KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Miki

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UK-based Okido Magazine – www.okido.co.uk – pronounce it Oh! KID! Oh! – is a science and art themed magazine aimed at 2-7 year olds.  I discovered Okido earlier this year at Bubble kids tradeshow, and I highly recommend it: kids (and parents!) really get a lot out of each issue, and it’s affordable too, with an annual subscription costing around AU$60 (at current exchange rate) including delivery to Australia.

New to the scene is the offshoot of Okido magazine, the Okidoodle Book, a 74-page colouring book full of art and science-themed activities to get your kids’ brains working while they turn the pages into works of art.  It’s beautifully illustrated and definitely superior to the mainstream equivalents on the market – much more creative and thought-provoking – and presents a good range of activities to appeal to both boys and girls within the age bracket.

Like Okido, Okidoodle is aimed at 2-7 year olds. As an experiment, I decided to test it on four children of different ages to see what they thought of it.

Two Year Old Test

First up was my two-year-old son Alex, who enjoyed pointing out various elements within the book (animals, trees, food etc), and doodled merrily all over several pages.  Obviously at age two he couldn’t read or understand many of the instructions on the pages, and I think really that two is probably too young to really get the most out of this book.  He did enjoy it though, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more Okidoodle Books as he grows over the next year or so.

Four Year Old Test

Next to have a turn was my friend’s daughter Holly, almost four.  Like Alex, she couldn’t read the instructions, but with some grown up help was able to get to grips with the activities on many of the simpler pages.  She particularly enjoyed the ‘join the dots’ type activities, and the many pages to do with animals.

Five Year Old Test

Jack (aged five) had his turn next, and he reveled in the insects pages.  He drew the correct number (well, more or less!) of legs onto various bugs, and enjoyed the ‘identify the odd one out’ activities.  Like the younger children he needed some help in reading the instructions, but was off and away as soon as he understood what was required.

Eight Year Old Test

Eight-year-old Samantha was the last to get her hands on the book, and she absolutely adored it.  She was able to read and understand the instructions on her own, and spent over an hour and a half engrossed in it.  Her favourite pages were the ones relating to the human body, but she also loved anything to do with animals and enjoyed the mazes and puzzles.

Having seen four kids enjoy the Okidoodle Book I definitely recommend it as a fun and educational indoors activity for kids, particularly as the school holidays drag on. Children who aren’t confident readers yet will need some help from a parent to understand the instructions on each page, but seven-year-olds upwards should be fine to handle it on their own.

The Okidoodle Book retails for £4.99 (around AU$9 at today’s exchange rate) plus £2.50 delivery to Australia, and is sold directly through the Okido website.

Today’s post written by Miki

Today I bring to you the last of my first-hand reports from Bubble London, with some quick bites from Toffee Moon, Mitty James and Punch & Cuddle. I hope you have enjoyed the coverage, and seeing what our northern hemisphere cousins are deliveruing in the baby and kids design space. Have a great day

For more Bubble London coverage click here.

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Toffee Moon

Bridging the gap between comfortable sleepwear and stylish daywear for newborns to 12 months, Toffee Moon is a luxe brand catering to busy parents who need to be able to effortlessly coordinate their baby’s wardrobe on the go.

Timeless designs and gentle, neutral colourways (Spring/Summer ‘09 features dusky blues, pinks and browns, while future collections will introduce silvergrey) along with top quality fabrics and tiny detail  ensure that the range is extremely giftable.  However the detailing of each piece has been carefully considered to ensure that it doesn’t affect the garment’s practicality or comfort for the baby.  All products in the Toffee Moon range are machine washable.

Toffee Moon currently have no stockists in Australia, but Australian shoppers can buy directly from the Toffee Moon website as they ship worldwide.

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Mitty James

A fresh, sporty and age-appropriate range of swimwear and beachwear for girls and boys, the Mitty James collection features a range of beach cover ups and accessories, along with swimwear and UV suit designs.

New to the Mitty James line are the organic styles, including organic cotton terry rompers and long hooded tops.  Designed in conjuction with Green Baby, the organic range are available in sizes from 18 months to 7 years.

The swimwear range and UV suits (50+ UV protection) feature classic stripes, with some girls’ styles of swimwear also being available in fresh, pretty florals.

Australian shoppers can buy Mitty James from Matilda Mae.

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Punch & Cuddle

One of the sponsors of this year’s Bubble London, the Punch & Cuddle is a piece of design furniture which invites emotional expression.  Available in three sizes, catering for both adults and children, it can be hugged, wrestled and – although I would hesitate to encourage this aspect with children – punched.

Made from 100% cotton and bamboo, the bag is designed to integrate fitness, balance and emotional expression within the home environment.

A new design, the bag is not yet in production but is expected to begin being sold online within the next few months.  We’ll keep you posted.

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Please check individual sites for shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

There’s a growing contingent of wonderful organic and eco-friendly brands on the market. Today I present to you some of the very best in this class as seen at Bubble London last month.

For more Bubble London coverage click here.

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idaT

Targeted at children aged 0-8 years, Danish brand idaT is easily recognisable by its bold block colours and engaging, entertaining animal prints.

All idaT clothes are certified under the Oeko-Tex 100 standard, ensuring that they are free of harmful chemicals and substances.  The standard sets stricter requirements for clothing for children under 3 years old, but all idaT clothing meets these standards, even those sized for older children.

The idaT range includes bodysuits, rompers, kimono singletsuits, hats and bibs for babies in a range of 13 colours and prints. For older children there are t-shirts, leggings, trousers, shorts, skirts, dresses, hoodies, vests, underwear, hats, scarves and legwarmers, again in a large range of colourways and prints. HRH Princess Mary of Denmark is counted among idaT’s fans.

Australian shoppers can buy idaT from I Want Fabulous!

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Pitta Patta

Created by mother and naturopath Alex Field, the Pitta Patta skincare range is environmentally ethical, natural and, where possible, organic.

The collection of moisturising creams, massage oils, soaps and indigo essences have been carefully created by Field to create calm, soothing experiences and moods for babies and children, and are also safe for use by women during pregnancy.

The range includes products designed to aid sleeping problems, to calm angry, upset children, to enhance self-confidence and to help children with stress problems among other benefits.

Australian shoppers can purchase Pitta Patta products through the Australian sales section of their website.

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Lille Barn

A UK based company, Lille Barn produces clothes with a gently vintage-inspired, Scandanavian feel due to the brand’s lead designer originating from Norway.

The clothes are mainly made from Oeko-Tex certified organic cotton and merino wool, and are manufactured to the highest standards within the EU.  The clothing is sized for children aged 0-4 years.

Spring/Summer ‘09 features classic nautical stripes, delicate florals and earthy forest greens and browns. Styles are simple and functional, yet retain a classic childlike charm.

Lille Barn clothes are not currently available in Australia, but you can source them through the list of overseas online stockists on the Lille Barn website.

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Please check individual sites for shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

More discoveries from the 2009 edition of prestige kids tradeshow Bubble London. Follwing on from Part 1 yesterday, Today we continue our focus on interiors, with three stunning examples of Dutch design.

Each of these brands is represented in the UK by Room Red, a young agency who specialise in bringing European children’s interiors labels to the UK and ROI markets. For queries about any of the brands – unless your Dutch is fluent – I suggest using Room Red as your first point of contact.

For more Bubble London coverage click here.

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Global Affairs

Started around 10 years now, Global Affairs was created by Dutchwoman Annette Klein Bog.  Having spent time travelling in China and India, Annette fell in love with the bright colours used by craftspeople in these parts of the world.

Using traditional fabrics and techniques from these countries, Annette created an interiors and accessories range with a contemporary Scandanavian feel. The collection is manufactured by small companies, all of whom are personally visited by Annette, which helps to ensure that employees are ethically treated.

The children’s range includes bedlinen, cushions, mobiles & wall hangings, storage options, lamps and toys.  The range is not currently available to Australian shoppers, but we’ll be sure to update this when it changes.

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Snoozebaby

Another Dutch kids’ interiors company, Snoozebaby are renown for their tag-based snuggle products for babies and toddlers.

Created in 2005 by Marleen Rameckers, the products were initially designed for Rameckers’ own child.  the range has since expanded considerably, and now includes bedlinen, toys, comforters, wraps, nappy change mats and play mats.

Each of the products features numerous tags made of different fabrics: velvets, satins, silks, corduroys and crackling materials.  The products themselves are primarily made of cotton jersey and velour, which are comforting textures and retain a child’s fragrance.

A selection of Snoozebaby products are available through Monsters & Munchkins, who will ship to Australia for £8 per order.

On a personal note, my 23 month old son has a Snoozebaby ‘Sweet Dreaming Deluxe’ Comforter, which he adores. He loves to play with the tags and rub the different textures against his face.

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Birdy nam nam

The third Dutch brand of the day, Birdy nam nam was created by Jopie Biesters, a graduate of the prestigious Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

Entirely handmade, the collection demonstrates Biesters’ love for shapes and forms and is distinctive for its radiant colours and eye-catching forms. Endearing in their imperfections (due in part to design, and partly to being handmade), the products are friendly and funny.

The collection has grown to include bags & accessories, a wonderful selection of mobiles, cot linen, and a charming range of felt birthday crowns which can be updated with a new age each year.

Birdy nam nam is not available to Australian shoppers at present, but we’ll update you when that changes.

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Please check individual sites for shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

More discoveries from the 2009 edition of prestige kids tradeshow Bubble London. Today the focus is on stunning interiors labels to delight and inspire. Stay tuned for part 2, coming tomorrow.

For more Bubble London coverage click here.

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ella & otto

A delightfully modern boutique children’s bedding and interiors brand, ella & otto is a print-led range designed to fit into the contemporary home.

Relatively new to the children’s interiors market, the collection was created by Tania Urban in 2008.  With a strong international background in fashion, Urban is also a mother of four children and combines her professional and personal experiences along with her love of contemporary design in her brand.

At present the brand features four collections, each based on an Urban-designed print. The products within each collection include cot bedding, soft toys, sleeping bags, cushions and decorative accessories such as bib sets and laundry bags.

Australian shoppers can buy ella & otto products directly from their website.

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Mini Moderns

A range of interiors products for kids and ‘kidults’, Mini Moderns is produced by UK design agency Absolute Zero.

Co-founders Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire created a print-driven collection, which currently includes wallpapers, textiles, plastic and ceramic dinnerware and gift sets. The prints are based on retro concepts (such as vintage toys) but retain a distinctly modern feel.

The company operates on a strictly ‘Made in the UK’ basis – in fact, specifically ‘Made in the UK by nice people’ – enabling their carbon footprint to stay low while the quality of their products remains high.

Australian shoppers can purchase Mini Moderns wallpaper from The Selvedge Group, and other products directly from the Mini Moderns online shoppe.

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Petra Boase

Collage-based design is the passion of Petra Boase, and her self-titled brand reflects this in the most delightful way.

Retro papers, prints and fabrics give a comfortable feel to her otherwise modern designs, which now cover a range of canvases and prints, mugs, wrapping paper, a wide range of stationery and children’s and adults’ tees.

Boase also stocks in her online store a small but lovely selection of Japanese paper ballons (an excellent and very cheap method of decorating a child’s bedroom; also great for party favours), and toys knitted from yak wool which are surprisingly soft and non-scratchy.

Boase’s stationery range is particularly note-worthy – if you’ll pardon the pun! – as the designs are distinctive and fresh while remaining appropriately childlike.

You can source Petra Boase products directly from her online store, email for a postage quote to Australia.

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Please check individual sites for shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

More discoveries from kids tradeshow Bubble London. Today footwear from Swiss label Moccis, Funky Feet Fashions from the UK, and Australia’s own Baby Bloch. Enjoy!

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Moccis

Moccis’ Swedish designer, Anna Wetterlin, created the brand when she realised that the rest of the world had not yet discovered the benefits of Swedish made moccasins.

The many benefits of the Scandanavian design include no slipping and sliding on polished or tiled floors, no cold feet, no dirty shoes indoors and no socks falling off the baby or toddler.  Several styles are now also available in adults sizes for both men and women.

Made from ecotex certified materials, Moccis are fully machine washable.  The leather sole is flexible and hardwearing, enabling small feet to be protected without affecting their development.  There is double elastic at the ankle to prevent the Mocci from sliding off the foot, and the distinctive zigzac seam at the bottom is sewed by hand.

Moccis are not yet available in Australia, but you can source them directly from the Moccis website.

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Funky Feet

Designed and handmade in the UK, Funky Feet Fashions has grown to encompass a truly enormous range of soft fabric shoes and accessories for children and babies.

Most Funky Feet shoes are fully machine washable, and sizes now range from newborn right up to five years. With over eighty different styles available, the selection is huge and extremely giftable.

Gift options are aided by many Funky Feet styles now also available in gift sets including hats, bags or cotton playsuits.

While Funky Feet Fashions have no Australian stockists at present, Australian shoppers can buy directly from the Funky Feet website – a very low international shipping rate of £3.50 per order makes this an excellent option.

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Baby Bloch

One of my great delights at Bubble London was finding an Australian brand Baby Bloch on show. Baby Bloch – an offshoot of Bloch, famous Sydney-based maker of ballet and dance shoes – manufacture tiny, delicate ballet flats for pre-walkers.

Inspired by their ‘grown up’ ballet shoes, the pre-walker ballerina shoes are made from Italian leather and are carefully crafted to ensure the protection of a baby’s developing feet. The range includes patent ballet flats, lace-ups, mini taps and booties.

Australian shoppers can purchase Baby Bloch shoes from Tiny People.

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Please check individual sites for shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

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One of the most interesting and exciting brands at Bubble London was Frugi, an organic children’s clothing range designed in Cornwall, England.

Inspired by the idyllic outdoors childhood that we all aspire to for our children, Frugi clothing has been designed with comfort and practicality at the forefront.

This has not led to a compromise on style, however, with quirky prints, charming appliques and fresh, childlike colours featuring strongly through the range. Each piece has been thoughtfully designed, with jersey-lined waistbands for comfort and hidden pockets for storing treasures among their other characteristics.

Frugi baby and toddler clothing is cut to fit cloth nappies and all Frugi pieces are generously sized to ensure longevity of use. Trousers are designed to look just as good with cuffs rolled up as rolled down and many items are reversible, meaning genuine value for money.

The Frugi line is created with a very strong focus on environmentalism and ethical production: all fabrics used are organic, and all clothing is ethically manufactured. Additionally, 1% of Frugi’s turnover (as opposed to profit) is donated to grassroots environmental causes.

Running parallel to the Frugi children’s line is a collection of organic breastfeeding tops and dresses, all of which are designed by the same principles as the children’s range; that style doesn’t have to exclude comfort, practicality or an environmental conscience.

Australian customers can source Frugi from Melbourne and online stockist Fairground Child, or directly through the Frugi UK website where most summer items are currently discounted by up to 50%.

Please check individual sites for postage and shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

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More finds from Bubble London ‘09 for you today. Enjoy!

Brights & Stripes

The Brights & Stripes range is wonderfully eyecatching, created entirely of vibrant, exciting colours and prints for children aged newborn to three years, with Spring/Summer ‘10 sizing up to five years.

The fabrics used are 95% cotton/5% lycra, giving them a wonderful stretch and all Brights & Stripes pieces meet the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, certifying them free from harmful substances.  Their manufacturers also comply with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production Standards.

The Spring/Summer ‘10 range of Brights & Stripes features retro stars, modern gingham florals and bold prints, with stripes also being an ongoing design characteristic. A new nightwear range is also being introduced with this collection, including babygrows, pyjama sets and cotton sleeping bags.

Brights & Stripes do not currently have any Australian stockists, but Australian shoppers can source their range through their international online stockists.

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Okido

An independent magazine aimed at 3-7 year olds, Okido is designed to spark the imagination and increase understanding of art and science in its young readers.

Beautifully designed, the magazine introduces regular characters, and features games and cooking ideas all aimed at engaging parents and children together.

Okido is a non-profit organisation and the magazines contain no corporate advertisements. All magazines are printed with biodegradable inks on post consumer recycled paper, ensuring that they are not harmful to children or the environment.  The magazine is published quarterly.

Australian readers can subscribe to six issues of Okido for £30, and back issues are on sale from the Okido online shop.

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Travis

Creators of fantastical costumes for children aged 18 months to 11 years, Travis Designs are constantly expanding and upgrading their line of dressing up clothes. Fostering and encouraging socio-dramatic play, dressing up encourages children to use their imagination to transform themselves and their surroundings which is a vital part of development.

Currently the vast range includes collections of historical costumes, fairy and princess costumes, animals and insects, Halloween and Christmas ranges, and a ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ collection which features soldier, king, paramedic, fireman and knight costumes among others.  There are also ranges of coordinating accessories.

Travis Designs’ costume designers focus on giving as much ‘play value’ as possible: to this end almost all costumes are machine washable, and many are reversible (ie, princess on one side, and pirate girl when turned inside out).

Australian shoppers can source Travis Designs costumes from Little Possums Toys and Send A Toy.

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Please check individual sites for postage and shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

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Following on from yesterday’s coverage of Vintage Kit, today I continue to showcase some of the standout vintage/retro-inspired design collections from Bubble London 2009.

Powell Craft

Harking back to a gentler time, the Powell Craft range is an excellent example of the ‘vintage for comfort’ trend currently emerging. A family business, Powell Craft sources many of its materials in Kashmir, which are then used to create handmade classic clothing and homewares which have a comforting, nostalgic mood.

The Powell Craft collection includes ranges for ladies (the traditional nightwear is delicate and feminine), the home and of course, for children with crisp embroidered cotton pyjamas, pretty party dresses and soft knit layette pieces featuring.  There is also a nursery bedding range of cot quilts embroidered with traditional designs in exquisite detail.

Powell Craft do not currently have an Australian distributor, but a good selection of their range can be purchased from Mad Molly.co.uk who ship to Australia.

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Rachel Riley

Founded in 1994 by French-based English designer Rachel Riley, this line of clothing and accessories has since gone from strength to strength. The beautiful collections for women, girls, boys and infants quickly gained popularity due to the vintage feel deliberately created by the use of traditional needlecraft: smocking, French seams, ricrac, bias and mother of pearl buttons variously feature in the designs.

The prints are also traditional but with a hint of whimsy, and include conversational prints such as flamingos, balloons and large-scale florals, along with polka dots, ginghams and stripes. Only high thread-count cotton is used, which adds to the luxurious feel of the clothing. However the clothes are designed for modern living: most are machine washable, easy to wear and leave children free to run and play.

Rachel Riley also design and manufacture children’s leather shoes in vintage styles to complement their clothing line.

A celebrity following is firmly in place, with Elle Macpherson, Nigella Lawson and Thandie Newton all counted on the customer list.

Rachel Riley clothes and shoes are available through their two stores in London and a third flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York. Australian shoppers can buy through the Rachel Riley website.

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Hansel & Gretel Knits

Irish designer Aine Clarke created Hansel & Gretel Knits when she found herself constantly complimented on the clothes she had hand-knitted for her own and friends’ children. Initially a small, home-based business, the orders continued to flood in until Clarke made the call to concentrate more fully on her growing line.

Using a combination of Irish traditional and contemporary techniques and designs, and a wide range of yarns and embellishments, the pieces have a fun, retro appeal. In many cases there are also coordinating hats and booties available. Perfect for active children, toddlers and babies, the knits are colourful and quirky and feel comfortably soft – no hint of scratchiness to bother sensitive skin.  All designs are machine washable and generously sized, adding to their practicality.

Chunky knits characterise the Winter ‘09/’10 collection while finer, more delicate yarns are being used for Summer ‘10.

At present Hansel and Gretel knits are not available to Australian shoppers, but we will be sure to update this as and when it changes.

Please check individual sites for postage and shipping details.

Today’s post written by Miki

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More news from Bubble London 2009 today, with Vintage Kit – www.vintagekit.com- a charming example of the growing trend towards nostalgic childrenswear design.

Lead designer Katherine Trigg, a former stylist, created the range after clothing she had made for her own children was widely admired.

Evoking a bygone era, the range features sweetly sentimental prints and simple, easy-to-wear cuts, enabling boys, girls and babies to dress and play in comfort.

The collection is made entirely in the UK, from Trigg’s hand-drawn prints being transformed into vintage-inspired cotton and silk fabrics at Laura Ashley’s fabric factory, right down to the completion of each individual piece.

Vintage Kit has rapidly gained attention with a celebrity following already in place. Kate Moss and UK actress/celebrity judge Amanda Holden have both dressed their children in pieces from the collection.

The meteoric rise of Vintage Kit’s popularity recently prompted the Walt Disney Co. to make contact with Trigg regarding the reinvention of nostalgic Disney clothing, and thus was the Vintage Kit Disney range born.

Old favourites Bambi, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland make a comeback in a series of playful prints.  At present Vintage Kit Disney is exclusively a girlswear line, but a boys’ range of VK Disney featuring Buzz Lightyear is due out for Spring/Summer 2010.

Also on the horizon for Vintage Kit is an eagerly awaited bed linen range, coming soon.

At present there are no Australian stockists, but Vintage Kit is available to Australian shoppers through the Vintage Kit website, where most summer stock is currently 40% off for a limited time.