Kodomo

Playful & Stylish Clothes, Shoes & Accessories for Babies, Kids and Tweens

Kodomo is a children’s retailer that sells the cutest items for boys and girls from their stores in Massachusetts (two in Boston and the newest brick and mortar in Chestnut Hill) and online.

All the designers Kodomo partners with are hand-selected for their ethics and business practices and styles are hand-picked for their playfulness – quite a fabulous list that is growing all the time:

Genesis of Kodomo

For those who wonder, it’s pronounced kuh-doh-moh and it means “child” in Japanese. Founder Jasmine’s favorite memory of her early childhood spent in Japan is the Children’s Day holiday each May, a celebration of children’s personalities and their happiness. She founded Kodomo with this idea to respect the “powerful personalities” of the smallest shoppers and to emulate the happiness they express every day through the merchandise they offer.

And that means slow fashion.

Slow or ethical fashion embraces a transparent clothing creation process. It encompasses all steps taken to bring a garment or an accessory from the concept stage through the design phase, to production and finally to the point of sale. Great consideration is paid to each part of the manufacturing process, such as appropriate wages paid to workers, up-to-date factory conditions and maintenance, fabrics sourced with environmental impact in mind and sustainability and care are at the heart of every business decision.

Kodomo says their customers feel good about what they buy and are “tickled pink” about what they wear.

Don’t doubt it!

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Walsh Brothers Shoes

Great advice for choosing the right shoes for toddlers … all the way from Ireland.

“It’s very tempting to buy every pair of cute little shoes you see in the shops,” says Paula Casey, marketing manager for Ireland’s Walsh Brothers Shoes in Co. Kerry, “but some can be damaging and uncomfortable for the child. Because they’re at such a young age, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to explain or communicate that too easily, if it does occur.”

Everything You Need to Know About Choosing Shoes for Your Toddler

Paula has shared this nifty graphic that pulls together professional advice to consider when investing in a pair of shoes for your toddler. Good stuff in here!

About Walsh Brothers Shoes

Founded in 1902 as a general drapers and boot store, Walsh Brothers Shoes is run today by the third generation of Walsh brothers with the same love of shoes Grandfather John realized over a century ago. In Kerry, Walsh Brothers Shoes is recognized as a premiere footwear retailer catering to all ages. With 49 different sizes and a range of width fittings available, you can be sure to find a shoe that fits. Walsh Brothers Shoes carries children’s shoes from leading brands like Clarks, Duberry, Susst, Vans, Inishfree, Lelli Kelly and more – sports and school shoes, boots and sandals as well as dancing shoes and school bags. With the launch of the WalshBrothersShoes.ie website in 2014, the Walshes have extended their services internationally, providing delivery to the rest of the world!

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

The NYC Collection by Solo

Designed in New York and available everywhere.

Solo is one of the largest and fastest growing urban lifestyle brands around. The company designs bags, backpacks, cases, sleeves and totes “for people who know what they want and aren’t shy about demanding it.”

Inspired by its hometown and its inhabitants, Solo introduces its first New York-inspired collection of backpacks. Each bag features scenes from the five boroughs: Brooklyn graffiti, the Manhattan grid, skateboards and more; features include

Fully padded mesh 15.6″ laptop pockets
Two front pockets
Front zip-down organizer section with key clip
Side pockets fits most water bottles
Padded carry handle
Padded shoulder straps for added comfort
Lightweight

Looking for teen appropriate carryalls?

Solo’s got ‘em, and at a great price. Available now on Solo.net.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Donna Pellittieri Collection

Wearable art for little girls.

Donna Pellittieri designs beautiful, vintage-inspired clothes for girls ages three months to five years. Each piece from Donna’s collections are one-of-a-kind and truly unique.

Since graduating the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1976, Donna has been creating wearable art. Earlier in her life as an OR nurse, she continued to sew – finding her “calling” in creating doll art. In 2010, she returned to making clothes for little girls – dresses, jackets, coats and hats, bags and pillows and special occasion outfits on commission, such as flower girl dresses.

Each of Donna’s one-of-a-kind pieces and takes between 30 and 40 hours to make. Her inspiration comes from vintage and antique catalogues and books. From there she designs and makes her own patterns, constructs the clothing and lovingly embellishes them with antique lace, ribbon and buttons. The pieces reflect different eras, from the Victorian Age to the 1960’s -though the 20’s and 30’s are her favorite decades. While the clothes she makes are influenced by other eras, she puts her own twist on them and they truly are unique.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

LÍLLÉbaby & The Guncles

A new baby carrier that celebrates adoption – Benefits the Independent Adoption Center

Popular baby carrier maker LÍLLÉbaby and The Guncles (aka Bill Horn and Scout Masterson) are collaborating on an original, new, limited-edition baby and doll carrier to celebrate adoption. The bold geometric print is available now on LILLEbaby.com and Amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Independent Adoption Center (IAC), a national non-profit adoption agency.

Who are The Guncles®?

For six seasons, millions tuned into reality TV’s Tori & Dean and saw the couple’s good friends who became known as The Guncles (the words gay + uncles combined) to their kids. Throughout the years, fans tuned in to be a part of Bill Horn and Scout Masterson’s commitment ceremony as well as their efforts to adopt a child of their own. In 2010, with the help of IAC, daughter Simone Lynn became part of the family, which grew again in 2014 with the addition of son Bosley Jo.

“When our friends at LÍLLÉbaby suggested we create our own custom print to be featured on their popular carriers, we knew we wanted to design a bold, geometric print that was cheerful, sophisticated, and unique,” The Guncles say. “We are proud to be able to use this project to benefit a charity near-and-dear to our hearts – the Independent Adoption Center.”

With a fresh box of crayons and a blank sheet of paper, The Guncles created the colorful print by hand, an expression of the joy and love that adoption has brought into their lives.

“We are excited to announce this beautiful new collection and love this bold, one-of-a-kind print created by Bill and Scout,” LÍLLÉbaby President Lisbeth Lehan says. “We followed their adoption process last year, and it feels very special to be able to assist them in giving back to the organization that made their family.”

Benefits of Babywearing

“Wearing your baby is an amazing experience that serves you and your baby in so many ways,” Lisbeth says. “There are many benefits of babywearing, not the least of which is that it promotes bonding and attachment. Many social workers recommend babywearing as an effective way for new adoptive parents and children to bond. LÍLLÉbaby is thrilled to be a part of that essential bonding process and further support it through this collaboration.”

All proceeds that The Guncles earn from the sale of this limited edition run of LÍLLÉbaby carriers will be donated to the IAC and LÍLLÉbaby is matching their donation. IAC plans to use the donations to assist adoptive parents with above expected or anticipated expenses, such as legal and medical fees.

“What a great and creative way for Bill and Scout to pay-it-forward to other adoptive parents with the help of LÍLLÉbaby’s wonderful products,” says Ann Wrixon, IAC Executive Director.

IAC is the largest open adoption agency in the country, facilitating adoptions in 49 states, and fully licensed with offices in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. Since opening in 1982, the IAC has successfully placed over 4,000 newborns with families in the United States. “The IAC is so grateful for their generosity.”

Good news for fans, too – The Guncles are currently in development on their own reality TV show.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Ju-Ju-Be Intl

The fun & functional changing bag company goes international – now available in Europe & Australia.

Ju-Ju-Be diaper bags are built to fit everything baby needs, while being stylish and fun for Moms and families. Now, the company is Celebrating 10 Years with a huge announcement: with a new office and warehouse in The Netherlands, mothers, fashionistas and existing Ju-Ju-Be fans will be able to purchase products at the web shop, www.ju-ju-be.com/europe, and at selected e-tailers and retailers across Europe. In addition, Ju-Ju-Be will also be available to purchase online in Australia via www.ju-ju-be.com. The current collection, regularly published limited editions, product updates and new prints will all be available.

Ju-Ju-Be Intl has been creating a passionate community by making it an exceptional experience to own a Ju-Ju-Be changing bag. Combining top quality materials, smart technology and outstanding service, Ju-Ju-Be changing bags have much more to offer than machine washable and stain repellent materials, crumb drains and antimicrobial linings – they are also funky, fashionable and fun to own.

Design collaborations with pop culture iconic brands like tokidoki and Hello Kitty have made Ju-Ju-Be bags and accessories worldwide collector’s items, with full production runs selling out in hours. The Ju-Ju-Be community exchanges their experiences globally via Facebook, through Pink Room, the international forum, as well as on Instagram and Pinterest.

Features that mom and baby will love. Customers say if you want the best diaper bag, the cutest diaper bag or the most functional diaper bag, there’s only one place to go … Ju-Ju-Be. The Costa Mesa, CA-based company did start with diaper bags, and now has expanded into purses, handbags, tote bags, shopping bags, laptop bags – all sorts of other bags that will make your friends jealous.

Congratulations, Ju-Ju-Be – Here’s to many more years of success!

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Baby K’tan

Newly expanded product line. Smart and simple parenting solutions.

Founded in 2007 by two families, each raising a child with special needs in addition to two other children, the Chesals and the Wernicks developed a special line of baby wraps that help parents carry their children in a loving, nourishing way.

Baby K’tan products combine style, ease of use and comfort, providing families with high quality baby gear and accessories designed to help promote the natural bond between parent and baby.

Slips on like a t-shirt. The Florida-based company’s innovative “ready to wear” wrap uses a unique double-loop design that functions as an all-in-one sling, wrap and baby carrier, yet does not require any wrapping or buckling. Sized like clothing for the perfect fit (XS, S, M, L, XL) and can be used to carry children from eight to 35 pounds in multiple positions. Learn how to slip one on in three simple steps.

Baby K’tan recently launched several other products, including a diaper bag and the “K’tan Cloth” this year.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

PacaPod

Award-winning 3-in-1 baby bag line makes U.S. début.

U.K.-based PacaPod Ltd. manufactures stylish, high quality diaper bags with a unique and award-winning 3-in-1 baby organization system. The one-of-a-kind PacaPod is now available in the U.S., online and in select buybuy BABY stores nationwide.

PacaPod’s ingenious “three bags for the price of one” concept – a stylish outer bag containing two detachable “Pods,” one for feeding and one for changing- is super versatile. The pods can be quickly removed from the main bag and clipped to a stroller/luggage cart/car seat, used as mini cool bags and even function as a backpack for older children. All features and compartments are picture-labeled for simplicity.

The Changer Pod and Feeder Pod keeps baby’s food and bottles separate, hygienically and cleverly packed away from diapers and wipes in their own individual pods. The Feeder Pod contains an insulated bottle cover and space for four bottles and the Changer Pod neatly stores diapering essentials and includes a change mat to enable convenient one-hand changing. PacaPod allows parents freedom, versatility and a stress free solution for time away from home, whether it’s a stroll in the city or a hike up a mountain. For use beyond the baby years, all Pacapod bags can also function as laptop bags.

“As a mom when I needed something, I wanted to reach it quickly and easily,” founder/designer Jacqueline Waggett says. “Life is hectic enough with kids and knowing that I’m organized is one less thing to worry about. I design each and every PacaPod bag to help make the experience of being out and about as a parent a little easier. For me, PacaPod is about a sense of liberation. When I’m organized, I’m happy.”

Jacqueline founded PacaPod in 2008. Before launching her own brand, she was a designer for the Animal and Ellesse outdoor clothing brands. An experienced world traveler, she adapted her bicycle panniers while cycling in New Zealand into separate compartments to make travel gear easy to pack and retrieve. Her eye for design, combined with the tips she learned for travelling light and being organized, came in handy when she realized that there was a gap in the market for great-looking and practical baby bags. She found that most of the available baby bags were lacking in space and features and styles too were not appealing to dads.

PacaPod has received numerous international industry accolades and awards from media and organizations including Practical Parenting & Pregnancy, Junior Design, Mumpreneur and Loved by Parents. PacaPod bags can be found in Europe at major retailers including John Lewis, Mothercare, El Corte inglés and Jojo Maman Bebe.

In the U.S., PacaPod débuts a total of 13 shoulder bags, satchels and unisex design style bags offered in three collections -Luxury, Classic and Pattern.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Hatch Things

Simple solutions for smart parents.

A city-dwelling Mom to three boys –and an industrial designer to boot- Sonjie Feliciano Solomon founded Brooklyn, NY-based Hatch Things so she could focus her design skills on kids and the stuff that surrounds them. Speaking of designing smart, modern products for urban parents, Hatch Things recently introduced two products to the market:

SureShop™ is a reusable shopping bag with a patent pending design that that won’t let your stroller fall over. It redistributes weight towards the stroller’s center of gravity to keep it standing upright. The bag clips to umbrella strollers, most single handlebar strollers, shopping carts, chair backs, bike handles and more – plus it holds up to 10 pounds on each side. Watch a video:

ColdSnap™ is a coat extender that uses body heat and an optional thermal insert to keep mom and baby warm and dry. The patent-pending, waterproof, draft-proof design clips to the edges of your coat and wraps around either your baby bump (when coats don’t fit anymore) or your new little one. It also comes with a reversible hood, so baby can face inward or outward. Plus, I love the name!

HatchThings got ink! “Since we introduced SureShop in October at ABC Kids, the response has been very positive and momentum is building,” Sonjie tells me. “It has been featured as a great problem-solving product in many online and print magazines including Real Simple, Pregnancy & Newborn, Apartment Therapy, All You Magazine, Stroller Traffic, A-List Moms and MomTrends.” And now, Children’s Retail Today!

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!

Ah Goo Baby

Thoughtfully designed, well crafted and attractively presented.

Busy parents, grandparents and caregivers need baby essentials like portable baby changing pads, stroller blankets, pacifier totes, wipes cases and more. Ah Goo Baby® has it all –a smart, stylish, sophisticated line of baby gifts and gear, all perfect for baby showers, new moms, baby travel and the nursery.

Caring for Our Children with Love. The privately held New Jersey-based company makes unique, upscale yet affordable products that resolve the daily challenges of child rearing, offering luxury, “must-have” essentials to help change, feed, dress and rest our children.

The Plush Pad® has been selling to the families since June 2007. Additions to the line include Kneekers®, The Grab & Go Bag, The Diaper Pouch, The Wipes, Case, The Pacifier Clip, The Pacifier Tote, The Bottle Strap and The Bib.

Karin and George Telegadis founded Ah Goo Baby in 2005 to develop branded products, with plans to expand their business by helping nurture and develop creations brought to them by others with innovative product ideas relating to Ah Goo Baby’s market. Wholesale available.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new articles each week about innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children. Contact me today with your great idea!