When I was a kid, I remember visiting London for a holiday and my parents took me and my brother to Hamley’s toy store for the first time. It was like a dream come true. We were small, wide-eyed kids who couldn’t quite believe a shop like this existed. We had only ever been to small toy shops before, so to see this kind of scale was almost too much for us. Everywhere I turned, there were toys and games that went from floor to ceiling or so it seemed to me. Toys that I could touch and feel and smell! We weren’t allowed to buy much – we were each given a small budget but that didn’t matter. It was the looking, the exploring, the touching and the just being there that was the best part. I also think it would have been quite boring if we had unlimited budgets because where’s the fun in being able to buy everything.
Sometimes I think back on that experience and wish that all the brands I love for kids would be under one roof. These days I am much more in to the non-mainstream stuff which can sometimes be hard to find and almost impossible to find under one roof. While I keep dreaming about this fantasy shop that will probably never exist, I’ve discovered a virtual place that comes pretty close. It’s called Little Flea and it’s a one-stop place to discover some of the best boutiques for babies and kids.
If, like me, you like to look beyond the mainstream and seek out something that little bit more beautiful or unique for your kids then Little Flea is the place to go to. You’ll find familiar favourites like Bobo Choses and of course my very own ebabee shop too 😉 but you’ll also discover some very cool new lines like Little Indians (love them) and Magnus & Mouse. Little Flea isn’t a shop but the owner Anna carefully hand-picks and features gorgeous stuff for babies and kids which otherwise would be very hard to find. So it’s a great place to browse, discover and get inspired.
A little business tip – if you have a stylish small business or shop for kids then you too can get in touch with Anna and ask to be featured on her site. Anna is very helpful and approachable and loves the brands and products she features.
Do you know Kids on the Moon? It has to be one of the coolest kids brands ever! The clothes all tell a story, it’s about art meeting fashion but beyond that the clothes are always so practical and comfy for kids to wear. Anya has clothes by Kids on the Moon so I know how easy they are for a kid to wear and still do what kids do. The fabrics too are always practical and designed for repeated wash and wear. I have featured their collections here in the past and now they’ve launched a brand new line of clothing for modern mums called By the Moon. Instead of just sharing both the collections with you I thought it would be fun to chat with Magda, the amazingly talented designer behind both the kids and mums range.
Tell us about Kids on the Moon? Kids on the Moon is a brand that uses dreams and magic to make children’s clothes. Natural materials and colours are mixed with a lot of imagination, storytelling and fantasy. The brand is created by three women who also happen to be mothers and who spend their days traveling between the moon, the earth and planet Venus. Kids on the moon was created three years ago by Magda Rams, the brand’s designer who designs every collection and whose sense of style defines Kids on the Moon.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? That’s easy – I always wanted to make clothes. Also as a kid I used to dream a lot and still do. I find children very inspiring and designing clothes for them is a true pleasure. On one hand there are no limits to the imagination and fantasies come to life, on the other you have to be sincere and true to yourself as kids naturally shun fads and fake hypes. That’s why at Kids on the Moon we use natural colours and comfortable but original styles. The brand is about lightness manifested in a beautiful, well designed manner. Our motto is no gravity – there are no limits to our creativity. Kids on the Moon is where fantasy meets good design and quality. Our collections tell stories from dreams. The brand’s name and concept give us unlimited possibilities – just like space or a kid’s imagination.
What led you to start Kids on the Moon? Kids on the Moon is a natural almost organic outcome of an art education, a career in the fashion industry and being inspired by my own kids. I’ve always looked for professional independence and wanted to enjoy what I do. One of the objects that has always been with me is my great-grandmother’s sewing machine. Ever since I remember I was always trying to sew something on it. Kids on the Moon must have been written in the stars for me.
You create incredible collection after collection. How do you do it? At the very beginning, there is a world in which our collection will be set. This world is a mixture of children’s fantasy and the world of nature with a dose of a grown-up imagination and of course the world of fashion, literature, film and art. A careful eye will notice quotes from Kubrick’s films, from Mad Max, David Bowie and more. As a brand inspired by the moonlight and space in general there is a lot of cosmic themes but we are not limiting ourselves to it. Our current summer collection OCEANIA puts together oceans, lunar seas and …grunge. In autumn we will get inspired by the TOTAL ECLIPSE and see what happens when the moon takes over making the sun vanish for a while. So the upcoming collection will be, as always full of mystery, magic and of course – moonlight.
Do you experience creative block? How do you deal with it? Creative blocks happen to everyone. They are a sign that you need to rest and relax, do things you enjoy, run bare feet with your children, read a book and listen to music. So creative blocks are like little vacations – they pass as soon as you start enjoy them 🙂 (I love this quote – it’s something I’m going to remember and use!)
Aside from your own, which kids clothing line really inspires you? Featherdrum – for that holiday feeling all year round.
And lastly, if you weren’t a kids clothing designer, what would you be? I have always been attracted to fashion – so I am sure if it hadn’t been for Kids on the Moon I would design adult clothes. In fact this is happening already as we have just launched Kids on the Moon’s older sister – a brand called BY THE MOON. It has been created for all mums and grown up women who live by the sun and dream by the moon, who value comfort, lightness and a little bit of magic every day.
Thank you Magda for your inspiring words. I am loving the new modern mum collection just as much as the kids collection. And remember the next time you experience creative block, treat it as a vacation and it’ll fly by!
This is probably one of the most exciting kids collections I’ve seen this year. It’s cool, it’s playful and unique. Because of this blog I get to see a lot of kids clothes and quite often they don’t offer anything different. Then I come across a new collection like this and it’s such a breath of fresh air. While the clothes are seriously cool, there is no compromise on comfort either.
Nearly all of the clothes are unisex which makes the clothes even more special. I would happily put a little boy or girl in to any of those baggy overalls (heck, I’d even put myself in to them if they came in my size!). My favourite of all the overalls has to be the one pictured at the top, with the big white cross. Cool doesn’t even begin to describe it. The dresses in the collection are no less striking especially that red and white checked one.
I love the way the kids have been photographed too by the talented photographer Abi Q. Nothing posed; just happy, playful kids doing what they normally do. There is something very natural and organic about these clothes so they don’t need any fancy backdrops and props to bring it to life. This collection by Duchess + Lionhasn’t launched yet but you don’t have too long to wait. It will be available from 4th of August to buy.
On Sunday we were out having lunch when I heard a man say ‘wow, look at those purple shoes… what a cool baby!”. It took me a moment to realise he was talking about my baby wearing her deep pinky-purple Ben Simons. It was such a delightful moment as out of the blue, a fully grown man was so visibly excited about a little pair of purple shoes. My daughter was wearing the bright shoes with muted fall coloured clothes so the shoes really stood out.
I love the effect of combining lots of soft neutral tones with unexpected pops of bright colour. And that’s why I love the wonderfully French and super chic boutique that is Bonton. They have a real knack of putting together fabulous looks for both boys and girls; looks where they use lots of sandy beiges, soft greys and chocolate browns and then they throw in that solid block of colour which takes an outfit from nice to super stand-out nice.
Most of their kids clothes come in a huge range of colours so you can mix and match and choose which part of the outfit you want make bold. It could be as simple as a bright yellow scarf thrown over a pale brown dress or you could go for bright red trousers with a soft grey shirt. The choice is yours. I’m currently lusting over those hot pink shoes… how great are they? I’ve also spotted the perfect little skirt to go with. Visit Bonton to see their entire collection and don’t miss their lovely decor stuff much of which has a delightful little vintage twist.
Since I started writing this blog, one of the questions I get asked most often is what is my favourite store for kids clothes. The honest answer – I don’t have a favourite. With so many wonderful kids clothes out there, it’s impossible to choose just one store or brand. And besides mixing and matching is what fashion is all about. Also, to me it doesn’t matter where I find the clothes, be it in a bargain store or a high end one; the most important thing is to like it. So in answer to the question I thought I would show a few of my daughters outfits from the past few months and share where they came from. I hope you like them.
1. Ballerina dress by H&M… 2. Orange cardigan coat by Anthropologie… 3. Pink tutu by Katz dancewear… 4. Soft blue/green dress by Norlie… 5. Red jeans and leather jacket by Zara and shoes by Ben Simon… 6. Dusty pink dress by Pale Cloud and leggings by Zara. All bangles necklaces and other accessories from India.
P.S. Last Friday I was honoured to be interviewed on a fab US blog. You can see the interview here.
It’s that exciting time of year when all the new Autumn Winter collections are arriving and the one that has seriously caught my eye is Soft Gallery’s new collection. I’m loving the dusty pinks and aubergines complemented with charcoal grey and hints of mustard yellow. But it’s not just the bold autumnal colours that have me salivating, it’s the infinitely wearable yet stylish clothes coupled with the eye-catching art. I’m a big fan of kids clothes that that have the right mix of cute, quirky and style and this collection has it in abundance… don’t you think?
All the artworks you see on the clothes are created by a variety of International artists commissioned by Soft Gallery. Each season, new artists are commissioned and their work is incorporated in to the clothing designs. A very unusual way to create fashion and the result is something quite unique. There’s not a piece here that I don’t like; everything is rather stunning and I want it all. There are also some very cool outfits for the boys but I just couldn’t take my eyes off the girls collection. From Denmark, Soft Gallery is yet another example of exquisite Scandinavian fashion for kids.
Olympic fever has hit and the world is watching London. Living here it’s impossible not to get excited about these magnificent games and I can’t wait for them to start. Since its going to be all about London for the next few weeks, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share one of my favourite London based kids clothing brands – Miller London. Born in 2010, Miller is all about everyday luxury for kids. The pieces are very wearable and practical yet super chic. The classic silhouettes are teamed with bold colours and pretty prints to create clothes that are contemporary and stylish. Nearly all the pieces can easily be mixed and matched with anything in your kids wardrobe. Think wardrobe essentials that you can pair with practically anything and your child will end up looking super stylish. I love it!
Visit Miller to see the whole collection but also check out elias & grace who are having a sale on these chic and elegant clothes.
If you drop by often, you’ll know I have a huge amount of love in my heart for Scandinavian kids fashion. Sometimes it’s understated, sometimes a bit edgy or quirky but always seriously stylish. My sponsor Scandinavian Minimall has the best of bunch at her online boutique where she brings us hugely covetable brands like Pale Cloud, Livly, Monamici, Norlie, Shirin Kids and so much more. The thinking behind Scandinavian Minimall is to bring us the best of Scandinavian style but that doesn’t mean just Scandi brands… it’s any brand that represents the whole Scandi style ethos.
Gabrielle, the mama behind the boutique has recently introduced a small toys and decor collection which includes Lucky Boy Sunday and Blafre, two brands that I adore. But this boutique is mostly about the delicious clothes it offers and their latest Spring Summer 2012 collection lives up to the high standards I’ve come to expect. I’ve visited a pop-up sale that Scandinavian Minimall had in London and I felt like a kid in a candy store. The clothes were just stunning and I couldn’t resist indulging! To check out the entire collection visit Scandinavian Minimall.
Wovenplay’s new Spring 2012 collection has arrived and once again it surpasses my high expectations. I so adore this New York based clothing line which always offers lots of drama and whimsy. The outfits are bordering on dressing up clothes but can still be worn anywhere and that’s what makes them so fun, so unique, so special.
In this latest collection I’m loving the vibrant greens and luscious red pieces which have the wow factor. There are also new feather headpieces in the collection… these headbands are something that feature in every collection and are accessories that any little girl would love. Then there are the beautiful Jess Brown rag dolls wearing similar outfits and these too are hugely covetable like everything in the collection. To check out these wonderful, dramatic clothes, head to Wovenplay.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
