Handmade in Texas

Muddy Feet Boutique is a fresh new children’s clothing line handmade in Texas.

A mix of traditional and trendy, the line recently débuted with a Spring/Summer 2012 collection at the Dallas Market Center. Founder and lead designer Jessica Sherrill tells me it was welcomed with a tremendous response. Each garment is handmade to order, with a production time of approximately 7-10 days.

Jessica and her team use sewing machines to construct most garments and finishing/trim work is sewn by hand. All draping, patternmaking and samples are done in-house. “Muddy Feet Boutique started while I was pursuing my undergraduate degree with aspirations of law school,” she says. “I realized I loved creating clothes way more than arguing law cases.”

There are many positives to this slow design approach. If you would like to add a sleeve or lengthen a hemline, this is available for little to no charge. Many color options are also available, some at no extra charge, too.

-Jessica Sherrill

After attending Parsons The New School of Design, Jessica worked at a very high-end children’s wear company before returning to her Texas home and venture out on her own. Contact her for custom designs, or find Muddy Feet on Facebook

Klever Kids very -well- Clever

Klever Kids designs, produces and sells apparel that represents the joyful “parent and kid” lifestyle. The company recently launched the Spring/Summer 2012 collection of this clever, soft clothing line that is fun to wear. Unique designs with surprises hidden behind snap open pockets -prominent images of lions, tigers, rhinos and others- can be matched with a uniquely designed vest/zip-up sweater, for instance, allowing the child to zip it down and show off that cool tiger on their tee.

We are very proud at Klever Kids as we put the fun and comfort into wearing and putting on clothes again for kids and parents.”

-founder Emine Sandi, who’s also a mom

The Klever Kids line is designed for boys and girls ages three months to eight years – graphic tees, ruffled dresses, trendy cargos, polished cardigans and more.

Kids will feel cool, carefree and stylish wherever they go with Klever Kids.”

Cool Things for Cool Kids

“Remember, creative kids grow up to be … creative kids.”

Made in the USA. Prefresh is a locally made brand of kid’s tees and accessories. The company is dedicated to supporting local manufacturing, so products are “custom-built” in Portland, OR.

“Kids are rad. You will never be quite as awesome as they are, no matter how hard you try. The best you can do is give them the tools and get out of the way. We are so inspired by their ability to be just who they are, do what they want; and tap into that deep well of creativity that we all try so hard to get back to, that we created Prefresh to just be an awesome brand for kids. Nothing more. No deeper truths, no back story of triumph-over-adversity, just cool for the sake of being cool.”
-the designer parents behind Prefresh

T-shirts, one-pieces, totes and more. See the line at In Play Showroom, Los Angeles, CA.

-Janet Muniz

New Apparel Brand for Boys

Stylish, sensible, fun – and just for boys.

San Francisco, CA-based iNTAKT Clothing is a new apparel brand for boys launching with a Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Affordable and stylish, the line of skate-, surf- and street pop-inspired tees, shirts, hoodies, shorts and long pants are made for the everyday lives of boys ages 12 months to seven years. Detailed stitching, soft touch, cool designs and bold graphics. Subtle finishes and quality fabrications stand out; a simple pair of terry shorts are cooler with a rough cut bottom, a woven shirt features unique detailed front pocket and a blue-striped polo is modernized with an art-inspired splatter print. Available in January.

-Janet Muniz

Gwen Stefani Launches New Line

Cute overload – Harajuku Mini for Target débuts this weekend.

Gwen Stefani‘s vibrant, new collection of apparel and accessories for infants, toddlers and tweens is inspired by the playful style found in Japan’s trendy Harajuku district. The collection is Target’s newest design collaboration and Gwen’s most extensive children’s and baby collection to date. Gwen, a long time designer and fan of Japanese street-style (she even has an entourage of back-up dancers she calls her “Harajuku Girls”), pairs bright colors, prints and patterns with cheeky animals and characters. From edgy jackets, dresses and one-pieces to perky headbands, punky shoes and backpacks, there are more than 80 pieces in the line. Look for it in stores starting November 13.

-Janet Muniz

Pily Q Girls

Women’s swim and resort company Pily Q launches Pily Q Girls, débuting this November.

Pily Q Girls is a kids line of resort and swimwear for girls who love to dress like momma. Just like the women’s collection, Pily Q Girls uses all of the same soft European fabrics and details and also features the same sassy adult styles as cover-ups in as age-appropriate versions. Sizes run from newborn to 16 years.

The Pily Q swim and resort women’s line is uniquely created with lush fabrics from Barcelona, Spain. The design team selects quality material to ensure not only the utmost comfort, but a supportive and flattering fit. The San Diego-based company is known for having “a bottom for everyone” –with swimwear offering rear coverage in three choices: teeny, full and modest.

Pily Q Girls will be available at Barney’s New York and children’s boutiques nationwide and ranging in price from $40 – $86.

Little Ruler and Knuckleheads Team Up

Two seven-year-old companies agree on a sublicensing partnership to grow the brands in both line size and worldwide distribution. Anticipate lots of new designs, colors and garments for Little Ruler’s licensed brands.

Little Ruler licenses children’s clothing for some of the most popular brands in the world of skateboarding, like Independent Truck Co., Santa Cruz, Creature and Nor Cal Clothing. Knuckleheads produces a unique line of edgy, skate and music-inspired clothing. The two companies are collaborating on a début line currently booking for a Spring 2012 delivery.

“Knuckleheads’ creative team will take Little Ruler’s licensed brands to the next level by creating a more complete apparel line that includes wovens, printables, headwear and accessories.”

-Maureen Kendall, Little Ruler CEO & owner

Made in the USA. Maureen and Jeff Kendall were inspired to create Little Ruler as a response to the limited choices in clothing for babies and kids that represented the skate/surf lifestyle. A traditional family business, Knuckleheads is manufacturing most of the Little Ruler line in the United States without sacrificing cost, quality or ship windows.

“The Little Ruler and Knuckleheads brands complement each other. This is a perfect union and we are very excited to design with these iconic skateboard brands. The fit couldn’t be better!”

-Melissa Nash, Knuckleheads CEO & owner

In a market where cool boys clothing is notoriously limited, Knuckleheads creates a line that moms and kids love, and dads envy, catering to parents looking for something different for their boys.

“The synergy of Little Ruler and Knuckleheads works well, while at the same time targeting a slightly different market segment. With Santa Cruz celebrating its 40th anniversary and Independent celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2013, these brands appeal to the older generation of skate dads who want their kids wearing the same brands they wore back in the day.”

-Paul Merrell, licensing manager, NHS

Perry Winkles Kids

Toronto, Canada-based Perry Winkles Kids specializes in hand-smocked dresses and dressy boy outfits in traditional designs with a modern flair.

Inspired by the talented sewing skills of their own grandmothers, mother and daughter team Graciela and Maria Montero started Perry Winkles Kids in 2006. Originally from Peru, they moved to Canada in 1988. Superior quality, ease of care product made with only 100% petal-soft pima cotton and finished with thoughtful details like hand-smocking and hand-embroidery. The Spring/Summer 2012 Collection includes delicate and fresh prints for the little girls and new styles for baby boys, including new Christening wear and cotton cardigans.

Created with the specialty retailer in mind, with wholesale prices ranging from $30 to $37 for dresses and boy outfits. The company manufactures its entire line in Peru. Perry Winkles Kids is donating a portion of sales to non-profit Kiva, an organization that works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to people without access to traditional banking systems. and wanted to create a business that would also benefit their home country.

Get to know Sara Sara

Los Angeles, CA-based G.B.Y.M., Inc. is a popular family-owned children’s apparel business

known more widely as Sara Sara –a company designing fashion-forward, sensible, unique dresses and sportswear for girls. Wayne Lee is director of marketing; his sister Amy Chang works as head designer for all labels –Hannah Banana, Baby Sara, The Collection by Sara Sara and Truly Me– with designated designers for each label. Amy’s husband Steve leads the production effort.

We catch up with Wayne and Amy, as they give us an inside look into Sara Sara.

Baby Sara

What does your company name, G.B.Y.M., Inc. stand for?

Contrary to popular belief, it is not Go Bother Your Mom … G.B.Y.M. stands for God Bless You & Me. We have been blessed for the last 20-some-odd years with steady growth in sales and customer base. We do know it has to do with keeping the ‘customers first’ mentality.

Hannah Banana

In your opinion, do girls still love wearing dresses?

There are always events that girls will want to dress up for. Every girl wants to experience them looking her best! No matter the time, the season or the state of our industry, girls will always be girls, so dresses will never be out of fashion.

The Collection by Sara Sara

What’s selling for you? How do you accommodate market trends in your designs?

We try to give our customers the latest fashion, designed with kids in mind. We want our kids to be fashionable, sensible and comfortable. For the coming spring and summer, fashion is trending toward long dresses, wide-legged pants with crop tops … bold prints, ditsy prints and a lot of bright colors; stripes are a must; romantic looks and lace, just to name a few. It’s a certain ‘look’ we achieve while still being age-appropriate and kid-friendly. You’ll see a lot of these elements in our designs this season!

Truly Me

What’s next?

Lately, we’ve received so many requests and proposals from around the world, especially from Asia. Representatives from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan are requesting exclusive contracts and we are evaluating them as we speak. We’ve worked with foreign countries for some years now, but we think we can really hit those foreign markets with a bang.

Skylar Luna débuts at ENK Children’s Club

Designer Wen C. Reese is débuting Skylar Luna, an in-stock, organic pajama collection for Fall 2011, at ENK Children’s Club -offering retailers year-round availability.

“Through my experience in children’s wear, I know that value is key for retailers today. With Skylar Luna, retailers get a high‐quality product at reasonable prices.”

-Wen C. Reese

She describes the line as “soft, organic cotton washed in a sophisticated palette using simple designs,” choosing organics because children wear pajamas close to the skin for many hours each day. “I wanted a product that was as pure as possible.” The collection is available in sizes 12‐18 months to size 8 for both boys and girls, and meets CPSC guidelines. Features snug‐fitting, two‐piece bodies constructed of yarn‐dyed,100 percent organic cotton and flat seams. Each set packaged in reusable linen pouches. The launch collection features stripes in eight color combinations including a holiday-themed combo perfect for Christmas pajamas, a bubble print and a hand‐drawn robot motif. New colors and prints released twice a year, wholesaling for $17. “Because we ship all the time, stores can try the collection out right away with minimum risk and easy, immediate reorders.”

Wen also owns and designs the Skylar sportswear label, a family business, and like it, Skylar Luna is produced in the family factory in China. This arrangement ensures the line is always delivered on time and offers consistent, superior quality.

See Skylar Luna at booth#2211 during ENK Children’s Club July 31-August 2.