Earnshaw's Magazine | January/February 2022

INFANTS’, GIRLS’ AND BOYS’ WEAR REVIEW

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VOLUME 106 ISSUE 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 $10.00

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AUTUMN WINTER 2022

For all life’s adventures www.joulesusa.com | @joulesusa usaccountexec@joules.com

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CONTENTS January/February 2022

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F E AT U R E S 16 Seriously Fun Nostalgia and whimsy await customers at The Red Balloon, a charming destination boutique in Chicago. by Michele Silver 14 Baked With Love A Muffin in the Oven employs mothers of all ages to sew sustainable cotton clothing and gives back to the community as part of its core company philosophy.

24 Culture Club Dynamic and daring, the fall collections step out with high-octane color, funky prints and kinetic materials all designed to move.

D E PA RT M E N T S 4 Editor’s Note 6 Seen and Heard 10 Designer Chat 12 On Trend 40 Final Cut

This page: Kensie wears a shirt by Bonton, sweater and pants by Feather 4 Arrow, vest by Mayoral and glasses by French Gangster. On the Cover: Kayla is wearing a turtleneck by Mayoral, leggings by 92.5, shorts by KatieJNYC, jacket by Gabriel & Valentin, hat by Tia Ciabani, shoes by Dr. Martens.

Noelle Heffernan Publisher Michele Silver Editor Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Mariah Walker Fashion Director 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

Photography by Zoe Adlersberg/See Management; styling by Mariah Walker/Art Department, NY; hair and makeup by Clelia Bergonzoli/Ray Brown Pro.; Models: Kensie/Generation Model Mgmt., Kayla Ogorzalek/State Management.

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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

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EDITOR’S LETTER

SILVER LININGS AND GOLD STANDARDS I STARTED THE new year, as I often do, with cautious optimism.

As a writer, that approach keeps me grounded, intellectually curious and open to finding the silver lining in stories. Triumph over tragedy, hope over despair—you get the idea. When I began to research subject matter for this issue, however, the news was more inspiring than I expected.

Despite supply-chain disruptions and staff shortages, products are indeed getting to stores and customers. New businesses that started up before March 2020 or even after, are finally gaining their footing and some have succeeded beyond their expectations. While success may sometimes appear effortless to the outside observer, there’s a tremendous amount of hard work and creativity that helps manifest dreams into reality. And when hard work earns industry recognition, it must be celebrated. This time, the celebration is right here on the pages of Earnshaw’s.

Fashion photographer Zoe Adlersberg received an international accolade—a Silver Award in the Annual Graphis Photography Competition for “One Cool Summer” styled by Fashion Director Mariah Walker in the Earnshaw’s September/October 2021 issue.

Shot on site in Mexico, this fashion story takes the viewer—through a vintage lens—on a lazy summer day spent poolside. Adlersberg joins the ranks of highly acclaimed photographers and past Graphis winners such as Nick Knight, Mark Seliger and Albert Watson.

The creative directors for Earnshaw’s, Nancy Campbell and Trevett McCandliss, have collaborated on many fashion shoots with Adlersberg and Walker. On behalf of myself and the entire

team at Wainscot Media, we congratulate Adlersberg and Walker for their incredible accomplishment. We invite you to see more of their magic in this month’s bold, modern and high-energy fashion story, “Culture Club,” beginning on page 24.

Another bold moment emerges from Pantone. For the first time in its 23-year history, the Pantone Color Institute developed a new shade: Very Peri. The 2022 Pantone Color of the Year, a marriage of blue and violet red, reflects a carefree confidence, daring curiosity and new perspective as the world comes “out of an intense isolation and into a space of gratitude,” according to the Pantone Color Institute. This transformative color is showing up on everything from sneakers to headbands, as you’ll see in our Trend Story starting on page 12.

When it comes to gratitude, the team at The Red Balloon boutique has it in spades. Founder Jennifer Pope and her business partner Marlene Culhane have had their doors open for 34 years, and they have survived some of the worst of times and thrived in the best. Along the way, they have consistently upheld a gold standard of customer service that has made The Red Balloon a retail beacon for regulars and generations of families looking for specialty clothing, whimsical toys and books and one-of-a-kind gifts. One of Pope’s reflections is to “be grateful every day for the relationships you have.” I had the pleasure of interviewing Pope and Culhane for “Seriously Fun,” which starts on page 16.

I think I’ll always be a cautious optimist. It’s in my professional and personal nature and certainly, it’s been tested these past two years. But what I continue to see, in our industry and and the world around me, is that if you aim for a gold standard, you will find your silver lining.

Best wishes, Michele Silver

Award-winning photos from Zoe Adlersberg, styling by Mariah Walker

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Winter Market February 06-09, 2022 Javits Center NYC

Today’s wholesale market for tomorrow’s retail world.

Register now at market.nynow.com/EARN

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SCENE & HEARD MICHAEL by Michael Kors Kids

X MARKS THE SPOT From evergreen characters and iconic toys to luxe labels and e-commerce brands, companies are creating unique collabs to up their exclusivity appeal and draw in new customers.

We round up four new kids’ partnerships launching this year.

PLAY-DOH SHAPES UP Hasbro, Inc. the global play and entertainment powerhouse, has teamed with Creative

Kids, a manufacturer of interactive kids’ arts and crafts and STEM toys, to produce full line of Play-Doh toys with new twists in the Air Dry and Modeling Clay compounds space. The first products stemming from the multi-year, multi-national licensing agreement for all distribution channels will launch in spring. “Play-Doh has been shaping imaginations for generations of families by offering unique and engaging experiences for both kids and parents, for over 65 years,” said Vice President of Hasbro Global Licensing Jess Richardson. ”This strategic partnership with Creative Kids allows the Play-Doh brand to expand upon that vision, offering kids exciting new innovative compounds to further unlock their creativity and imagination. We can’t wait to see the explorative fun these products will deliver.”

MICHAEL KORS, NOW IN THE SMALLEST SIZES In partnership with French-based luxury company Children Worldwide Fashion (CWF), Michael Kors has launched its first-ever kids’ wear. The premier MICHAEL Michael Kors (MMK) collection will roll out for spring, with

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the first offerings for girls 4 to 14, with boys and baby to follow. The first drop comprises 54 styles and 13 accessories—including a range of branded activewear, jersey dresses, fleece skirts, swimwear, backpacks, and crossbody bags—that draw inspiration from the women’s assortment and use same branding with the MK gold circle charm.

Described as “cool, stylish, comfortable,” Kids’ MMK aims to provide children with the confidence for self-expression. The collection is “A fresh mix of trends, colors, fabrics, prints and silhouettes that are always of-the-moment, that are sporty in feel but urban in attitude. It offers a piece for every occasion, accessible luxury with a hint of the unexpected, modern glamour with an element of ease,” according to a spokesperson for CWF. “The sportswear inspiration at the heart of Michael Kors lends itself perfectly to the children’s market and we look forward to building upon this enormous opportunity with CWF,” said Michael Kors CEO Josh Schulman. CWF is a major player in luxury childrenswear, representing brands such as Givenchy, Chloé, Kenzo, and Karl Lagerfeld.

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SCENE & HEARD

ZULILY X SUNSHINE SWING RESORT COLLECTION

Go Back to School with Appaman X Peanuts

The clothing range will be sold globally through Michael Kors online, wholesale channels, Zalando, Ounass and Salam stores, as well as through CWF distribution points.

APPAMAN X PEANUTS Multiple Earnie Award-winner Appaman’s newest collab with a classic set of characters, the Peanuts, launches for Back-to-School 2022 with 15 styles. The collection merchandises back to the main collection so there are endless opportunities. “A collaboration offers a different point of view to our loyal fan base and opens up the brand to a wider audience that may be fans of the partner and get a new experience with our brand,” explained CEO Steve Silbaugh. “Peanuts is such an iconic brand and we saw the symmetry between their visuals and ours.

Their team approached us in 2021 and it felt like a great opportunity.

Our design director, Will Herrera, came up with a compelling concept that all involved parties loved and we felt it was a must do situation.”

Appaman is no stranger to the collab world, it has launched several in the recent past, including its highly successful one with Ziggy Marley in 2020, which was sold exclusively at Nordstrom’s and on the Appaman website. In fact, the Appaman X Ziggy Marley will be available again for Spring ’22 with a slightly expanded distribution.

“They loved our expression of the two brands, and it was a true partnership,” Silbaugh said.

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FOR ITS CURRENT collab, online retailer Zulily launched a Back-to-School contest where six kid-created designs were chosen as the inspiration for the Zulily x Sunshine Swing Resort Collection that drops this spring. To help inform this process, Zulily surveyed 1,000 parents with children ages 5 to 18, “knowing that Gen Z has been responsible for a fundamental shift in the way a family shops, from what they want and why,” according to Kiki Lockwood, Merchandising Manager of Kids Apparel. “We tapped these fashion-forward Gen Z creatives to inspire the exclusive resort wear kid’s capsule collection as we saw an opportunity to build equity in a brand exclusive to Zulily and position ourselves as the retailer of choice – kid and parent approved,” Lockwood said.

The winners of the #UniquelyZu Contest are Kyrie, a 7-yearold fan of all things tie-dye, from Riverside, Calif., Kamden, an 8-year-old budding entrepreneur, from Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Jazlyn, a 9 year old with impressive sketching skills from Post Falls, ID; Emma, a 9-year-old with an eye for color blocking, from Seattle; Marlee, an 11-year-old with impressive fashion sketch talent from Roseville, CA; and Mady, a 14-year-old digital artist in the making, from Provo, UT. Zulily x Sunshine Swing Resort Collection is produced by ASIS, a manufacturer that has been working with the e-tailer since 2015.

Zulily X Sunshine Swing Resort

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Celebrating

15 YEARS OF KICKEE FALL ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION — 15 years of our most treasured prints brought back for one special Fall collection.

kickeepants.com @kickeepants #kickeepants

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D E S I G N E R C H AT

What has been the progression of your business?

My mother previously owned a manufacturer in Vietnam, and that is where I started my career in the fashion industry. Best of Chums developed into a multi-brand company, ranging from girls’ clothing to dogs’ accessories. Our experience in running a factory was invaluable to becoming a successful wholesale brand. We design 200 pieces each season to make sure our customers have plenty of choices. We focus all our energy on creating new developments, sourcing new materials and making sure fitting is phenomenal.

How do you arrive at the theme for each new collection?

Every collection we work on takes a lot of research and considers many factors, ranging from trend forecasting to functionality. We not only reference trends to forecast current ideas about silhouette, but we also consider colors and fabrics. Once we consider all trends, we move on to the consumer factor and analyze sales from past seasons and go into the market to see what the consumers are buying and/or wearing.

Hazel

Willow

UPCYCLE CHIC Emily Fong, the founder of manufacturing company Best of Chums and designer of Isobella and Chloe, used the pandemic to dream up a new brand. Here, the woman who grows her business ‘one dress at a time,’ talks about her eco-conscious Mabel + Honey and her process of bringing balance, symmetry and color to the customer.

What is the inspiration behind your brand?

The mission of all our brands is simply to create and deliver beautiful quality products. Our collections are designed with the softest of fabric so kids can always look cute and feel comfortable and the clothes can be long lasting so they can be shared again and again. My time was largely devoted to Mabel + Honey during the pandemic to pass time. We upcycled overstock fabric and created new styles to keep operations running on a skeleton crew. We work with a lot of moms, and we embrace the chaos of raising kids and building our professional careers, all in unison. Moms have a way with time management, getting things in order and executing with a smile. Then at the end of the day, we always ask ourselves, ‘how can we do it better’? After we aligned our action plan with our core values, everything else fell in line.

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Who are some of your favorite clothing designers and why?

I do not have specific preferences, because I like to keep an open mind. However, fit, fabric, and quality of the item is what keeps me loyal to the brands I love. I can really appreciate the complexity of the thought process to achieve an end result whether it be in home décor or a pastry chef designing their holiday sugar cookies. Great color palettes, having balance and symmetry of objects seem to be a common denominator in great designs.

What are some your favorite sources for your prints and fabrics?

We work with a team of young designers, whom have all currently graduated or are working on their degrees from Otis, DAPP and FIDM. Staying relevant, understanding sustainable sourcing,and learning from our textile designers help us make better choices our future.

Who is the Mabel + Honey target customer? caption Mabel + Honey targets the everyday, playful gal. The clothing is easy and comfortable, made to celebrate the simple joys in life. They are chic and playful all at once, and the idea is that our brand grows with our girls at every important stage in their lives. Our collection comes in sizes 3M to 14.

What do you like best about designing children’s clothing?

Every season is new, exciting and playful. It’s like being in a playground with all your friends—we get to laugh, play, pretend and daydream in all the colors of the rainbow.

What’s most gratifying about what you do?

I am obsessed over the process and how the product is developed from start to finish. The working relationships we have with our sales reps and customers, our technology integration and our shipping process is a lot of moving parts for a small company. It is very rewarding to be able to say that we can deliver a high-quality product as a result of all our hard work. This quote from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream really sums it up: ‘And though she be but little, she is fierce.’

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ON TREND

Old Soles

Very Peri Beloved and trusted blue merges with violet red for an entirely new shade created as the 2022 Pantone Color of the Year, 17-3938. Check out the goodies inspired by confident, curious and hopeful hue.

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Bows Arts

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“The Pantone Color of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that color can hope to answer.”

–Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute

PaigeLauren

Jack Rabbit Creations

Appaman

Poppet & Fox

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ON TREND Cape Clogs

Igor

Joules

Baby Deer

Young Soles

People Footwear Oomphies

Come Rain or Come Shine Footwear manufacturers forecast texture, color and patterns for their FW’22 collections.

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New York The Rose Garden Showroom Roseann Yasuri 212-564-5100 Atlanta Don Perry 704-591-0683 Chicago Kathy Fedoryshyn 262-781-8685 Dallas Jennifer Rush Showroom 214-747-8608 Southwestern Kids 214-634-9415 Los Angeles The Glitter Box Showroom Jeanette Trujillo 213-489-7605 Canada Deborah Phillips 604-817-3320

app.next.nuorder.com/bestofchums 626-457-8823 | hello@bestofchums.com

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FUN

SERIOUSLY

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

Nostalgia and whimsy await customers at The Red Balloon, a charming destination boutique in the heart of Bucktown, Chicago.

BY

MICHELE SILVER

ENNIFER POPE KNOWS her strong suit. The Chicago native always had a clear vision for her retail venture and has stayed the course for more than three decades.

That’s some serious longevity for a business owner who self-professes that she never wants her store’s merchandise to be “taken seriously.” Pope’s passion for vintage treasures in a lighthearted environment came together for The Red Balloon, her specialty store named after the French 1950s children’s film.

Although the category of offerings has shifted over the years, the shop’s gestalt has remained the same.

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DISCOVER, GET INSPIRED, CONNECT, ORDER

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

refurbished American vintage pieces, toys and books. As the neighborhood expanded, customers kept asking us to carry clothes,” Pope says. “I jumped in as most entrepreneurs do—figured it out as I went along.”

Of course, she had some hiccups along the way. One such hiccup was footwear, “a miserable failure,” Pope says because they couldn’t sell it properly, and shoes truly didn’t fit the store’s raison d’etre. Another one was baby gear such as cribs and diaper bags, for the same reasons. Trying to bring in different categories and seeing that they didn’t work only served to strengthen her core point of difference in the children’s retail market: whimsical clothing, charming books, quality toys and one-of-a-kind gifts.

“I opened the store with vintage and handmade furniture for kids. We had beautiful decoupaged vintage pieces from England,

OUTSIDE-THE-BOX TRAINING When it comes to the staff and the national phenomenon of The Great Resignation and staff shortages, the tenure of The Red Balloon has transcended it, explains Marlene Culhane, Pope’s business partner. “We have been very fortunate to have a great team

prior to the pandemic episode. This was a vital asset for us and helps us maintain a successful business. Our employees value customer service, community and small business almost as much as Jen and I do.

Each person has fallen into their roles based on what they enjoy doing, and that makes them great at it.”

Culhane enthuses, “I see them as my work family and appreciate every single one!”

Pope is equally enthusiastic about being able to offer financial opportunities for her all-female staff. “I love being able to provide jobs! It is so gratifying,” she says.

The way in which The Red Balloon staff succeeds at their jobs isn’t an accident. Pope went above and beyond to find the most effective training program she could, at an unlikely place: Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, MI. Originally a deli, Zingerman’s built an entrepreneurial program in which employees can enter and win a contest to spearhead the next food mini-store under the Zingerman’s name. That program wound up generating 13 ancillary businesses that include the >34

Over 80 years of happy baby feet

KIDSHUB February 13-15 Booth #H13 NYNOW February 6-9

1.800.325.6116

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nuorder.com/trimfoot

Booth #3027

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Q&A BAKED WITH LOVE

Peru-based manufacturer A Muffin in the Oven employs mothers of all ages to sew sustainable cotton clothing and gives back to the community as part of its core company philosophy.

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DALLAS KIDSWORLD THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MARKET

MARCH 22 - 25, 2022 APPAREL | ACCESSORIES FOOTWEAR | GIFT | TOYS | DÉCOR

dallasmarketcenter.com | @dallasmarket

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Q&A

Earnshaw’s: What’s the history behind the company?

Alexander Soler: This was mine and Martina’s passion project, which we started in 2018 when we found out she was pregnant with our first son. Martina is a pattern maker who trained in Milan. My father, Alberto Soler, who passed away the year we launched Muffin, was an integral part in my journey of establishing our design ateliers and garment factories. He taught me fundamentals of engineering and leadership. He was an inspiring, successful entrepreneur and he shared so many experiences that served me on my own journey.

Over the past 10 years, we built an entire atelier in Italy and when that grew, we set up a larger facility in Peru, which is my country of heritage.

STARTED WITH A seed. A Pima cotton seed. Nurtured in rich Peruvian soil, it sprouted to form the fabric that would become the proprietary, organic fiber TRU-Pima Cotton for A Muffin in the Oven. Relatively new to children’s wear, but not to the clothing industry, the husband-and-wife team of Alexander Soler and Martina Cafaro brought A Muffin in the Oven to market during the especially challenging year of 2020. After all, they couldn’t let their own little muffin down, their first-born child who inspired them to create the brand. Together with their team of talented sewers and 10 years of experience running a fully vertical operation, they are seeing some of their dreams grow into a reality.

We spoke with Soler and Cafaro about their passion for handcrafted quality, their family-driven values and why every little muffin deserves to be wrapped in safe, snuggly softness.

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ER: Why was a vertical operation so important for the brand?

AS: It’s important for us to cut and sew in house because it allows us to guarantee the quality of our garments, which is a cornerstone of our company. This allows us to protect our wholesale buyers and customers because our team is committed to on-time delivery and quality. In fact, many of these processes came in house because we learned how important it is to control key processes so we can fulfill the promise of on-time delivery.

Also, we can guarantee the well-being of our workers and offer stable, long-term jobs for the families who make A Muffin in the Oven a reality. Today, we have more than 11 different countries represented on our team, and we embrace the diversity of our team for each collection, something that will really be showcased in the coming years. A Muffin in the Oven really is a product of passion from so many amazing moms and dads, creatives and garment makers, that we wanted the company to really have a soul and spirit that is representative of the team.

ER: What’s unique about your makers and the garments they create?

AS: We have three great grandmothers who still sew with us and 77% of our team are women. Our clothing is made by moms, for moms. Each piece that comes out of our oven has to be one that will be loved by babies. This means that while we aim to create cute, chic and cuddly clothing, we remain conscientious that the little end users—our muffins—have to be super comfy and happy. They should be able to play and frolic while still looking modern and cool.

Most of us know how to sew, and this passion guides each step >37

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DYNAMIC AND DARING, THE FALL COLLECTIONS STEP OUT WITH HIGH-OCTANE COLOR, FUNKY PRINTS AND KINETIC MATERIALS ALL DESIGNED TO MOVE.

Victoria is wearing a T-shirt and pants

by Molo, sweater by Nono and a vintage hat. Opposite page: Wyatt is wearing a bodysuit by We Love Colors, overalls and sweatshirt by The Animal Observatory, socks by Puma, shoes

by Cape Clogs.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZOE ADLERSBERG ST Y L I N G B Y M A R I A H WA L K E R

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Wyatt is wearing a sweatshirt

by Puma, skirt by Numero 74, jacket by LSN, hat by Little Lids, glasses by French Gangster.

Opposite page: Vivian is wearing a dress by Kenzo, cardigan

by Tia Ciabani, socks by Puma, boots by Western Chief.

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Kayla is wearing a top by SLS, pants by DKNY, a trench coat by Lanvin. Opposite page: Kayla is wearing a turtleneck by Mayoral, leggings by 92.5, shorts by KatieJNYC, jacket by Gabriel & Valentin, hat by Tia Ciabani, shoes by Dr. Martens.

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Nicolas is wearing a green and yellow sweater by Misha and Puff, a striped hoodie from Feather 4 Arrow, a rust orange hoodie by Lemon, beanie by Wynken. Opposite page: Nicolas is wearing a sweatshirt and pants by Molo, sleeveless and orange jacket by Andy and Evan, a hat by Little Lids and shoes

by Dr. Martens.

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Vivian is wearing a dress

by Feather 4 Arrow, suit by Appaman, collar by Il Gufo, a polo shirt by Me & Henry around her waist, hat by Little Lids.Opposite page: Victoria is wearing a top by Mayoral, skirt by RaspberryPlum, jacket

by Appaman, shoes by Dr. Martens.

Hair and makeup by Clelia Bergonzoli/Ray Brown Pro. Models: Kayla Ogorzalek, Vivian Guthrie, Victoria Joliddie and Nicolas Roche/ State Management; Wyatt/ Generation Model Mgmt.

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R E TA I L P R O F I L E continued from page 18 Bakehouse, Creamery, Candy Manufactory, and Coffee Company, which became the Zingerman’s Community of Businesss. But Zingerman’s didn’t stop there–the company opened up their unique sales training program to other business owners.

Pope wanted her newest salesperson to attend the program, but the woman was too young to travel and attend solo. She called Zingerman’s and they offered her a two-for-one deal for the three-day program. Those three days became the platform on which The Red Balloon sales strategy is built.

“Everything we do at the store is adapted from that training. It’s so easy to follow that I was able to implement it all within one week, and it’s what we still use today,” Pope says.

to continue doing business. During the pandemic, Pope sent handwritten notes to customers, telling them that she was thinking of them and their families and wishing them well—a simple gesture—that meant so much.

And therein lies some of the lessons that she learned

©2022 All rights reserved Young Soles.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE That can-do approach has carried Pope through lots of challenging times over the last 20 years, including 9/11, the 2008 economic downturn and of course, the pandemic.

Her solutions are often based on good customer service.

The morning of 9/11, for example, people were looking for a place to gather and find comfort, and Pope had her doors open not for sales, but for a sense of community.

In 2008, she contacted each one of her vendors and expressed her loyalty but her economic challenges and they negotiated discounts that would allow both parties

Co-partner Marlene Culhane maskedstore’s pride and joy.

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during COVID: “Take care of those around you—it will always serve you well.”

One of those enduring relationships is with her business partner and store manager, Culhane, who has been on board since 2011.

Culhane went to school for fashion design and worked in fashion manufacturing before bringing her expertise to The Red Balloon.

After a decade of passionate commitment wearing multiple hats, always ensuring that customers would return again and again, Pope promoted her. This all speaks to Pope’s personal and professional mission to mentor women and help lead them to achieve bigger and better goals; when her team succeeds, everyone succeeds.

COMMUNITY COMES FIRST The area in which The Red Balloon is located, Bucktown, is a special one that has evolved over time from when the store first opened. “Our community here truly believes in supporting the small businesses in their neighborhood,” explains Culhane, “We have a diverse mix of customers from grandparents to first-time

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When returning customers walk in, we greet them by name, we remember who their kids are.

–MARLENE CULHANE

parents. We have aunts and uncles who shop for their nieces and nephews who look to us for assistance.” Those customers, especially the repeat ones of which there are many, are like family. The Red Balloon strives for that personal connection every single day.

“I think maintaining our valued customer

relationships and providing them with great customer service is one of the unique things we do here,” Culhane says. “When returning customers walk in, we greet them by name, we remember who their kids are and remember brands and styles that they like.” She derives so much satisfaction from

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

matching her smaller clients with the right apparel and accessories.

“I enjoy helping our customers wardrobe their kids and seeing their little ones grow up,” she expresses.

Speaking of merchandise, the store carries apparel and accessories for sizes newborn to 6x for girls and newborn to 7 for boys. Brands include apparel from Appaman, Paz Rodriguez, Angel Dear, Mayoral, Rock your Kid, Coccoli, Hatley, and Quincy Mae; accessories from Doe A Dear and Ce Ce Co; toys from Plan Toys, Plus Plus, Baby Jack and Hape; and gift-worthy items such as their exclusive Chicago T-shirts and personalized pillows.

A great deal of thought goes into the buying process. Pope says, “I never look at just the item. What is the company about? Do they seem to have a vision? Do they have an organized approach to business?” Culhane adds, “We take into consideration design, quality, uniqueness and we always listen to customers’ feedback.”

As part of the store’s modus operandi, they reach out—not just via email or text but also by phone—to inform their clientele about new merchandise. With this established way of conducting business, the connection became reciprocal, especially during the difficult phases of the past two years. “I learned the value of our relationships with our customers. They showed up when we needed them and that was so heartwarming,” Culhane says. “When the pandemic began, I still reached out but this time, to check in on them and their families.”

This culture of connection from the store’s leadership down to its sales staff is palpable. Like the entrepreneurs shaped through

Timeless toys and charming gifts entice customers

Zingerman’s training program, Pope aims to do the same for The Red Balloon employees. “We are all about collaboration and mentoring —no one wants to be an island unto themselves.”

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

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1/18/22 11:57 AM

Q&A continued from page 22 in our design and manufacturing process. We believe in continuous improvement, and we leave no stone unturned when it comes to quality.

ER: What are the qualities of your proprietary fabric, TRU-Pima cotton?

AS: Pima cotton is a sustainable fabric, and our commitment to sustainability goes beyond the word. So many brands today claim to be sustainable because they use sustainable fabrics or because they simply “ask their factory.” That wasn’t enough for us. We worked through our supply chain all the way back to the seeds of our cotton.

We wanted to know the who, what, when, where, why, and how of each step of our process. Our dream was to curate the softest and most natural clothes for our baby and yours, sewn with love and created with genuine and sincere care.

In the process, we invented our own fiber and fabric, TRU-Pima Cotton. TRU-Pima is genetically verified Pima cotton, engineered to be a super-soft, organic, all-natural fiber that retains the purity back to the original pima’s from decades ago. This guarantees the long-lasting durable nature of our fabric and garments. This special fiber is perfect for creating first-class quality fabrics, second-to none in brightness, softness and durability. The fabric has

NYC

FASHION IRST! HAPPENS F

Owners Martina Carafo and Alexander Soler with their muffin, Leonardo

high resistance to pilling, so you can use our clothes for your first, second and third babies.

ER: How else are your business practices impacting the global economy?

AS: We donate 10% of all our revenue to non-profits that

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Q&A

serve orphan children and orphan animals.

We have several specific SKU’s where 100% of the revenue is donated. Also, we practice zero waste manufacturing. We do not throw anything away—it is all upcycled.

ER: What market trends have you seen in children’s apparel?

AS: We definitely see a push towards sustainability, transparency, shorter lead times and reliable suppliers.

ER: How did you navigate business during the pandemic?

AS: Just three months before our scheduled launch, the pandemic struck in Italy. Our garment factory had been producing for nearly a decade and it serves many top global brands. We also have our flagship women’s line that serves haute couture orders from Italy. When the pandemic struck, 90% of our private label manufacturing orders were cancelled in the span of three days–imagine how that can destroy a company.

We did prepare for a rainy day, but we never

We believe in continuous improvement, and we leave no stone unturned when it comes to quality.

–ALEX

expected a tsunami like COVID. It was time to put our money where our mouth was with all this ‘work-family’ talk. We strongly felt as a work family and organization that it was time to support one another more than ever.

We spoke with our entire team and agreed that we would band together, sacrifice a bit and make keep making our clothes. This has become a common thread and expression of the relentless hard work and commitment of everyone at our clothing factory.

ATLANTA, GA 678-249-9293 wholesale@monami-designs.com

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We were super excited to broadcastour message to the public and take our product to all the trade shows in the United States.

ER: How do your three factories differ?

AS: Each one has its own character. In Italy, I have never seen a population so creative and so entrenched in quality. Made in Italy is not just a country of origin, it is a way of life.

Our garment-makers there are born with a relentless passion to make top quality sewn

scan for wholesale application

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Q&A

SHOP NEW FOR

spring 2022

goods. Peru is an up-and-coming country. Our Peruvian team has lived up to the moniker of one of their war-time heroes Colonel Francisco Bolognesi, who said ‘Luchare hasta quemar el ultimo cartucho’ that translates to: ‘I shall [fulfill my duties] until the last cartridge is burned.’

Even during the horrors of the pandemic, our Peruvian team demonstrated a culture of resilience, never giving up, no matter how dire the situation became. Our Peruvian team was so motivated to work and deliver their Muffin products because they really felt that this brand’ was theirs—that allowed us all to keep our families stable, even when all else seemed lost during COVID. In the United States, we know that America has an amazing ability to innovate, create and push the boundaries of tomorrow.

ER: What’s the inspiration behind the designs and collections?

AS: There’s no doubt Martina takes her inspirations from nature, architecture and interior design, and the childhood pleasures we all know and love. I think what makes Muffin different, though, is that we constantly seek inspiration from our customers, because we don’t feel that this is our vision alone. We really feel that A Muffin in the Oven is a community. Families need to be able to buy quality, long-lasting products, without breaking the bank, so we have balance and promote the well-being of our children across the board.

ER: What do you and Martina love most about what you do? What’s the most challenging?

AS: Muffin is our “creative baby” and I just love the journey of watching the company grow. Making clothes is a tough craft. So much goes into making a simple garment. So, whether it’s the fun moments, the tough ones, or the stressful ones, I just love the entire package that comes with the journey of growing our brand and our team. I am grateful to have the opportunity to do what I love with amazing people.

I think the biggest challenge today is centered around the pandemic. Uncertainty is everywhere and governments are considering shutting down entire economies again. I think this is causing emotional instability at the individual level, and this is going to cause long-lasting effects on our societies, ones that are rooted by the love of community and socializing.

Martina Carafo: I love seeing my baby and other babies in our clothes. I love knowing that we created a product with passion to give back to families and seeing them enjoy it. As for the most challenging, being on time with products. The pandemic has really flipped the world upside down.

WHOLESALE.MUDPIE.COM | @MUDPIEGIF T

ER: What are the company’s future goals?

AS: We dream of serving more families in the USA, Europe, and worldwide. We hope to sell enough clothes to begin a scholarship fund for underprivileged kids in Peru, for them to travel to Italy and learn fashion—or their trade—firsthand. If we can do this for just one child, that would be a real dream come true.

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