INFANTS’, GIRLS’ AND BOYS’ WEAR REVIEW • VOLUME 104 ISSUE 5 • JUNE/JULY 2020 $10.00
BRIGHT IDEAS Compelling Styles of Comfort and Conf idence
T H E V I RU S DIARIES
Stories of Survival TA K I N G ACTION
Case Studies for Equality PRETTY & PA M P E R E D
At-Home Spa Essentials
THE CELEBRATIONS COLLECTION For life’s most special moments. kickeepants.com @kickeepants #kickeepants
JUNE/JULY 2020 CONTENTS
Noelle Heffernan Publisher
FEATURES
PAGE 20
6 The Virus Diaries Childrenswear professionals are pivoting on the fly in a gallant effort to weather the Covid-19 pandemic. By Emily Beckman
12 Exploring Matters of Race: What Would You Do? Black brand owners react to anonymous case studies, offering personal insights to inspire change and promote peace moving forward. By Emily Beckman
20 The Cool Kids Keep it chill this winter with layers of blue hues. By Emily Beckman
Emily Beckman Editor-in Chief Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Lauren Parker Executive Editor 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
DE PA R T M E N T S 3 Editor’s Note 18 Trend Watch 34 Final Cut
Mark Dowden President & CEO Agnes Alves Controller 9Threads One Maynard Drive Park Ridge, NJ 07656 Tel: (201) 571-2244 CONTACT INFO Sales/Editorial Offices 214 W. 39th St., Suite 205 New York, NY 10018
On cover: Isabel wears Appaman polo and 3 Pommes skirt. This page: Willa wears Andy & Evan dress with Baby Deer shoes. Photography by Nancy Campbell
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EARNSHAW’S INFANTS, GIRLS AND BOYS WEAR REVIEW ISSN 0161-2786 (USPS-320-090) The business and fashion magazine of the childrenswear industry is published 10x a year by Wainscot Media, 214 West 39th Street, Suite 205 New York, NY 10018. The publishers of this magazine do not assume responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Periodicals postage is paid in New York, N.Y. and additional mailing offices. Subscription price for one year: U.S. $48; Rates outside U.S. available upon request. Single price copy, $5. Copyright 2011 by Wainscot Media. Postmaster: Send address changes to Earnshaw’s Infants, Girls and Boys Wear Review, P.O. Box 8548, Lowell, MA 01853-8548. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Any photographs, artwork, manuscripts, editorial samples or merchandise sent for editorial consideration are sent at the sole risk of the sender. Wainscot Media will assume no responsibility for loss or damage. No portion of this issue may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Printed in USA.
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E A R N S H AW S .C O M • J U N E /J U LY 2 0 2 0
EDITOR’S NOTE
Brave New Virtual World ENDURING THE WEIGHT of the worst pandemic in more than a century, our industry has been thrusted into a new “normal.” Of course, nothing is normal when millions of jobs evaporate overnight, the government enforces shutdowns of non-essential businesses for months and going outside for a breath of fresh air could kill you. It’s terrifying. It’s unprecedented. It can be paralyzing, at times. Yet, with adversity comes ingenuity, and our industry is leading the way with inspiring examples of determination, creativity and adaptability. Experiential retail? That’s so 2019. Interactive play areas, hands-on product demonstrations, crowded stores all largely on hold until a cure/vaccine. In turn, retailers must pivot, like Camp NYC Inc. has done. After the pandemic closed all five of its locations, the family experience store reimagined its popular in-store birthday parties and arts-and-crafts sessions. Camp rolled out free, virtual, 30-minute birthday parties on its website, custom made to celebrate children’s birthdays in a group setting. The retailer also began selling private virtual parties, where customers can pick an entertainer, such as a magician or musician, from the company’s roster to perform remotely. A fee is charged for these private parties and sponsorship revenue is collected on the free ones. The Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ, near my childhood home, immediately started reaching out to families via social media once the shutdown took hold. Its princess story time via Facebook Live was a big hit. Snow White cheerfully held court before a castle background, interacting with an active chatroom, often addressing attendees by their first name to further personalize the experience and create a warm connection with children in desperate need of a fun escape. Additional events included a regularly scheduled princess breakfast and an exotic animal show-and-tell. More examples of pandemic-induced creativity can be found in this issue’s feature, “The Virus Diaries” (p. 6). For example,
tween fashion boutique Frankie’s on the Park has been hosting an in-store fashion camp almost every summer since opening in 2008, and owner Lisa Burik wasn’t about to let a pandemic kill it off entirely. She’s pivoted to a virtual experience that includes guest mentors to educate young girls on how to build their own brand. The virtual aspect has also enabled Burik to invite participants from across the country—something she plans to do even when the in-store camps resume. Also on the virtual front, Mud Pie, the Georgia-based gift company, teamed up with influencer MaKenna Bleu (and her 266,000-plus followers on Instagram) after Bleu’s in-person baby shower was canceled. The resulting virtual baby shower was replete with plenty of darling goodies, all unveiled within safe social distancing guidelines. Virtual baby showers have blossomed during the pandemic, not only bringing safety for Baby and Mama, but obviating the need to book space at restaurants or other venues. Inspired by our industry’s can-do pivots, Earnshaw’s has also expanded its virtual presence, hosting live webinars on timely topics, such as our recent discussion on exploring race in the childrenswear industry. Our esteemed panelists, Anthony Bryant, owner of Little Nomad in Richmond, VA; Michelle Vanderlaan, owner of Sugarcup Trading in Oak Park, IL; and Dr. Lisa Williams, founder of Fresh Dolls, based in Southern California, revealed sobering tales of their own experiences with prejudice as well as inspiring insights on how they overcame such obstacles. The conversation included hard-hitting case studies as well. You can read more reactions from black industry professionals in our webinar recap, Exploring Matters of Race (p. 12). The old adage, “when one door closes, another opens” has never rung truer in these troubling times. The new door has swung wide open to a virtual world of exciting sales, marketing and retailing events that only enhance customer engagement and compliment physical stores. While the unprecedented shutdown marked some of retail’s darkest days, a ray of light has shone through. Or, to borrow another old adage, “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”
E M I LY B E C K M A N Editor-in- Chief
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How has the pandemic impacted your business? When the shelterin-place order was first announced in San Francisco, Fiddlesticks was in full swing. We were having a great year, and suddenly it felt like a big bucket of ice-cold water got tossed in my face. We quickly dropped to operating at 10 percent. All of my staff members were temporarily let go, and I was left holding two stores up on my own.
Owner Elizabeth Leu puts safety first.
HANG ON TIGHT
Was it difficult for Fiddlesticks to adapt? It was challenging, but we made it work. And if there is a silver lining in all of this, it’s that our website is now a much stronger revenue channel than pre-pandemic. With the stores closed, my attention went straight to putting a spotlight on the Fiddlesticks online presence. We offered 20 percent off gift certificates, added face masks to our inventory and began discounting our clothing. During the first few weeks, customers came out of the gate strong and really jumped on buying those gift certificates. Then, as weeks turned into months, the online business picked up and held steady. On the other hand, Orange Bird, my gift and stationary store, was 100 percent dead in the water in the beginning.
just merchandised both stores and put loads of product in the windows for curbside shopping. We raced down, pulled everything out of the windows and covered them up. And we weren’t the only ones. The entire neighborhood was out boarding up their windows. For the next few days, I was constantly waking up in the middle of the night to helicopters, alerts on my phone and checking my cameras hourly to make sure the stores were okay. About a few nights into the rioting, Fiddlesticks had someone tugging and cutting on its security gate. We had to get that fixed which required a hefty repair bill. Have you adapted your inventory to customers’ new lifestyle? Oh, yes. The biggest pivot has been looking at our product selection and turning it on its side. Art supplies, puzzles, crafts, activity sets...Parents want things that educate and keep the kids busy. Prior to our reopening in mid-June, we spent time reordering more books than normal, lots of art supplies from Ooly, puzzles from Crocodile Creek, games and interactive toys from Wild & Wolf and outdoor activity items. We also have a large selection of kids and adult masks from Cookie & the Dude that have been very popular. As for apparel, we’ve brought in more swimsuits, tees and shorts and have a generous sale going on to help generate interest and increase cash flow.
How’d you bring Orange Bird up to speed? It did not have a webstore presence, but that all changed when Faire (an online wholesale portal) approached us to bring it online. We worked closely with them to get on their new Neighborhood platform. With their strong marketing program we started to generate some revenue in May, and are now well positioned with them to create a bigger and better web presence.
What are you doing to keep shoppers safe? In order to enter, all customers must wear a mask and use our provided hand sanitizer. We had to remove the kids play table, close the dressing room, and take away our famous gumball machine. We are also only allowing five customers in the store at any given time. People have been very patient and receptive to our protocol. Honestly, everyone is just so happy to be shopping in-store again!
Would you rank the pandemic as your toughest challenge to date? Yes, surely the most difficult hurdle I’ve had to overcome in more than 17 years of being a retailer. But hey, that’s life as a business owner. One day your business is standing tall, the next it gets knocked down to its knees. Without a doubt, this has been the wildest ride yet.
What keeps you optimistic about the future? Fiddlesticks is one of a few remaining children’s toy and clothing boutiques in San Francisco. We have been here for over 17 years and anticipate being here for decades to come. I think retail will evolve post-pandemic, just as trends evolve. We are all moving through this pandemic at the same time, and every one of us has our own struggles. The best part is we’re all aware of that fact, and it’s what’s keeping us bonded for a stronger, more compassionate future ahead.
Were either of your stores impacted by the rioting in June? Luckily, we have full window coverage with our security gates, but we had
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Tw E E N S P I R I T
Open Sesame: We reopened in early June, and the first weekend was great, and it continues to be great. Since we only allow two families to shop at a time, volume is still
Honestly, I’d spend money on doing a pop-up before I did a trade show. Anything customer-facing will take priority right now over anything back-of-house. Online Optimism: I’m very fortunate to have had a website prior to the pandemic. Although online was always a very small part of sales, it has quickly become the vast majority of my business. Shifting from around 10 percent to about 90 percent of my business in March and April, the traffic to my website has been phenomenal—something I’m hoping I can sustain. I’ve added lots of new functionality and processes to ease the process of putting products up and making them shoppable. While online sales still don’t make up for my two closed brick-and-mortars, I’m grateful for the opportunity to finally focus on my online presence. I’ve been sending more emails related to new product launches. I’ve also been posting more on social media. Frankie’s on the Park has 21,000 followers on Instagram, but I never really use social media as a direct selling platform. I will occasionally do a soft sell, allowing the visitor to click on the picture that takes them to our website, but the real selling always happens through my emails. Dreams Do Come Digital: Frankie’s is a destination and lifestyle for tween girls, more than just a place to shop. We’ve always held a fashion camp on the second floor of our store in Chicago. Girls learn to develop their own brand with guidance from guest speakers and fashion mentors. This year, the camp was completely virtual, welcoming girls from all over the country! The program is $375 per week, and we sold out in seven days. The camp has been great for pushing inventory online and simply bringing community to young girls during this challenging time for everyone.
Owner Lisa Burik remains cool and connected to tween customers.
down. I also think a lot of people left town. But my overall business remains up from last year, which includes my website, which is still really crankin’! We also started selling masks early on, which was a huge help for my bottom line. I sold thousands and thousands of dollars in masks. Playing it Safe: As I bring in product, I’m sticking with vendors I know I can trust. I want to be loyal to them, and I want to know the quality of what I’m buying during an already uncertain time. To still offer newness, I’m resorting to brands I used to carry long ago. For instance, I haven’t carried PJ Salvage in years, and I just brought it back. The comfy sweats are perfect for my customers’ stay-at-home lifestyle. As for trade shows, I will not be attending any.
The Next Chapter: Overall, I feel optimistic. Girls are growing, people have birthdays, holidays aren’t canceled, and kids will have to attend school in one way or another. In case we’re forced to close down again, I want to continue investing in our website. We’ve really learned a lot from being closed, adapting on the fly and learning to do more on our own. For instance, when we couldn’t have our photographer in the store to shoot merchandise, we decided to send boxes of clothes out to girls who would photograph themselves. I must say they did an amazing job! For now, we’re just taking one day at a time. I’m going to buy much more cautiously. I have a huge business in bat mitzvah dresses and a huge business in camp, so those obviously didn’t perform during this time. So, I just have to think carefully about how and when to bring the product back and to what capacity.
P.8
Pandemic Purge: I’m not a store that puts on sales frequently, but I had to change my tune during this pandemic. At the end of March, we held a big three-day sale. Seeing what was on the horizon, I wanted to act quickly and get rid of merchandise. We took 40 percent off the whole store—including sale items. At the end of April, I held another sale. This approach was successful. I got rid of so much inventory that I was well-positioned to restock. Once people were ready to shop again, I wanted to have newness for them. So, in May, that’s when I began bringing in all new product.
NOW MORE THAN EVER
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How has Covid-19 impacted Delivering Good? Our work to help lift people out of poverty is needed now more than ever; the pandemic and the job losses have brought hard times to a lot of people who were previously getting by. Our national network of community partners is working hard to meet existing and new needs. Luckily, we have received and are distributing almost 7 million donated new items, from toothbrushes and toothpaste, to socks and underwear, furniture, clothing, and all kinds of products to help people overcome adversity and live life to their full potential.
Delivering Good donates goods to front-line workers.
Where does the pandemic rank in your disaster relief efforts? Our current challenge would likely be the greatest in our 35 years of helping people in need. The economic environment is so bad for so many people now, and we don’t have a clear sense of when it will improve. With a hurricane or a tornado, at least you know when it is over. Right now, both we and our donors can’t predict where we will be in three months. The good news is that we have been through many challenging events before, and we do have great donors providing new merchandise for people in need now. What have you done as a company to pivot amid this new normal? Our entire staff of 13 people are all working remotely and using Zoom, Teams, Skype and more to stay in touch. We even had three new staff members come on during this time. Unfortunately, our June 11 Women of Inspiration Luncheon had to be postponed until September 17. However, we broadcasted a 28-minute
virtual event over a Zoom call on June 11, which included insights about Covid19 challenges from past and current luncheon honorees. Anyone can go to www.Delivering-Good.org to watch the program now. What sort of community outreach initiatives have you introduced during this pandemic? We have been contacting all of our regular donors to secure donations for the greater need that our community partners will face the rest of this year. We also have been contacted by many first-time donors giving us substantial amounts of excess new product. An important ask we are making now is for cash support to cover the extra processing and shipping costs of the large donations. Why might you be optimistic going forward? I’m pleasantly surprised at how adaptable most everyone can be during a crisis like this. What we’ve been through is so disrupting, but it can lead us to new opportunities or solutions. The generosity and compassion we’ve always seen in the fashion, home and children’s industries is still there, and there seems to be a renewed effort to get through these times and move on to better days. What is the biggest takeaway from all this? A big lesson we’ve learned is that everyone wants to help, and everyone wants to offer hope in this difficult time. Delivering Good lets companies and individuals be part of that hope when they support our mission. For every $10 donated to Delivering Good, $100 of new merchandise can be distributed to families in need.
Ready, Set, Pivot: Our first order of business was to protect our work family. We quickly implemented technology that allowed most of our staff to work from home. We then partnered with retailers to assist with orders, terms and support them in whatever ways we could help. But, most importantly, we continued to do what we do best: design great product and build in margin opportunity for retailers. We launched all of our new collections on time and our OneCoast Mud Pie Sales Division reps were very active, selling on ‘the virtual road.’ Our marketing presence has remained strong over the past several months. Some creative partnerships, like a virtual baby shower with @ mckennableu and participation in Earnshaw’s Buyer Box, were well-received.
GiVING BAcK
Brace for Impact: Mud Pie has been around for over 30 years, and we’ve witnessed a lot of challenges—9/11, market crashes, industry disruptions, warehouse automation, but Covid-19 wins as the most disruptive across every area of the business. When the pandemic hit, it was like someone flipped the off switch. Everything just
P.10
CEO Marcia Miller proudly reports donation of over 50,000 N95 masks.
stopped. Samples were stuck in transit, retailers shut down, orders were returned to the warehouse. While Mud Pie quickly transitioned the majority of our workforce to a work-from-home model, a skeleton crew remained at the office, including our senior leadership team and a limited number of warehouse associates.
Mask Market: The Miller family was able to secure 50,000 N95 masks that they quickly distributed to front line healthcare workers. But even more importantly, Mud Pie has continued to support its ongoing Give Back partnerships at a time when non-profits are seeing huge losses in revenue. Mud Pie will continue to work with American Cancer Society to provide free wigs for cancer patients and with Operation Shower to provide baby shower gifts to military families. A New Normal: Mud Pie is strongly positioned for continued growth. Our supply chain is strong and we expect to ship most of our new introductions by the end of July. Our workforce returned to our Stone Mountain headquarters in early May with many new safety protocols in place including temperature screenings for employees and additional staff designated for cleaning throughout the day. We are equipped to work with retailers in whatever way they feel most comfortable. We are launching a new Digital Showroom and are also preparing to attend August gift shows. The Bigger Picture: Great products and strong relationships count. We have very strong relationships with our retailers and have worked very hard to support them during these difficult times. In turn, our retailers have been supportive of Mud Pie. They know that Mud Pie product sells and, in a difficult business environment, that counts for a lot!
Appaman
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Sofi
Cruz
Bari Lynn Esme
Exploring Matters of
What Would You Do? Pa ge 13
CASE ST UDY ONE
CASE ST U DY TWO
THE INSTAGRAM ILLUSION
NOT MY PROBLEM
Since launching five years ago, a white-owned children’s brand has almost exclusively used white models in its marketing. The social media manager posted a black square on Instagram for #BlackOutTuesday, which quickly attracted hateful comments. Several accusations of discrimination surfaced, and some customers have even threatened to boycott the brand.
A family brand with an international following has always used diverse models in its marketing. About 60 percent of the company’s employees are white. The vice president is Black, while the rest of the C-Suite is white. When the BLM movement started up, the founder continued business as usual—no protesting, no donations, no statements. The president doesn’t feel it’s necessary to do anything differently. As she puts it, her brand is “obviously not racist.”
“I’m reminded of a statement: People may not remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel. Posting a black square while marketing with non-diverse models feels disingenuous and inauthentic. Authenticity comes from the heart. It must be the soul of the company. And that begins with leadership. A truly authentic leader will not only be seen; but most importantly, she’ll be felt. This is not going to be solved by a slick ad campaign. But, by deep diving into the company’s leadership and culture.” —Dr. Lisa Williams, founder of Fresh Dolls “In the case of a brand that has not diversified its marketing for years, the #BlackOutTuesday message on Instagram seems like a patronizing act rather than one of solidarity. As the owner of the company, I would quickly shift my efforts to more inclusive marketing practices and any other policies that might shed light on the fact that this company does not practice acts of discrimination.” —Darionne LaQuel, founder of Ciao Bella Collection “When a white-owned brand visually markets with mostly white models and then post a square to show allegiance to black lives, it is a form of gaslighting. Even though the product was never marketed to the Black community, the brand would like to protect themselves from negative press and the risk of losing dollars from potential customers of all colors. The business owner should face the conflict head on by confirming the identities of their actual target customers. If the marketing over the five years did not reflect the targeted customer, then the brand should make more of an effort to become more aware and involved with the community. Have focus groups with customers of color and work on advertising that is racially diverse. Also, if the brand has a substantial number of employees, it’s important to ensure the team reflects that same diversity.”—Mo Glover, founder of ZYEM NYC
“Leaders should be so imbued with the passion for making a contribution to society that they magnetize others to join them. Everything begins with leadership. As leaders we need to reveal—and then dispel—any false teachings and erroneous thoughts of inequality. When leaders become self-aware, they recognize and honor the humanity in everyone. Until then, blind spots will distort their vision. They will believe a diverse marketing campaign will make up for the lack of diversity in employees and the C-Suite.” — L.W. “The president may be sincere in her feelings. However, if she did not wish to participate in the protest or make a donation, she should have at least released a profound statement indicative of the company’s empathy for the BLM movement. Not doing anything did not allow her to show solidarity or publicly express support from company. I would have made a decision to protest, donate or release a statement representing my companies stand on equality. I recently discovered “streamto-donate” videos, which allows individuals to financially contribute to Black-led organizations and funds without actually spending any of your own money. The creators of these videos have promised to donate their advertising revenue to organizations that are helping the movement. ” —D.L. “Systematic racism is a public health crisis. The president of the company may feel she doesn’t have to do anything, and that is her right. Any actions or stand that individuals or organizations choose to take will face some type of criticism from a group with a different perspective. There will not be a case of having too much support when fighting a crisis and healing. Since the brand has an international following, it would help heal the crisis by helping to get the message of anti-racism across even if it’s donating it adding more representation of color to the C-Suite.” —M.G.
PHOTO COLLAGES BY NANCY CAMPBELL
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CASE ST UDY THREE
CASE ST U DY FOUR
CHALLENGING TIMES
BUILDING TRUST
An up-and-coming black retailer, known for great customer service in her community, has begun openly supporting the BLM movement. She shares lists of Black-owned businesses, highlights black-owned products at her store and occasionally participates in peaceful protests. She recently noticed a decline in her Instagram’s following, and one customer made a comment during a FaceTime appointment, asking how long her actions around BLM would continue. The retailer doesn’t want to lose customers—especially amid a pandemic when business has been particularly difficult. She wonders whether she should stop posting about BLM to avoid losing sales. Because of how tough business is, she almost feels like she doesn’t have a choice.
A business recently released a diversity statement. Customers began reacting on social media and sending emails directly saying how the statement doesn’t sound sincere. The business owner reacts by showing proof of two recent donations to BLM organizations. The business is then accused of doing it “because they feel they have to.” The owner feels defeated, not knowing how to make people believe his efforts are sincere.
“I think the leader should expand her vision. Currently, she sees the only way to support Black Lives Matter is through social media posts and listing black owned businesses in her store. There are so many ways she can support the movement and honor her beliefs, without alienating her customer base. She could make donations; create an item where all the proceeds go to BLM; work with more diverse suppliers; increase the percentage of black vendors; sponsor a group of black artists; start an internship for black high school students; create college scholarships; the list goes on! There are numerous ways the leader can support the movement, be true to her heart, while not alienating her customers.” —L.W. “As a new black retailer, it is a very difficult decision to make. I have a strong conviction to stand for what I believe in and anything I feel strongly about. It is my opinion that being honest and fighting for what you feel is right and just is part of your character. This may not always align with your business, however once your reputation is established as honest and fair, I whole heartedly believe this will outweigh any negative repercussion of your business.” —D.L. “There can be a fine line between catering to customer needs and maintaining brand integrity. There is enough money circulating and endless potential customers and platforms that will not have a problem with her brand posting about BLM.” —M.G.
“Customers are demanding a new playbook. In the old playbook, companies would have a PR firm write a statement, they’d make a financial donation and then soon return to ‘business as usual.’ Well, as the old adage says, ‘that dog won’t hunt.’ People are expecting and demanding more.
CASE ST U DY FIVE STANDING STRONG A white retailer participated in a peaceful protest. The evening after the protest, her store was severely vandalized and looted by a group of black and white individuals. About 60 percent of her inventory was taken, the front window was shattered, and graffiti was everywhere. After barely staying open during the pandemic, the owner becomes hopeless and bitter, looking at the new damages. She no longer wants to participate in protests. She thinks it’s safer for her to just stay silent for now. “Entrepreneurship is difficult. It requires persistence, passion and creativity. As an entrepreneur, there are many nights I go to sleep saying, ‘That’s it. I’m done!’ But in the morning, I remind myself of the why. When I remember why I create a line of multicultural dolls, continuing another day becomes easier. This leader is facing a challenge. It may appear as protests and looting. But it’s a challenge for her to remember her why. Why she opened her shop. Why she’s making a difference in the world. Why she and her shop are needed. The why will inspire her. This inspiration will ignite her passion, and her passion will bring forth creativity.
They want to see real change. Customers want to see the brands they support have a comprehensive plan to support equality and fairness.” —L.W. “A global uprising is happening right now in support of Black Live Matter movement, during which most companies have been urged to do something. As the business owner, I would make it known to my customers the areas in which I am diverse in, and all the expressions of support I’ve done in the past. I would also express how I plan to support on-going initiatives, not only through financial giving but in important ways to enact change for the black community.” —D.L. “As a business the best way to show authenticity is maintain consistency. There will always be criticism when any action is taken. I would suggest keep moving forward in a positive manner and allow actions to speak for themselves.” —M.G.
Creative ideas will help her move forward one more day…then to the next day, then the next day and then the next.” —L.W. “A lot of people are feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted right now, just from watching the events of the past two weeks unfold. While that’s a completely natural response to hearing and seeing a lot of violence and anger at once, we must not let it exhaust us to the point that we stop talking about it. That goes especially for white people, who can opt not to discuss or think about racism because it doesn’t directly impact them. Instead of shifting the focus back to myself as the business owner, I would try to put my pain aside as there is a being cause. I would continue the fight for social justice and equality, and find black leaders in the community to partner with to continue to educate myself.” —D.L. “The retailer should not associate her peace protesting with the vandalism of her store. It is unfortunate what happened to her business, and I’m sure it was devastating. Silence is also a statement. It helps to maintain or grow involvement in the community so that the community can help deter any vandalism from happening again. Network with non-profit organizations activist groups, district leaders, fellow business owners and neighbors. Safety helps in numbers.” —M.G.
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TREND WATCH
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Nicholas wears Andy & Evan hooded flannel and 3 Pommes jacket.
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Ariana wears Mud Pie vest, Catimini tights, Paul Smith Junior hat and dinosaur shirt, Molo denim skirt, and her own shoes. Opposite page: Isabel wears Molo shirt and pants. 22
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Ariana wears Kenzo pants with Appaman faux fur zip-up. Opposite page: Ariana wears Kenzo sweater, Catimini pleated skirt, and Tartine Au Chocolat neck warmer.
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Willa wears Blu & Blue dress and Baby Deer shoes. Opposite page: Kaya wears Tartine Au Chocolat dress with her own shoes.
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Nicholas wears 3 Pommes puffer vest and sweater with Andy & Evan pants. Opposite page: Isabel wears Molo dress with Paul Smith Junior scarf. 29
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Ariana wears Appaman coat, 3 Pommes dress with her own shoes. Opposite page: Ariana wears Kid’s Dream dress. 31
Special Delivery! Boost your sales with Earnshaw’s Buyer Box!
The Children’s Shoppe, Ruston, LA
Yellow Turtle, Stowe, VT
Over the next few months, Earnshaw’s is shipping themed parcels of Spring/Summer ’21 samples for retailers to review across the U.S. Next delivery: August 2020 (The Summer Box) Only 15 spots available. Email Noelle.Heffernan@9Threads.com for details and rates.
Carousel Children’s Boutique, Williamsburg, VA
Sprout Children’s Shop, Manchester, TN
Cinnamon Bears, Edmond, OK
Peanut and Mouse, Waitsfield, VT
STRONGER TOGETHER Pandemic Pivots: The pandemic proved we can modify our business model and still have a customer-first philosophy. In return, our customers showed us incredible loyalty. Our associates were incredibly successful with selling on Instagram, consistently sharing new arrivals that fit in with our customers’ stay-at-home lifestyle. We focused our attention on e-commerce and were able to ship to our clients in a timely and safe manner. We shifted our inventory to include more comfy merchandise, such as matching lounge sets and cozy PJs. Remaining flexible was the key to our success, and we couldn’t be more grateful for customers’ support.
Back in Business: Our boutiques just reopened for curbside pickup in New York. Outside of New York, we’re offering personal appointments and limited capacity shopping. As you can imagine, our teams are thrilled to be back in the stores. To ensure everyone feels comfortable, we provide masks to all clients and access to hand sanitizers. Safety is our number one priority. Better Together: We partnered with many friends on social media over the course of the pandemic to stay engaged with our clients and offer some of the unique experiences we would offer in store on social media. We had an Earth Day initiative where kids submitted artwork for a giveaway. We had a baking seminar with Dana’s Bakery. We had a mommy and kids yoga seminar. We chatted with Karolina Kurkova on kids’ health. Looking Ahead: I’m optimistic about the future. Even amid a pandemic, we have incredible clients, a dedicated and adaptable team and a niche market. As a fairly new business, this ranks as the most challenging experience we’ve faced. But I don’t necessarily view this as a challenge. Instead, it’s a way to show growth and adaptation to our community.
FINAL CUT : READING RAINB OW
Black Books Matter Celebrate children of color with these recommended reads.
Monnalisa
Mia Bu Milano
DON’T SEE YOUR FAVORITE? Let us know, and we’ll keep this list growing on Earnshaws.com!
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