Earnshaw's | September/October 2021

INFANTS’, GIRLS’ AND BOYS’ WEAR REVIEW

VOLUME 105 ISSUE 4 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 $10.00

SEA WORTHY Soft Tones and Organic Looks Inspired

by Nature Miami Retail State of Kid’s Bold Business Model Young Socialites Clothier Puts Fabric First

ME & HENRY

for 0 - 16y and matching adults Spring ships Jan 15 Fall available now for reps visit www.littlemonsterskidswear.com

or contact mark@meandhenry.com or michele@visitvignette.com

Gerber Childrenswear, NY Showroom . 1370 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10015

Gerber Childrenswear, NY Showroom . 1370 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10015

CONTENTS September / October 2021

Features

PAGE 18

12 Hybrid Heaven State of Kid in Miami has created a thriving community for young families with now two compelling locations.

By Michele Silver 18 A Shore Thing Designers draw upon nature for organic hues, sweet prints and fabrics that move effortlessly in the salty air.

Departments 6 Editor’s Note 8 Seen and Heard 10 Designer Chat 16 On Trend 34 Letter To My Younger Self 36 Be The Buyer 40 Final Cut

Noelle Heffernan Publisher Michele Silver Editor Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Mariah Walker Contributing Fashion Editor ADVERTISING Jennifer Craig Special Accounts Manager PRODUCTION Laurie Guptill Production Manager Mike Hoff Webmaster Bruce Sprague Circulation Director CORPORATE Caroline Diaco VP/Group Publisher Greg Dutter Editorial Director Carroll Dowden Chairman Mark Dowden President & CEO CONTACT INFO Sales/Editorial Offices One Maynard Drive Park Ridge, NJ 07656 Tel: (201) 571-2244

This page from top left: Ariana wears a swimsuit

by Stella Cove, Lily wears a PaigeLauren tie-dye set, Arianna wears a floral dress by Posh Peanut.

On cover: Tristan wears SnapperRock.

Photography by Trevett McCandliss and Thomas Viglietta; styling

by Nancy Campbell.

4

E A R N S H AW S . C O M • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

children’s clothing and footwear 0-16 years AT L A N TA • B O S T O N • C H I C A G O • D A L L A S • L O S A N G E L E S • N E W Y O R K MAYORAL USA INC. Miami FL T 305.779.4305 mayoral.usa@mayoral.com

EDITOR’S LETTER

THE EDITOR REDUX Hello Childrenswear Industry!

It’s been a minute.

I’m Michele Silver, the new Editor of Earnshaw’s, although technically, I am not new.

I held this post nearly two decades ago, which feels both incredulous and surreal. I have always had such a strong connection to this industry— one that was joyful, fun, creative, and innovative. I especially loved meeting business owners, learning about their stories and gaining insight into what made them successful. My job as the Editor was to help businesses perform at the top of their game, with informative articles, tools and resources and inspiring fashion photography.

I watched my nieces and nephew grow up in beautiful, special clothes that I gifted them from a variety of vendors. When I was pregnant with my own baby, I made a beeline to my local, independent children’s clothing shop, Baby Boom in Montclair, NJ. I can still remember going through the racks of tiny sizes, touching soft fabrics and imagining my newborn in them. My daughter is now 12 and has sadly sized out of most childrenswear.

My enthusiasm and passion for the industry has never really waned. While attending Kids’ Hub and Playtime in New York City and Dallas Market Center for market week, I reconnected with former colleagues—many of us doing double and triple takes because of our masks—and I felt like no time had passed.

I was excited to meet new companies, designers and sales reps, and I gushed a bit with pride to tell them that I am back at this editorial helm.

As I’ve hit the ground running with my new/old role, I’ve observed some interesting trends. First, despite an initial guess—or perhaps more of a myth— that the pandemic would create a baby boom, the opposite happened. There has been a Covid bust. According to Forbes.com, the number of expected births for 2021 is projected for a 300,000 decrease. Second, many small businesses—including those in our industry—are booming. The pandemic shifted a lot of spending to the local level, independent retailers had the ability to be nimble and pivot to meet the changing environment, and entrepreneurs started businesses in record numbers. According to the Census Bureau, more than 4.4 million businesses were started in 2020.

Several childrenswear success stories are featured in this

6

E A R N S H AW S . C O M • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

issue. You will meet the owners of State of Kid of Miami, who created a novel retail concept that brings together a boutique and children’s classes; you will get to know designer Naima Melonson of Young Socialites Clothiers, who embraces her vision of bold color for her girls’ apparel; and you will be incredibly impressed with store owner Maris Johansson who opened her first retail shop, Broomtail, in May 2020. There are inspiring stories such as Lauren Levy’s, the founder of Magnetic Me, and how she exited the corporate world to develop her revolutionary way to get dressed, and the sustainable brand Mon Coeur, which uses all upcycled materials and maintains a small carbon footprint. As always, the fashion in Earnshaw’s is phenomenal.

To showcase some of the offerings for Spring/Summer ’22, our creative team headed to the ocean to shoot “A Shore Thing,” which starts on page 18.

I would love to hear stories and ideas from you, our readers.

What’s important to you? What do you want to share? What resources do you need to succeed in your business? Please reach out to me at Michele.Silver@WainscotMedia.com On a serious note, Earnshaw’s is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a long-time member of the childrenswear industry, Lynda M. Johnson. We send our sincere condolences to Lynda’s husband, Alonzo Wright, and her family and friends during this difficult time. I met Lynda when she was a stylist for Children’s Business, and we attended all the same trade shows and events. Despite us working at competing magazines, Lynda was always warm and professional, and I had the utmost respect for her. I reached out to a few colleagues who knew her well and wanted to share their memories: “Lynda was the ultimate children’s industry professional, with a keen sense of fashion and a depth of knowledge that only comes through experience. She was so kind and helpful and always excited at the start of each new season.”—Lynn Meyer, Sales Rep “I have been very fortunate to have known Lynda for over 30 years. She was an amazing person and a special friend. She will be dearly missed by all in the children’s industry for her experience and knowledge. RIP—Carmen Cuevas, Florence Eiseman “All I can hear is ‘Hey girlfriend!’–and then comes that big hug. I feel piercingly sad.”—Louise Conner, Sales Rep Rest In Peace, Lynda. Your presence in the childrenswear industry will be missed.

Best wishes, Michele Silver

new spring arrivals for mom and baby

kickeepants.com @kickeepants #kickeepants

THREE-TIME EARNIE NOMINEE FOR...

Vote for KicKee Pants!

SCENE & HEARD

IN A BARBIE WORLD GLOBE-TROTTING GARMENTS Originally on target to launch for Spring ’22, new collections ettie + h and Poppet & Fox are rolling out this fall due to high demand. Designed by the owners of Vignette and Me & henry, these fresh brands offer a boho chic and casually international vibe. The ettie + h line for ages 0 to 7 employs soft gauzes, slub cottons and unique printed fabrics. Each season, the collection focuses around six prints.

Poppet & Fox, which is made in India, targets sizes 2 to 16 with tie dyes, dip dyes, hand carved wooden block printing and traditional techniques on silicon-washed cottons. And similar to ettie + h, each season will see five to six collections inspired by a city or place.

The premiere collection travels to Marrakech, Santorini, Japan, Sedona,and Jodhpur.

COOLER HAND-ME-DOWNS Durable? Check? Sustainable? Check? Able to be worn by multiple generations of children? Check!

Childrenswear company Paper Cape, which initially made a name for itself in sleepwear, premiers its French terry daywear collection for ages 0 to 10 that’s intended to be handed down. Each piece of clothing actually has a label that says “Please Hand Me Down” to encourage the trend. Ethically made from 100% hand-harvested Peruvian Pima cotton, Paper Cape cotton fibers are 80% longer than traditional cotton so it has fewer breaking points, is soft to the touch and doesn’t pill over time. Founder Alex Golden describes Paper Cape’s core look as “heirloom-quality clothing in classic styles.”

8

E A R N S H AW S . C O M • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

Mattel’s iconic fashionista has leveled up. Barbie has inspired a super trendy tween apparel collection—this time, by 11-year-old influencer and artist Dear Giana. The new Barbie Extra apparel collection launched last month exclusively at Walmart.com.

The line takes inspiration from Barbie Extra dolls, who each rock their own playful style with plenty of glitter, gummy bears, emojis, bright colors, and iridescent shimmer. The five-piece capsule collection embraces the over-the-top style for which Barbie Extra is known.

The collection includes two jackets, a dress, and top and skirt set in sizes 4-16.

The colorful designs play with prints and textures and feature inspirational sayings such as “Shine Bright Like the Stars” and “Sky’s The Limit.” Barbie Extra lets girls dial up their self-expression and shows them that anyone can be a trendsetter.

www.stellacove.com

&

info@stellacove.com

D E S I G N E R C H AT

A partyperfect dress from Young Socialities Clothiers

16, Young Socialites Clothiers (YS), which she launched a year ago in her hometown of Detroit.

How did your experience with fashion shows prepare you for building your own line?

It helped me a lot and it showed me to stick with what I believe in.

My product is not what everybody else has—which I think is a positive thing—but it’s very kid friendly. I like vibrant colors you can’t find anywhere else, and I try to make my pieces look exclusive. I’ve also used some of the feedback that I’ve gotten from parents and customers who have bought my clothes about how their children feel so special going to parties, for example, in my dresses.

How much of your own personal preferences do you bring into your designs?

As a mom of three girls, I always loved dressing and designing custom garments for them. My inspiration has always been colorful and trendsetting pieces. I don’t think this will ever change for me—even in the winter we will carry colorful pieces. I also aim to replicate hip adult fashion while still keeping kid-friendly looks. For Spring Summer ’22, I have a personalized starburst design that I use for a dress that everyone has been loving.

Naima Melonson

FROM THE RUNWAY TO HER WAY Naima Melonson, the creative force behind Young Socialites Clothiers, talks about her passion for textiles and vibrant color that’s been fueled by years of working in fashion and traveling abroad.

SINCE THE AGE of 17, Naima Melonson has been working in the apparel industry. She started off as a salesperson at retailers such as Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret and Nordstrom, developed her own women’s collection and then spearheaded her own children’s fashion shows that took her all over the world. That experience was transformative, as she received tons of accolades from parents wanting to purchase the custom clothing they saw. The next logical step was giving life to her fun, fashionable and affording brand for sizes 4 to

10

E A R N S H AW S .C O M • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

What are your top three priorities when you design?

My first goal has always been to design cheerful pieces that build self-confidence and self- esteem.

I always want my looks to make a child feel great about themselves and receive special attention in YS. Second, making comfortable pieces that fit well and are kid- and teenapproved. Third, keeping YS designs on the same cohesive fashion path that it started on.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I love putting together all the pieces like a puzzle to create a design.

I also love sourcing fabric and envisioning the look, picturing who would look great in this design and matching designs to someone’s personality.

What are the three most important lessons you’ve learned as a designer?

One, take your time. Two, plan be patient with the whole process.

Three, know that it’s very difficult building a brand from the ground up so try and stay consistent and work hard to accomplish your goals.

As a mom and one-woman manufacturer, how do you balance it all?

You have to have a schedule and you have to be as organized as possible. I’ve always been a go getter, and I would have five different things going at the same time. I am never late—so that is definitely one of my top management skills.

R E TA I L P R O F I L E

State of Kid Co-Founders Cheryl Gonzalez (left) and Alana Oxfeld

HYBRID HEAVEN More than just a place for enrichment classes and curated clothing, State of Kid in Miami has created a thriving community for young families with now two compelling locations.

BY

MICHELE SILVER UST WHEN YOU think the retail market has reached a plateau, creative minds come along and push it to the next level. In 2019, businesswomen and mothers Alana Oxfeld and Cheryl Gonzalez took their collective brainpower in branding, baby products and clothing and parlayed it into State of Kid, their boutique spin on the children’s class business.

State of Kid’s first 1,700-square-foot location was so successful—even through the pandemic—that Alana and Cheryl opened their second location last month at Miami Beach’s premier lifestyle destina-

12

E A R N S H AW S .C O M • S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

BAGS • BOXES • GIFT WRAP • RIBBON • AND MORE

Pretty packages make big holiday smiles

SHOP ONLINE AT WWW.NASHVILLEWRAPS.COM

R E TA I L P R O F I L E

Little ones can stay occupied at a fun play table while their parents shop.

the traditional class model on its head.”

And so they did. State of Kid offers enrichment classes for young children up to age eight, educational workshops for adults and a highly curated collection of clothing, accessories and décor. Little ones can choose from a

©2021 All rights reserved Young Soles.

tion, 1212 Lincoln Road. This location offers a similarly mixed-use retail destination vibe of the first State of Kid in the Miami Design District, which boasts easy parking, 24-hour security, family-friendly eateries and a variety of shopping for parents. “Beyond physical growth, we are evolving as a brand and what it means to be successful in a post-pandemic environment,” Cheryl says. “Families are craving a comfortable space where kids can safely play and learn.”

Cheryl and Alana are no strangers to the professional pivot. Alana, who previously led brand communications at Bai Beverages while Cheryl spearhaded operations at both Fridababy and littlehipstar, loved their corporate careers until it became too tough to balance that life with parenting. “We had three young children between the two of us, and we didn’t want to spend the majority of our week sitting behind desks in an office,” Alana explains.

They had complementary skill sets, too. Cheryl’s expertise lies in finance and operations while Alana’s is in creative and marketing. “We each bring something unique to the table. However, it’s so important that we share the same larger vision for the business. That has been so critical to our success,” Alana stresses. “We wanted to find something that we were passionate about, but also something that served our family’s needs. We decided it was time to turn

EARNIE AWARDS 2021

NOMINEE

CHILDREN’S FOOTWEAR

www.youngsoles.com

R E TA I L P R O F I L E M A K I N G C L O T H E S T H A T M A K E M E M O R I E S

T

NE

W B R

O

E

D

BES

AN

N

variety of classes, and parents are able to pop in or book in advance, with no membership required. “We understand the benefits of consistency and routine for young children, but we also know that there are external factors that can get in the way,” she says. “We wanted to build a business that offered a wide range of enrichment options and incorporated flexible booking.” Some of their most popular classes include Jam with Jamie for music and movement), Miss Nancy’s Petit Chefs for cooking and crafts, Dance with Miss Vicky for ballet and hip-hop, and Red Violet for art and sensory.

The clothing concept for ages 3 months to 8 years evolved simultaneously and sought to serve as an antidote to e-commerce for a variety of reasons, Alana explains. “While there are so many options online, we know that many parents prefer to shop in-store due to size variance among brands, the need to pace with a young child’s rapid growth and the hassle of online returns.” State of Kid offers a range of American, European and Australian clothing, including brands with cult followings such as Rylee + Cru, Louise Misha, Hux Baby, and Munster and mixed with smaller, discovery brands like Miki Miette, Mer St. Barth and La Lovie.

With the ubiquitous loungewear trend shifting, the owners had to adjust their buys accordingly. “Now that families are out and about again, people are looking to dress up a bit more, and we offer a range of brands that cater to them,” Alana says.

“Our Fall 2021 collection includes a mix of higher-end dresses, skirts and denim in addition to loungewear, sweats, tees and of course, swim.”

As a way to sell relevant product during the pandemic, they developed their own line of reusable masks for children and adults under their proprietary label of Row + Lee–all while keeping the product true to their core brand, Alana explains. “We were able to source an extremely soft, highly breathable fabric from Italy and create sustainable masks with unique prints.”

Despite needing to offer free virtual classes during the height of Covid, State of Kid perservered and has been flourishing as a resource for newcomers. A big migration of families relocating to South Florida has shifted State of Kid’s mission of making parents’ lives easier to a community-builder. As such, the retailer has embraced a more fluid hybrid model. There’s now a mix of drop-in classes with private pods and multi-week courses focused on a single theme, such as preparing little ones for preschool.

The duo has worked harder and smarter than they ever thought they would—but that doesn’t phase them. The lessons of flexibility and meeting customers’ needs in a variety of unforeseen circumstances remain with them, Alana says. “We are still taking things day by day. The pain points that our business was built to address are still relevant today. However, we are living in a different world, and we know we have to adapt.”

M I N

E

ON TREND

Elegant Baby

Cover Me Softly Gauzy, flowy fabrics in muted colorways are the season’s natural choices for dressier occasions.

Marais Sky People Footwear

Young Soles Ergobaby x Harry Potter

Magnetic Me

Falke

Baby Deer

PaigeLauren

Joules

Color Me Happy Designers embrace saturated hues and charming prints for little ones to wear from head to toe, and day to bedtime.

Luna Luna

Greige

Gerber Childrenswear

16

E A R N S H AW S . C O M • S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

2 0 2 1 S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R • E A R N S H AW S .C O M

17

ON TREND

Elegant Baby

Cover Me Softly Gauzy, flowy fabrics in muted colorways are the season’s natural choices for dressier occasions.

Marais Sky People Footwear

Young Soles Ergobaby x Harry Potter

Magnetic Me

Falke

Baby Deer

PaigeLauren

Joules

Color Me Happy Designers embrace saturated hues and charming prints for little ones to wear from head to toe, and day to bedtime.

Luna Luna

Greige

Gerber Childrenswear

16

E A R N S H AW S . C O M • S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

2 0 2 1 S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R • E A R N S H AW S .C O M

17

Arianna is wearing a dress by Abel & Lula.

19

20

Arianna is wearing a ruffled dress by Babe & Tess.

Opposite page: Ashlynn is wearing a two-piece set

by Rabbit & Bear.

21

Twins Tristan (left) and Parker are wearing outfits from Soft Gallery.

22

24

Isabella is wearing a dress and denim jacket

by Losan. Opposite page: Lily is wearing a dress by Mar Mar Copenhagen.

25

26

Lily is wearing a Noomie dress and Boboli jacket.

27

Ariana is wearing a patterned dress by Esme; Isabella is wearing a Marais Sky embellished leotard with tulle trim.

28

29

30

Isabella is wearing A Muffin in the Oven dress; Ariana is wearing a striped dress by Arsene & Pipelettes.

31

32

Ariana is wearing a bikini top from Planet Sea and shorts from Shade Critters; Isabella is wearing a romper from Rabbit & Bear.

Photography assistant: Tara Campbell; Stylist assistant: Yvanna Viglietta.

33

N O T E T O M Y YO U N G E R S E L F

AUTHENTICITY ALWAYS WINS Anyone who has tried to dress a newborn knows that the struggle with buttons and snaps is real. Lauren Levy changed the game with a patented magnetic closure system. She reflects on her quest to develop her out-of-the-box clothing concept.

Dear Lauren, You’ve graduated college, spent a year learning abroad and have finished grad school. You land your dream job in investment banking in your dream industry of commercial real estate finance in your dream city, New York. But while you love everything about this life, the realization that you will soon have to choose between advancing your career or having a family is fast approaching.

As a woman in this corporate field, it’s one or the other. Plus, the corporate environment and office politics are not charming and honestly, you really aren’t contributing much to the world.

You’ve got to figure a way out.

Youtakethatnewlyacquiredeconomics background and come up with an idea for a more efficient way for people to get dressed. It sits in the back of your mind for a while but never quite goes away. You know this could really help people and make a difference in people’s lives. You meet up with your best friend from college, and he says his corporate law job isn’t that fun and he’s not really helping anyone either. He wants out, too.

Over the next two years, you put both of your Emory, Harvard & NYU heads together spending every spare second you have during a booming economy, when work is never busier, into learning a new industry and perfecting your product. Countless long weekday nights and nonstop weekends later, you’re ready to go. Your business plan is 112 pages long… the bank asks you to cut it down to eight.

When you launch at the ENK children’s show in January, 2010, that booming economy will have collapsed just two months prior. Your concept from your new company will be mostly ignored while store owners find shelter in the comfort of the bigger, tried-and-true

34

E A R N S H AW S .C O M • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1

brands. Do not listen to the doubters or the know-betters. You put in the work, you know parents want to buy this. Be proud of the three orders you got and don’t worry, Buy Buy Baby is calling and wants to place a test order. Make sure you tell them you are EDI compliant. Also, figure out what that means after.

The business that you are running out your apartment starts to grow. You outgrow your onebedroom and then your two-bedroom apartment. You are about to outgrow your second Garment District office and will hopefully stay in your third one for a while. You’ve learned a few more things along the way that will keep serving you for years to come. Here are the three big ones: First, focus on being the best brand you can be. Don’t measure your brand against another – you have no idea what’s happening over there. You are building a brand and not a trend. It will take time. Surround yourself with the best people.

Second, be nice to everyone. Brands come and go, buyers come and go. You never know if the person next to you will be working for you or you for them one day. Nice matters.

Third, there’s this thing called social media where people post a lot of nonsense. Don’t get distracted by it or believe most of it. Stay true to yourself and use it for good. Help parents figure out parenthood, help babies in NICUs, help retailers during the pandemic.

Stay authentic and modest and continue to live a mission-driven life of making other people’s lives better with all of your ideas. Also, leave the planet in a better spot - the fabrics you choose should be safe for factory workers and good for the environment. Make your tags recyclable and your bags compostable. Do all of this, and success is sure to follow.

Lauren Levy (with her business partner, Lawrence Scheer, and their six kids) proved that a unique idea and tenaciousness always wins.

2021 EARNIE AWARDS EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN & RETAIL

C A ST YO U R V O T E T O DAY ! P L E A S E S E L E C T O N E N O M I N E E P E R C AT E G O RY.

ACCESSORIES

CHILDREN’S FOOTWEAR

MOST ECO-CONSCIOUS

SWIMWEAR

Bari Lynn

Old Soles

Le Club Original

Feather 4 Arrow

Iscream

Oomphies

Mini Melissa

Shade Critters

Milledeux

Stride Rite

Mini Rodini

Snapper Rock

Wee Ones

Young Soles

Pajamas for Peace

Stella Cove

ACTIVEWEAR

CRIB SHOES

NEWBORN APPAREL

TEETHERS/PACIFIERS

Aviator Nation

Baby Deer

Feltman Brothers

BooginHead

Limeapple

Elephantito

KicKee Pants

LouLou Lollipop

Malibu Sugar

Freshly Picked

Kissy Kissy

Three Hearts Apparel

Under Armour

Zutano

Quincy Mae

WubbaNub

BABY PRODUCTS

GIFTS

NEW BRAND

TWEEN

Bumkins

Bunnies By The Bay

HairValier

Chaser Brand

Cloud B

Elegant Baby

Lev Baby

Iscream

Ergobaby

GooseWaddle

Muse Threads

KatieJNYC

Zoli

Mud Pie

Young Socialites Clothier

Vintage Havana

BABY/TODDLER APPAREL

GIRLS’ APPAREL

OUTERWEAR

UNDERGARMENTS

Angel Dear

Design History

Appaman

Calvin Klein

KicKee Pants

Flowers by Zoe

Hatley

Esme

Magnetic Me

Imoga

Joules

Malibu Sugar

Posh Peanut

Rylee + Cru

Widgeon

Mini Boden

BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE

“IT” ITEM OF THE YEAR

SLEEPWEAR

Little Lady Products

Bari Lynn Mask Chain Kits

Esme

Noodle & Boo

Echo Dot Kids Edition

KicKee Pants

Petite ‘n Pretty

Funboy Pool Floats

Little Sleepies

Sophie La Girafe

Pop It Fidget Pops

P.J. Salvage

BOYS’ APPAREL

MOMMY & ME/DADDY & ME

SPECIAL OCCASION

Andy & Evan

Lilly Pulitzer

Appaman

Appaman

Me & Henry

Imoga

Me & Henry

Pink Chicken

Luna Luna Collection

Molo

Posh Peanut

Marais Sky

BE THE BUYER

THE BOUTIQUE ARCHITECT AN MBA-WIELDING marketing pro who counts Google and Unilever as her prior employers, Maris Johansson has always had an unexpressed entrepreneurial spirit. After helping to build an e-commerce startup called Artifact Uprising from a team of 12 to more than 60 in four years, Johansson took a pause from the business world. After having her second child in 2018, she made the leap to strike out on her own and opened Broomtail in Denver, CO, in May of 2020–that’s right, during the first major wave of the global pandemic.

She talks to Earnshaw’s about how she navigated her business through COVID-19 and provides insight for the childrenswear industry that she has gained from her rich and varied work experience.

making daydreams come true

Maris Johansson often uses her kids as a focus group for new merchandise.

What advice do you have for surviving and thriving during tough business times?

Simplify and be nimble! I opened my doors in May 2020 when Denver was just coming out of a Covid shelter in place order. All my visions of a grand opening party were quickly dashed, as were all of my initial business

BE THE BUYER

plans and projections. I had to pare down the business to the essentials and focus on the one to one relationship with the customer. I couldn’t afford to hire, so I was wearing all of the hats: custodian, IT, customer service, buyer, bookkeeper, marketer, etc. It was exhausting and stressful, but I got to know every strategic and tactical aspect of the business. I found that scarcity really does bring clarity. I also benefited from a short feedback loop: if a customer shared a piece of feedback, I could make a change that very day, so I was able to test and iterate through that first year and set up a great customer-centric foundation for the business.

What resources do you use for learning about brands that would be right for your demographic?

It’s a blessing and a curse, but Instagram is a great discovery tool. My husband often has to prod me to get off my phone as I’m going down the IG rabbit hole finding new brands and goods for the shop. I also mine my employees, who all have children, or grandchildren (and great taste!) for recommendations. Third, I like to try out a brand at home with my kids before buying it for the shop. This is also a good way to test out a company’s customer service; I figure if they take great care and attention with customers, they will do the same with me as a buyer.

What’s your approach for hiring staff ?

Many of my employees started out as customers. Instead of posting a formal job position, I am constantly building relationships with an eye for that special someone who could be a good fit for the team down the road. I spend a lot of time training and working alongside new employees; I want them to feel comfortable and confident in the position, but I also want to get to know them and what they are passionate about.

I love how everyone brings something different to the table and feels invested in the success of the shop.

What are the key components of creating a successful store?

A strong identity and sense of community. As a retailer, it’s important to cultivate a memorable experience: your customers should feel something unique and special when they interact with your brand, whether online or in your physical space. Personally, Broomtail is my happy place, and I’ve had customers tell me they come to the shop when they want to feel happy. So much of what makes a shop successful and unique is intangible; it’s the cumulative effect of all the little

BE THE BUYER

Nominated for

BEST UNDERGARMENTS

AM CONSTANTLY BUILDING “ IRELATIONSHIPS WITH AN EYE FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE WHO COULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE TEAM DOWN THE ROAD.

CONTACT: info@esmewear.com | (626) 961-7011 INSTAGRAM: @esmeinc SHOWROOMS: Ali’s Market - New York | The Dressing Room - Los Angeles

–MARIS JOHANSSON

things you do every day: how you merchandise, the imagery and language on social channels, how you greet and work with your customers of all ages. The details matter!

What are the most challenging aspects of being a buyer?

Due to the nature of pre-orders, the feedback loop can be very long. It really took getting that first year under my belt to have the data and feedback from customers to feel like I could start honing in on my buying. It was critical for me to be out on the floor working with customers every day, and I started to form a clear profile of my customer and their preferences.

It’s important to have a point of view and distinct aesthetic as a buyer. It can be easy to get distracted by new categories and brands, but I like to think of myself as an architect designing one house. You see houses where an addition has been created that looks nothing like the original structure, and it leaves you confused. I love it now when customers come to me and say, “I saw this brand, and I thought it was so Broomtail!”

EARNIE AWARDS 2021

NOMINEE

ACTIVEWEAR

limeapple

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?

The culture at Google was one of customer obsession; we were constantly told to “focus on the customer.” I’ve carried this with me and applied it throughout my career and find it even more relevant and useful today as a retailer. When I’m feeling overwhelmed and my priorities aren’t clear, I know it’s time to put the computer away for a day, to stop unpacking the boxes and spend some time on the floor connecting with customers.

It can be a good reminder of what really moves the business, but more importantly, it can be energizing to see the smiles of people interacting with the business you have worked so hard to build!

FINAL CUT Upcycle Central Childrenswear company Mon Coeur turns waste into ready-to-wear.

Using 100% recycled content post-industrial recycled cotton (R-CO), recycled polyester from upcycled plastic bottles (R-PET) and recycled Roica elastane (R-EA), and sustainable Natulon™ buttons, Mon Coeur garments are the epitome of reduce, reuse, recycle.

The vendor partners with 5Gyres Institute and 1% For the Planet to support ocean and beach cleanups, tree planting and communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change. Now that’s a mission that everyone can take to heart.

40

E A R N S H AW S .C O M • S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 1