The Gracious Style of Isabel Garreton

Adorn your daughters, nieces and granddaughters in the gracious style of beautiful clothes that reflect both the innocence and beauty of little girls.

The Isabel Garreton® collection is designed with comfort in mind, featuring elegant special occasion dresses, coats and Christening outfits designed for movement, growth and -of course- twirling. With sparkles sewn into fabrics that allow precious skin to breathe, cheeks to glow and small treasures to stay safe in hidden pockets, little girls feel as special as they look.

A line of handmade dolls are lovably soft and quite unique- kids create a customized version online, where they may select skin color, hairstyle, smile, clothing and name.

Isabel Garreton also offers lovely accessories for big girls, too –and recently launched Itsatwist, a collection of flexible hand-woven fabric pieces that can be worn as a scarf, wrap, top or anything else you can imagine. Quite fetching, I’d say!

My company brings timeless style, unique craftsmanship and extraordinary materials from Chile to your closet.

-Isabel Garreton

For over twenty years, Isabel’s company has provided a dignified work opportunity for disadvantaged women from her native country of Chile. All of the proceeds from the collection of women’s accessories, children’s clothing and handmade dolls go back to the women who created them. By teaching women time-honored skills like weaving and embroidery and employing them at her company, Isabel has provided them with a chance for happier and healthier lives.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Ambition Activewear inspired by the First Lady

Created for children by children, Igloo Island is a comfortable, fun and stylish clothing brand that features two fabulous collections.

Recently featured zulily, the Ambition collection features activewear that motivates girls to get into fitness with trendy and stylish pieces they don’t mind wearing every day.

Ambition is clothing to motivate and perfect yourself. We encourage focus, fitness. We inspire the desire to do.

The line of breathable, stylish activewear is inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign, an initiative to combat childhood obesity.

Igloo Island collection of mix and match pieces includes colorful solid and print dresses, tops, leggings and skirts.

Founder/designer Sandra Stollar supercharged the company with nearly 20 years’ experience in the garment industry, working closely with leading factories to source materials that are high-quality, comfortable, fun and environmentally friendly, such as bamboo. Sandra’s tween daughters Brittany and Cailin came up with the name of the company, as well as Igloo’s tagline: A Hot Place for Cool Kids. Both collections are available for girls sizes 4-6x and 7-14.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Squishable Socks That Entertain

How does a former surf apparel executive start a baby clothing company? He is inspired by his twins … and the recent earthquake in Japan.

In their search for fun, practical clothing for their twins Kai and Lily, Matthew Sanders –former chief executive officer and president of Volcom Japan- and his wife Kanako are inspired by the Japanese aesthetic known as “kawaii”, which means “cute.” After the Japanese earthquake in 2011, they return to Southern California USA and set out to create a children’s apparel brand that appeals first to babies and toddlers.

Socks that entertain? The result is pipopipo (pronounced pee-po pee-po), a baby and toddler apparel and accessory company that designs age-appropriate clothes for children ages five and under that is fun to wear and practical to buy. The collection features signature pipopipo friends –whimsical characters that are fun, adventurous and kawaii– representing all that is good about being a kid.

Available this fall. pipopipo launches with a collection of eco-friendly infant sock sets, featuring 3-D faces designed to be touched and squished. Packaged in an eco-friendly, reusable bamboo box, the socks are rayon, made from sustainable bamboo, nylon, spandex and polyester. They’re also mold-, mildew- and odor-resistant, moisture wicking and thermal regulating, and non-slip, featuring Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)-safe silicone on the bottom. And … they’re machine washable!

We believe in adventure, fun and blurring the lines between the real and imaginary. We’re always looking for new pals to play with. Won’t you come join us?

-pipopipo friends

Online fun. The company’s website, www.pipopipoclothing.com, is an interactive entertainment destination featuring storytelling and age-appropriate content for children five and under.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

The gDiapers Revolution

An “eco-adorable alternative to traditional diapering,” blending fashion with sustainability in a part disposable, part reusable diaper.

Happy baby, happy planet. Portland, OR-based gDiapers is a seven-year-old company that’s taking full responsibility for making babies’ bums not only cute, but fashionable, using natural and biodegradable materials –to keep the planet happy, too.

The gTeam at gDiapers gives parents the flexibility of a disposable diaper with a 100% biodegradable gRefill or they can opt for the reusability of super soft and trim-fitting gCloth inserts. gDiapers are plastic-free, elemental chlorine free, latex free and perfume free. gDiapers biodegradable gRefills are the only diaper to be certified 100% biodegradable. They can be home composted, tossed or flushed. And they are Cradle to Cradle certified, which means that everything that goes into making a gRefill gets reabsorbed by the planet in a neutral or helpful way. Add to this a colorful array of diaper covers and, “Even diapering can be fun and inspiring from a design perspective,” says VP of marketing Kate French.

Jason and Kim Graham-Nye, parents themselves, founded gDiapers after finding out some stunning statistics about conventional disposable diapers –like they’re the third largest contributors to landfills in the world, and it can take up to 500 years for a single disposable diaper to biodegrade. After finding a company in Tasmania that makes flushable diapers, the couple brought the concept to the U.S., and the rest is gHistory.

What does the “g” stand for? Check it out online … my favorite is, “groovy, thriving, ground-breaking company out to change the world of diapers.”

What it means to be g … genuine, green, groovy, gorgeous, giggle, giddy, grassroots, growing, grateful, gazing … you get the idea.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Introducing Zooligans

Available in stores later this month, Zooligans™ by Roc-A-Bouts® have plenty of animal magnetism.

This brand new line of footwear for kids ages one through five can prove to be irresistible, as each little shoe looks just like an animal, complete with molded eyes and stitched on details. Each pair is tagged with the animal’s name, and kids can learn about its personality and quirky habits from reading the fun, educational story that’s included.

Zooligans animals –oh, I mean shoes- come in a nifty shoebox that’s reusable and recyclable. Like a fun toy, the box looks and acts like a pet carrier, so kids can use it to carry their Zooligans shoes or to carry their favorite stuffed animal. And when it’s time, it can be thrown right in the recycle bin.

Who can resist a shoe that looks you in the eye and smiles?

The Zooligans line is created by long time children’s shoe designer and former toy designer Joel Rusnak and his wife and marketer Cheryl Andonian. The team partnered with popular shoe company Roc-A-Bouts to manufacture a high-function, quality shoe featuring a unique Paw-Flex bottom, which looks like a paw and flexes like one, too. Made with soft leather uppers for natural breathability and comfort, the designers utilize an athletic shoe construction for excellent stability.

Later this April, look for eight characters of Zooligans in stores, including a kitty, monkey, bunny, gator, panda, koala, puppy and raccoon in either a Mary Jane style for girls or a fisherman sandal style for boys and girls.

I’m putting my request in for a shoe that looks like a goat (my favorite animal – and they’re feisty, too!).

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Celebrating 10 Years of Tea

Inspired by the beauty of all the world surrounding us, is a company that believes their people are its soul, the heart of the brand.

We’re Tea. We go there. Across the globe. And across the street. Turning our experiences into original children’s clothing of unique beauty, modern style and easy comfort. Come along with us. And definitely bring your kids.

It’s hard to believe it’s been just 10 years since two world travelers started Tea in San Francisco, CA USA with three pima cotton baby sweaters and a global aesthetic for designing distinctive fashion for children, ages 0-12. The women’s collection of “easy-going, culturally-connected styles designed to fit your life” was launched in the fall of 2010.

The brand name is inspired by the tradition of drinking tea, shared throughout the world in nearly every culture. Taking it even further, Tea employees receive an annual allowance to use toward international travel; thus, each season’s destination inspiration. “We immerse ourselves in the culture to learn about local textiles, colors, architecture, aesthetics and design practices,” they say on their website. “We explore, we discover, we sketch, we take tons of pictures (video too). We come home – enlivened by the experience, ideas flowing, and ready to jump into the journey of creation.”

The Spring/Summer 2012 destination inspiration is Bali –a world full of happiness.

Co-founders, Emily Meyer, chief creative officer, and CEO Leigh Rawdon bring together Emily’s extensive background in fashion and Leigh’s entrepreneurial spirit in a company ranked on the Inc Magazine list of fastest growing private companies five years in a row. Tea not only gives us remarkably beautiful fashion, but gives back to the world through its work with The Global Fund for Children.

Very Tea, indeed.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Casual, Comfortable Native Shoes

Footwear for the future – designed for anybody, anywhere, anytime.

Vancouver, BC-based Native Shoes hit the streets three years ago with a good-looking, trendy line of footwear that molds to feet, is lightweight, washable and odor resistant –a fantastic combination, especially for kids.

The company launched the Native Kids collection in Fall 2010, modeled after popular adult silhouettes Miller, Jefferson and Corrado. Made from the same unique foam-injection molded EVA, the kids collection is also free of animal by-products, waterproof, washable, shock absorbent and odor resistant –using the company’s low energy emissions manufacturing process and zero waste injected molds. Cool.

For the Spring 2012 season, Native Shoes collaborated with The Jim Henson Company on the kids collection look book, which features two stars from Fraggle Rock. Company reps tell me, “Fraggle Rock characters have a special place in the hearts of many young, stylish parents who grew up watching the show. Red Fraggle and Travelling Matt, not only target both parents and kids this season, but also fits into Native’s brand ideology of ‘Futuristic Nostalgia’ perfectly: designs for the future, connected with the past.”

Inspired by classic, casual silhouettes and everything we’ve ever loved about shoe design, the Native aesthetic results in shoes that are easy to wear and great to look at.

Sold everywhere from North America to the Middle East, you can also get your Natives online at Zappos.com, among other e-tailers. I’m thinking about getting myself a pair, actually -they look sooo comfortable.

***

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Subscription Programs Transform into Fashionable Trend

Monthly subscription programs are a popular way for members to shop products and services at a significant savings.

Everyone loves to be part of something exclusive, which is another way subscription programs have become so popular. From diaper services to high-end shopping clubs, who doesn’t enjoy a customized experience?

Naomi Catalina found this out when she was six months pregnant. While preparing for the birth, she quickly became an expert on not only the best of baby essentials, but what makes a great shower gift, too. Her own baby showers were so special to her that she simply had to act on the special-ness. “I was left with an overwhelming feeling of wanting to make my own contribution to this special time in a woman’s life,” she says.

Wordsation strives to curate artwork from artists who share in our excitement for creating designer baby fashion for your tiny treasure.

Naomi co-founded Wordsation, a recently launched and totally inspired way of offering baby fashion. “We find artists from around the world to create original artwork for our decorated baby apparel,” she says. “We feature new designs every month, available individually or as a year-long subscription as baby grows.”

The exclusive designs adorn one-piece rompers made from 100% cotton rib knit with three reinforced snap closures. Artists with an eye for child-friendly design are selected to take these ordinary clothes and make them extraordinary.

The Wordsation Subscription. Perfect as baby gifts, the Wordsation subscription delivers their exclusive apparel over the course of the first year of baby’s life, decorated with original designs from talented artists Katherine Streeter, Annie Wilkinson, Joel Nakamura and others – how’s that for ooh’s and aah’s? Thank you, Rachel Florio PR, for introducing me to Wordsation.

Members of subscription programs not only enjoy exclusive products, they can do so at huge savings, too. This past March 1, I introduced you to popular children’s accessories brand Itzy Bitzy Designs’ Klippie Klub, a kit-of-the-month subscription program where members receive a themed kit containing exclusive, newly released hair clips- and enjoy a 70% savings off retail.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Jefferies Socks Loved by Children’s Retailers Everywhere

Jefferies Socks has been a leading manufacturer of socks and tights for 75 years.

The Burlington, NC-based company expanded their product line to include the children’s market in 1962, and now offer everything from basics to fashion for children of all ages.

Our crochet baby bootie collection for baby girls and baby boys are all hand crocheted. They are one of our great sellers.

–Sandra Sullivan, marketing executive for Jefferies Socks

Jefferies is the kind of company that children’s retailers and specialty stores love to do business with. “We bring selection, product expertise, in-store service, quality and prompt delivery to the retailer,” they say. “In addition to our brands, we also offer private label program.” The company also makes socks and tights to wear with school and military uniforms as well as selections for men and women, too.

If you own a children’s store, the Jefferies team makes it easy and fun to buy wholesale, offering online catalogs, a list of showrooms where shop owners can see product, as well as trade show information and online specials. Follow Jefferies Socks on Facebook and Twitter; keep up with company news on Jefferies’ blog, too.

Children’s Retail Today publishes new posts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you want to get the word out about your innovative, imaginative and inspiring products for children, contact me today!

Poofy Pansy Pie Tutus

Introducing The World’s Poofiest Tutus for babies & toddlers.

Celebrity parents like Sarah Michelle Gellar –and her daughter- are loving Pansy Pie tutus …

Our latest Easter collection brings on the bunny like never before. Give your special little one a holiday they will never forget, and photos that you will cherish over and over again.

Danielle Carr is the designer behind Pansy Pie, a St. Louis, MO-based company where she creates not only The World’s Poofiest Tutus, but tutu outfits, custom orders, leg warmers, and tutu tutorials to make your own boutique-quality fashions. “My tutus and tutu outfits are designed and created with lots of love,” she says. “I use only the highest quality products in my creations and strive to make the best product for customers.”

Handmade in the USA. Pansy Pie tutus are hand-tied in a special way which makes them fantastically full. They’re made from high quality tulle sourced in the United States, too.

Danielle and her company also like to find really unique and fun ways to celebrate any special event, whether it’s a holiday like Easter, or a birthday. Read on for some of them: