KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Angela

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Whilst in New York for the Bubble tradeshow in March, I was hugely impressed with US label dan dan – www.dandangoods.com – who design a fabulous range of clothing for babies, and boys and girls up to 6 years. I was instantly drawn to the exquisite fabrics and tailoring, and then I discovered that all dan dan pieces are designed to grow with your child, so you can wear them, and love them, for longer!

I had a lovely conversation with dan dan designer Aiko Decelles (pronounced eye-koh d’sells), and quickly became besotted with her beauty, warmth and energy.

In the course of chatting, an Australian connection was revealed: Aiko spent 4 formative years gowing up in Sydney!

Aiko now lives in New York City with her husband Dan. Aiko enjoys yoga and golf, loves dogs, and colour is her favourite colour. Read on for more…

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Tell us about your background?

I was born in Tokyo, Japan, and in my childhood had the fortune of moving around. At three, we moved to the USA, and just as I’d secured the English language we moved back to Japan. At eight we left our mother country for the great land Down Under! An unforgettable four years was spent growing up in West Pymble NSW where I met my lifelong friends at Gordon West Public School (a shout out to Penny, Anoushka, Nadine, Rowena, Stephanie, Veronica, Leona, Christine, Siobhan!) At twelve, we made a permanent move back to the States where I’ve now been for 21 years.

After surviving two major catastrophes – escaping from the 38th floor of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center on 9/11, and most recently just narrowly resigning before the bankruptcy of my firm – I was ready for a change from my profession of Information Technology.

While I have no formal background or training in apparel or design, designing for function was my specialty in information technology, so I decided to apply it toward children’s apparel. Why children’s? Why not! It’s got to be the happiest segment of the fashion industry.

Tell us about the philosophy behind dan dan?

“dan dan” in Japanese means ‘gradual’ or ’step-by-step’ (and it also happens to be what I call my husband!)

The concept behind the collection is clothing that grows step-by-step with the child, focused on the common frustration that parents have of kids growing out of clothes so quickly. Our design is about function: wear it for longer and/or wear it more than one way.

Above: Pieces from the dan dan Spring/Summer 2009 collection

Above: Pieces from the dan dan Fall 2009/Australian Autumn/Winter 2010 collection

We’ve also extended our designs to address convenience. For example, our Spring/Summer 2009 collection of Lexi tops and dresses are designed where the front and back are symmetrical.This means you’ll never have the outfit on backwards, a great convenience factor particularly for fathers but also for girls learning to dress themselves!

As you can see in my collections, I tend toward very happy bright colors in the spring/summer, while looking for more refined, subdued and muted tones for fall/winter.

What inspires you?

Every season my design process starts with fabric. Fabric selection is by far what I enjoy most about the design process. My inspiration for silhouettes starts with an excursion to the Fashion District in NYC where I am surrounded by bolts upon bolts of textiles.

Ideas are generated by the combination of texture, color and broad aesthetic of the fabric.

What are your current top 5 products for baby and kids?

I am in love with products that draw out the inner creativity of children. My most recent find is The Little Experience, (2. below) a UK-based company who creates the most wonderful craft kits in equally creative boxed packaging for children across many skill levels.

Others include Land Of Nod (1. below) with a wide selection of arts & craft projects (love the “And Sew It Goes” kit!)

Also, I can’t go past my childhood favorite: latch hook kits! (5. below)

In apparel, I’ve been a huge fan of the sophisticated and simple yet so-accessible clothing for baby and children by Makie (4. below), and more recently discovered an exquisitely designed all-organic line by Tane Organics (3. below).

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

This one’s a no-brainer: my husband, the beach, sunshine and dogs! We recently spent some time on the coast of California south of San Francisco called Carmel. The beach runs for miles and walking alongside Dan with flip flops in hand, two Goldens frolicking up ahead, and the warmth of the sun combined with the cool morning air makes for the most extraordinary feeling of freedom and pure joy.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

My family liked to go camping and experience the great outdoors in rustic style, a luxury that was tough to come by in Japan. The moment we stepped foot in the States, my father purchased a caravan and tent. We would spend long weekends driving into wooded territory, setup our camp and go blueberry picking.

On occasion we’d wake to the ever-so-pleasant smell of skunk who’d raided our garbage through the night, but our trips away were always cherished, and my brother and I would anxiously await the next.

Retailers interested in becoming stockists can contact Aiko Decelles for information. Please check the dan dan website for US stockist information. dan dan is available to buy in Australia from ele-ahbaant.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Today I want to make a special introduction: KSF Readers meet BALOB (green) TADA (orange) JOOP (purple), DOOT (blue) and BEEP (pink/orange) – aka the Muddy Cloud Crew – MCC meet KSF readers. I’m sure it won’t take long for the two of you to become acquainted, the former having super taste, and you both being incredibly cool!

So what’s the Muddy Cloud story? What IS a Muddy Cloud? I met Joy from Muddy Cloud at the Bubble tradeshow in New York and she gave me the lowdown: they’re about using your imagination – they can be whatever you want them to be!

For me the Muddy Cloud creatures extend beyond their soft-as polar fleece snuggliness to become friendly aliens, woodland creatures and fruit – BALOB just gotta be an apple! – in rich bright colours that make me feel happy. They’re perfect for babies and kids with their amiable expressions, bright colours and grabbable ‘ears’, and grown-ups who love to have their imaginations stimulated. Put me on the list…

Find out more about Muddy Cloud here.

Muddy Cloud buddies (AUD$25.95) are available to buy in Australia exclusively from Little Styles.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Today I’d like to introduce you to one extraordinary individual: Anabel Fournier from Petits Fournier – www.petitsfournier.com.

I met Anabel at the Bubble trade show in New York recently, and was instantly attracted to her fine knits for babies and kids. Hearing the story behind her label further enriched my appreciation of her range.

Anabel’s warmth and beauty made me feel so fantastically inspired, and I am so pleased to share her story with you.

PS: A small detail that Anabel hasn’t mentioned that I know, is that her women’s scarves were including in the gift bags at the Oscars(!!) together with her talented sister Elie’s stationery range. That’s one creative family! Also, be sure to take a look at Anabel’s blog, and so i whisper – her cake baking skills are absolutely incredible! -and her Flickr photostream for some more great photos of Africa and Bolivia.

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Tell us a little about your life, family and hobbies

I live in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa. My birthplace is San Jose, Costa Rica but I left when I was twenty years old. Since then I have lived in Spain, Panama, and Bolivia before coming to Kenya.

My daughter Daniela is 9 years old and is also an artist. Her favorite activity at home and school is anything related to art. She always carries a bag with coloring pencils and a notepad. She loves being my model, especially for the accessories line.

My son Sebastian is a nature kid. He is always outside, rain or shine. Still likes to wear mommy’s clothing when he wants to look “smart” like he say.

My husband Marcos does not have a background in fashion or design but has great taste and helps me a lot with the financial department.

My favorite hobby is painting with acrylics on wood. I also enjoy baking. My favorite food is Peruvian food, anything from the sea. My favorite color is blue, which I always include in my collections.

What is your professional background?

Art runs in my veins as I have been surrounded by art all my life. I come from a family of painters and very crafty people so this has influenced who I am today. I have a graphic arts background but also in hotel and restaurant management. I enjoy cooking very much and I find that my preference to baking sweets and pastry reflects in my continuous desire to create and perfect. For a few years I had a restaurant in the highlands of Panama before moving to Bolivia and continuing my education in fashion design.

How did Fournier come about?

We moved to Bolivia in 2000 when my husband took a job in a poverty alleviation project financed by USAID.

I was immediately impacted by the indigenous Bolivian women who learn to knit at a very early age and can be seen everywhere maintaining this part of their heritage. I am not a person who can stay still and my hands have to always be busy doing something so I started working with a small group of these knitters and started putting a small collection together. I knew I could make this work and was dazzled by the intricacy of what these women could produce when given some guidance.

I took my first collection on the road and literally did the cold call by knocking from door to door at some the children’s stores in the United States until I started getting some accounts. It all took off from there and started then learning about some of the specialized trade shows where I started exhibiting the Fournier collections and before I knew it we were employing more than 60 knitters year round.

You live in Africa: tell us how you came to live there, and what your day-to-day life is like.

I came to Africa as a result from my husband’s work. Marcos has been working for many years doing development work assisting rural farmers improve their skills in agribusiness and marketing. We came to Kenya to work implementing a coffee project for East African countries in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia for the Gates Foundation.

As with Bolivia, the colors and textures of Africa have just dazzled me and my creativity has reached another level. I spend my days creating new things and working with the immense variety of materials available in Africa. I take this inspiration back to Bolivia when I have to design our collections.

I am a mother of two so I have to split my time also in the many school activities, doing homework and packing school lunches. Since we are now living in a different time zone at night I stay up late hours to keep in touch with my workshop and our clients.

What has the proudest moment in your business been?

Everytime I produce a new collection is my proudest moment but it is highlighted when I get feedback from our customers commenting how much they like what we produce.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by what surrounds me at any given time. I absolutely enjoy traveling and meeting other cultures and I take in the colors and texture of what they wear.

In Kenya the color of the soils contrasted with the variety of colors in the fabrics worn by women and children keep me most inspired. The natural light and how nature and people reflect on it also provides me with a desire to create.

What are your top 3 favourite things for babies and kids right now?

1. I absolutely love the Kidsonroof line of cardboard houses and accessories for children. They are all made from recycled materials.
2. Wallnutz Wall stickers I think are a wonderful way to decorate a childs, room and the kids can also play with them when they are re-positionable.
3. In fashion I like the new trend of simplicity in many European brands, like Essential from Belgium – natural fibres for clean cut designs.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Growing up in Costa Rica was a blessing since I was always surrounded by nature which brings back amazing memories of afternoons spent cycling with friends and pets in out neighborhood.

One of my fondest memories is moving to a new house with my family with a swimming pool that we enjoyed all summer long and even during the mornings of our very long rainy season.

US readers can purchase from the Fournier webstore and stockists. Petits Fournier is not currently available to purchase in Australia, but that is set to change. Watch this space!

Today’s post written by Angela

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OeufNYC – www.oeufnyc.com – (pronounce it UH-F: it’s French for ‘egg’), comprised of French-American couple Sophie Demage and Michael Ryan, are well know for their incredibly beautiful, sleekly designed modern range of furniture and accessories for babies; think the Oeuf Baby Bouncer, Classic range of cots and furniture (recently added to with the stunning new ‘Sparrow’ line).

Lesser well-known in Australia, but no less stunning, is their kids clothing range, Oeuf Clothier.

The Oeuf Clothier Fall/Autumn 09 collection delivers traditional-style knits, impeccably cut, in a stylish palette of greys, browns, creams and pale blues, accentuated with stripes, hearts, and their range of hand-knite animal-inspired accessories – bonnets with ears, masks, snouts, tails and claw-foot booties, strongly evocative of Maurice Sendak’s “Where The Wild Things Are”.

It’s an irresistable combination, made even more compelling with the knowledge that Oeuf are a fair trade and environmentally responsible company: all Oeuf clothing is made in Bolivia, South Amercia, under fair trade agreements which promote fair pay and cultural respect, and all their furniture is made in Latvia, Europe from sustainable materials, with a focus of minimal impact on the environment.

Below are just a small sample of some of my favourite pieces from the Oeuf Clothier Fall/Autumn range, as presented at Bubble New York this past March.

To purchase Oeuf and Ouef Clothier, US and OS readers can head straight for the Oeuf Stockists page, which will serve you well.

Oeuf furniture and accessories are stocked in a number of Australian boutiques including Metro Mum, The Hip Infant, and Urban Baby.

If you are interested in Oeuf Clothier pieces, then try Kido Store who currently have some of last season’s pieces on sale; keep your eye open for the Fall/Autumn pieces as pictured below, or, if you can’t wait, try one of the US/OS stores to see if they’ll post internationally for you.

Please check individual stores for postage and delivery information.

Today’s post written by Angela

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When I met Jen Bulthuis aka Fidoodle – www.fidoodle.com – in New York recently, I became completely enveloped in her world, filled with deliciously soft ‘dreamers’, and cushions, 3D puzzles, ‘city’ and ‘country’ block sets (with a puzzle to complete on the reverse!), art canvases, and t-shirts.

Jen lives and works in Toronto, Canada, where she hand-makes her wonderful produce from the birch of well-managed forests, sheep wool, organic cotton and recycled fabrics.

Jen brings her imagination to life by virtue of her unique and beautiful illustration style. The characters instantly draw you in, and evoke stories. Fidoodle offers us a gentle, artful world with infinite potential for creative play.

I was so taken with the Fidoodle puzzles, which are beautiful artefacts for children and adults alike. The option to either lay them flat to complete, stack them on top of each other like building blocks, or skew them on sticks in any order that pleases you to make your own characters, is utterly delightful and takes the puzzle to a whole new level.

Also completely entrancing were the Fidoodle range of  ‘dreamers’ – the softness is indescribable! – and the story of the ‘dreamer’ – a buddy in sleep and dreams for your child – is the epitome of warmth and comfort.

Fidoodle products can be purchased online from Jen’s Etsy store.

1. Fidoodle Rabbit Dreamer $USD24.00
2. Fidoodle Printed Cushions – please enquire for prices and availability
3. Fidoodle City Mini Blocks USD$30.00
4. Fidoodle Country Mini Blocks USD$30.00
5. Tortoise and Hare – Lion and Mouse Small Puzzle $USD85
6. Cinderella Large Puzzle $USD135

Fidoodle ships to Australia – and to the world outside the US and Canada – from USD$6.00.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Today, more news from the Bubble trade-show which was held in New York earlier this month.

I was lucky enough to attend, and it was a fantastic, and very inspirational, expedition across the pond.

To see new sights, taste new tastes and meet new and very talented people is so good for the soul, and I’ll be sharing that with you for weeks to come. As we ease into the cooler months, the other side of the planet has started to bloom into spring. What a beautiful world we do live in.

Adding to the beauty, and practicality, of baby and kids decor is DesignElefante – www.designelefante.com – comprised of Minnesota-based husband and wife team, Jonathon and Veronica Gomez Whitney.

Veterans of the art and design world, the pair ran fine art galleries and designed women’s fashion labels before moving into display art for commercial clients. The birth of their daughter, Paloma, in 2007 opened up a whole new world of design to the Gomez Whitneys: the DesignElefante Cruising Shelf is the culmination of Jonathon and Veronica’s design talent, and the experience of raising a child.

The DesignElefante Cruising Shelf is a narrow profile floating shelf of just the perfect size to accommodate small toys and decor items. What makes the DesignElefante Cruising Shelf different from other forms of shelving is that there is a finger’s-width groove routed in the outside edge, which is just right for little hands to grip into. This important details allows small children to easily pull themselves up, and feel supported as they are learning to walk.

The groove can hold drawing supplies once your child is older, and the shelf can be mounted at any height so it has good longevity. These shelves would also be perfect for in-store displays.

Jonathan handmakes each shelf himself from urea formaldehyde free MDF (a recycled wood material) coated with low VOC certified paint to ensure a safe, CPSC certified, product for your child. Jonathan and Veronica also sew and hand silkscreen all DesignElefante packaging.

You can buy the DesignElefante Cruising Shelf from the DesignElefante Etsy store for USD$65.00 plus postage. Please contact Jonathan at DesignElefante for more details.

Today’s post written by Angela

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Well, here I am in New York, where I am busy soaking up new and inspirational products, and meeting the passionate designers behind them. Today I want you to make the acquaintance of the hot-off-the-press and utterly illuminating Acme World Zoo, who wowed visitors at the Bubble trade show.

Acme World Zoo – www.acmeworldzoo.com – is the brainchild of Mary Kuzma and Tomas Tisch, who have worked for the past three years to develop the Kutelight, a most original lighting solution that’s just perfect for a child’s bedroom, or as a fun decor statement anywhere.

The Acme World Zoo Kutelight is a metal box around 30cmx30cm, which houses an energy saving globe, effectively illuminates a space through cutouts around the casing. The metal stays cool, and the globe is protected from curious fingers, making the Kutelight safe for children.

Motivated by the events of Hurricane Katrina in which thousands of animals suffered, Acme World Zoo creator Mary wanted to do something positive to help.  Mary’s support is ongoing: 5% of all sales of the Kutelight are donated to Brooklyn-based animal shelter BARC.

The Acme World Zoo Kutelights are wholly made in the USA: the robust, but lightweight metal that comprises the casing is powder coated in Indiana, and the designs are cut and hand finished in Brooklyn.

The Acme World Zoo Kutelight makes a fabulous impact with it’s stunning array of colours and designs  with more still to come – and is sure to become a design icon of the children’s world.

The Acme World Zoo Kutelight is so new that it isn’t available to buy in Australia yet, but watch this space, I’m sure it won’t be long!