fabric in classic and new Oobi prints. I think it’s a great dress for parties and it looks divine on our beautiful models. I would kill for a dress like this myself! Each layer has a different lace trim and I’ve dyed the chevron and spots and cherries all so that they match back perfectly, making the dress harmonious – even with the three really different prints. Both girls look quite different I think, but both look so pretty.

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Out to Play?

Out to Play is my take on the little playsuit. It’s very retro and a little bit “Mix-and-Match” with the cuffs, ties and pockets in similar but slightly different prints. We teamed it with our white “Flutter” tee in some shots but you don’t need to wear anything with it. On a hot summer’s day this playsuit would be so cool and so comfy whilst still looking sweet, age-appropriate and stylish.

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Chloe

Chloe is such a charming, easy wear dress. With a signature rosette it’s a mix-and-match of Oobi prints and big fat ric-rac (S-Lace) at the bottom. Love! At $39.95 it’s a real crowd-pleaser as well.

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Boys, Boys, Boys!

I love the Panama shorts. This was an absolute labour of love. I found a pair of boy’s overalls in a market on some travels in Europe. The overalls were owned by a British family who had bought them on their travels through the exotic lands of South America, India and Africa. The fabric was a classic woven stripe but it’s just not made anymore. So we asked our fabric maker (the guys who weave our checks) if they could copy the weave for us faithfully, and they did!! The end result is amazing. Classic colonial style, lightweight, perfect for summer. But boy was there a lot of trial and error! It’s so amazing that I have a fantastic network of people who weave my cottons and do my prints. I’ve been working with these weavers for years and they are really at the top of their game. It’s one of the reasons our checks are so lovely. The Panama shorts are shown in this photo with the “Ritchie” jacket which is a great jersey cover-up with a cool surprise on the back! Underneath is a woven Henley tee in our own stripes (thanks to the same weavers) so we were able to match our blues brilliantly.

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Apple anyone?

Our gorgeous Saskia Skirt and Ladybird tee was inspired by Snow White. I just thought that the colours were so perfect together and I love the story. Saskia is such a fun, girly skirt and we have added our cherry check print for this summer onto the waistband. It’s finished with a bold red satin tie! Saskia is coming in three new colours this season and each one has a gorgeous Ladybird tee to match back. What are the other two colours, you ask? Well… that’s top secret

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Beastie… Yes, I am fondly remembering the ‘90s.

Our Beastie shorts are funky rocker shorts in a slightly long-line which makes them suitable for play or for special summer events. I love the details and they look so cool on our little model (handsome boy!). I’ve paired the shorts with our own woven check “Curtis” shirt which has fun contrast buttons and pocket details too. I love this outfit, it’s smart but also casual and laid back. Perfect for a lunch by the beach or a party.

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So that’s it for the sneak peek! Oh my goodness, there are soooo many more outfits to show, and so many more things that I could say, but I guess I’d better stop here. Stay tuned though, Oobi are launching a few Oobi Classics to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and KidStyleFile is going to get the first look!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and view the garments. I hope that you love Spring/Summer 2012-13. You can find more on our Facebook page and the Oobi website www.oobi.com.au.

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