Ready for Rio
Portuguese brand Wolf & Rita finds inspiration in the sights and sounds of Brazil.
WHEN I SAY summer, you say? “Brazil!” says Sonia Rocha, the designer behind Portuguese children’s brand Wolf & Rita, when discussing the inspiration for her Spring/ Summer ’15 collection. “The collection comes right out of the sights, smells and sounds of Brazil,” Rocha explains. Featuring feather and animal prints and a deluge of bright colors, the collection is aptly titled The Kids from Ipanema, a nod to the popular Brazilian song, “The Girl from Ipanema.” “We were hearing the song all the time in the studio, and it just seemed to embody the collection perfectly,” she adds. Rocha and her sister Claudia started Wolf & Rita in 2013 after watching their father create specialized shirts for more than 30 years. The sisters borrowed their father’s tried-and-true techniques and high-quality cotton fabrics and created a children’s line.
“We wanted to create shirts for children that parents would want for themselves,” adds Rocha. Coupled with the sisters’ commitment to manufacturing in Portugal, the simple yet sophisticated designs made a big splash in the market. The brand won the Rising Star award at Bubble London last year and is ready to show how bright a star it really is with its spring line, Rocha says, adding, “We’re hoping to make a big leap with this collection.” Mission accomplished: One look at the brand’s brightly colored feather print, and buyers will be instantly transported to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. “This season it’s all about colors, bold and bright for summertime,” says Rocha of upcoming children’s trends. Accordingly, orange, red and a bold blue can be found throughout the line. Despite the on-trend colors and patterns, the shapes remain classic and sophisticated, in keeping with the brand’s savoir faire sensibilities. The collection, offered in sizes 1 through 10, wholesales for $15 to $47. Wolf & Rita will also introduce its first knit line in Spring ’15. The jersey, like the cotton fabrics, will be locally sourced and made in Portugal. “It’s not only a proof of quality. It’s also a means of supporting our local community,” says Rocha of her passion for keeping the manufacturing close to home. —T.A.D.
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