Seriously Fun

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

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

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

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. 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.

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

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