Earnshaw's | July 2013

INFANTS’, GIRLS’ & BOYS’ WEAR REVIEW • JULY 201 3 $5.00

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JULY 2013 FEATURES

18 The Wonder from Down Under How Aden + Anais founder Raegan Moya-Jones turned her love of muslin into a global baby brand.

Noelle Heffernan Publisher Audrey Goodson Kingo Editor in Chief Nancy Campbell Trevett McCandliss Creative Directors EDITORIAL Angela Velasquez Fashion Editor

22 Rebirth of a Salesman Forget clunky cash registers. The future of retail may be written in the cloud for today's savvy merchants.

Lyndsay McGregor Associate Editor Social Media Editor

26 Tech Boom Just in time for the rebranded NY NOW fair, we tinker with the market's most innovative birthday gifts.

Brittany Leitner Assistant Editor

Maria Bouselli Associate Editor

ADVERTISING Caroline Diaco Group Publisher

40 Stargazing Owner Jamara Ghalayini reveals what celebrities love at her California children's boutique, Pumpkinheads.

Alex Marinacci Account Executive Jennifer Craig Special Accounts Manager

FASHION

PRODUCTION Tim Jones Deputy Art Director Production Manager

28 Party Like It's 1963 Fall fashion takes a trip down memory lane with an array of nostalgic party frocks for girls and groovy duds for little dudes.

Mike Hoff Webmaster CONTACT INFO Sales/Editorial Offices 36 Cooper Square, 4th floor New York, NY 10003 Tel: (646) 278-1550 Fax: (646) 278-1553 advertising@9threads.com editorialrequests@ 9threads.com

4 Editor’s Letter 6 Talking Points 11 Hot Properties 12 Fresh Finds 14 On Trend 42 Behind the Seams 48 In The Bag From left: Pearls & Popcorn buttondown, Esp No. 1 vest, Stinky McGee tie, Joules pants, Clarks shoes; Ralph Lauren dress, Little Paul & Joe buttondown, TicTacToe tights, Manuketa necklace, stylist's shoes.

Cover: Mademoiselle Charlotte dress, Val & Max collar.

Photography by Augustus Butera.

Styling by Angela Velasquez. Hair and makeup by JSterling and Briana Mizro for Jsterlingbeauty.com.

28

Circulation Office Joel Shupp 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 circulation@9threads.com CORPORATE 9Threads 26202 Detroit Road, #300 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: (440) 871-1300 Xen Zapis, Chairman Lee Zapis, President Rich Bongorno, CFO Debbie Grim, Controller

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 monthly by Symphony Publishing NY, LLC, 36 Cooper Square, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10003. 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 Symphony Publishing NY, LLC. 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. Symphony Publishing NY, LLC 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.

2 E A R N S H AW S . C O M • J U LY 2 0 1 3

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child ren’s world

Cloth ing | Acce ssor ies Showrooms August 8 –12, 2013

| Sho es |

Gifts

Temporaries August 8 –11, 2013

| Dé c or | M

atern it

WE HAVE KIDS COVERED

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From Maternity through Childhood, we have kids covered.

“It’s so much more than Apparel.”

- Kim Jones, Kimberly Jones and Company “It’s a wonderful destination to find everything related to Baby and Children.”

-Regina Nouvel, Doodlefish

AmericasMart.com/Children’sWorld | 800.ATL.MART ©2013 AMC, Inc.

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editor’s note IT’S SAFE TO say we’re pretty excited about the arrival of the royal baby here at the Earnshaw’s office. Two years ago, Fashion Editor Angela Velasquez feted the nuptials uniting Wills and Kate with scones and clotted cream at 4 a.m. This time, we’re planning to celebrate with teacakes and tartlets—but hopefully at a more hospitable hour!

In my humble opinion, we couldn’t have picked a more perfect month for our first Party Issue.

What better reason to celebrate than a new little prince or princess?

Alex Theophanous, the founder and CEO of British-based online boutique AlexandAlexa.com, stopped by the Earnshaw’s office while in New York and very kindly took us Americans to task for being so obsessed with the soon-tobe heir. But can we really help it? With no royals of our own, is it really any wonder that we glamorize the august families across the pond?

Of course, if we are being perfectly honest, we have to admit that it’s not just babies with regal pedigrees we’re eager to meet. This summer also welcomed into the world a very American sort of heir—of the pop culture kingdom.

Of course, we’re talking about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s baby girl.

Say what you will about the controversial couple, there’s no denying their little one will be dressed to the nines and photographed to the max. And if that baby happens to be wearing an eye-catching ensemble, just one photo equals exposure to millions of moms across the country after it’s inevitably splashed across the pages of tabloid magazines and celebrity blogs.

That’s just one reason why Alexia Panza, president of the newly-opened L’Officiel Enfant showroom, sends her brands’ stylish wares out to an A-list roster of parents. In fact, it was a key part of the strategy for growing her boys’ brand, Tom & Drew. Fresh out of college, Panza was savvy enough to realize that if she could get Angelina Jolie to outfit little Shiloh Pitt in one of the brands’ jackets (as she did), the exposure for Tom & Drew would be almost unbeatable. (Panza discusses her journey from designer to showroom rep on p. 10.)

Royalty Payments Summer’s high-powered new parents are poised to set off a sales bonanza for a few lucky kids’ brands.

Similarly, Raegan Moya-Jones, the founder and CEO of Aden + Anais, got a big boost from A-list fans shortly after the brand’s debut in 2006. Although the busy mom of four says she doesn’t follow celebrity news and didn’t set out to conquer Hollywood with her supersoft muslin swaddling blankets, stars flocked to the brand nonetheless. In this month’s Q&A on p. 18, she recalls how Adam Sandler and his baby were spotted toting an Aden + Anais blanket just three short weeks after the product hit shelves in Los Angeles.

Jamara Ghalayini, owner of Pumpinkheads in Brentwood, CA, freely acknowledges that her celebrity clientele help boost the bottom line at her upscale children’s clothing boutique. “People don’t like to admit that drives a sale, but it does. It somehow validates a brand,” she confirms in our new column, Stargazing, on p. 40. With all this talk about the power of celebrity parents to impact purchases, we knew we would be remiss if we didn’t reveal the specific brands and products the stars are snapping up. After all, when Reese Witherspoon’s son Tennessee was featured in People, UsWeekly and Life & Style wearing a Daily Threads tee purchased at Pumpkinheads, the shirt sold out in two weeks, Ghalayini says.

If that’s the level of sales Reese Witherspoon can inspire, just imagine the shopping frenzy that will ensue when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge finally step out with their little one in tow. Whatever brand the baby is sporting had better be ready for a sales bonanza!

That sounds like a reason to party to me.

AUDREY GOODSON KINGO

audrey.kingo@9threads.com

4 E A R N S H AW S . C O M • J U LY 2 0 1 3

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Talking

Points First in Class

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Parsons graduates put on a show.

OOK OUT FASHION world. On May 22, nearly 50 Parsons School of Fashion students, including four specializing in childrenswear, turned their tassels in style by presenting their final collections at a runway show held at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

Hong Kong native Priscilla Choi opened the show with her summer collection of girls’ rompers, tiered skirts and dresses inspired by vintage amusement parks and carnivals. The summery vibe continued with Julia Passafiume’s exuberant collection of mix-and-match separates with an island feel. The well-rounded girls’ collection spanned Rumba-ready tops and lightweight cardigans to printed pants and embellished coats. Inspired by 1960s Space Age fashion, Evelyn Tao sent sophisticated sportswear for girls down the runway with a retro color story and futuristic vibe.

Parsons’ Childrenswear Designer of the Year, Diana Flavio Woodside closed out the kids’ portion of show with her contemporary collection for boys ages 8 to 14. With an eye for texture, structure and color, Flavio Woodside blended icons from 1950s science fiction films with functional silhouettes such as cargo pants, tees and custom-dyed blazers. “I think my design aesthetic is unique in that it has a kind of sophistication that reads menswear, but the prints and graphics and styling are still fun and exciting for young boys,” she explains.

As for why she wanted to focus on the oft-overlooked boys’ market, Flavio Woodside, who worked with Gap’s boys' design team last summer, says, “People feel that boys’ fashion doesn’t lend itself to the creativity that girls’ fashion has.

The beauty of boys' and men’s fashion is in the prints, fabrication and subtle detailing, which in my personal design philosophy lend themselves to a world of possibilities and endless combinations.”

The Designer of the Year’s future is full of endless possibilities, too. Postgraduation, she plans to pursue the children’s market in Los Angeles and develop a unisex collection with fellow graduate and close friend, Tao. She adds, “Winning Designer of the Year validates the hard work that I put into creating my thesis collection. I hope that the award will give me the credibility necessary to get my foot in the door of an established firm as well as for my own label further down the line." —Angela Velasquez

tk

Childrenswear Designer of the Year Diana Flavio Woodside's smokey gray ensemble sets a cool tone.

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Factory Model The apparel industry teams up to improve building safety for Bangladeshi garment workers.

Mixed prints run wild in Julia Passafiume's collection.

Evelyn Tao kept her sportswear cool and simple.

Playful fashion by Priscilla Choi.

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AMERICAN AND CANADIAN manufacturers and retailers are working together to create an action plan for improving safety in garment factories in Bangladesh, set to be released this month, says Scott Elmore, senior director of communications at the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), one of the organizations working on the agreement. In addition to the AAFA, the alliance includes the National Retail Federation (NRF), the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), all working under the guidance of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and former U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe. Despite the big names leading the effort, smaller manufacturers and retailers are encouraged to join, Elmore says.

“The working group that we’ve created is open to anyone. They don’t have to be members of the associations,” he says. Looking to address issues like worker training and empowerment, standards for fire and building safety assessments and the sharing of factory inspection and training information, the group is working together to “create a unified standard that folks can use when they make their sourcing decisions,” Elmore says.

The action plan comes in the wake of one of the world’s worst industrial incidents at the Rana Plaza factory, which killed more than 1,100 workers who were trapped inside the eight-story building when it collapsed in April. The tragedy placed a global spotlight on the unsafe conditions at some factories in Bangladesh, which exported about $20 billion in ready-made garments in 2011. (About 30 percent of those garments were shipped to the U.S.) In May, many European retailers, including Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M, worked with IndustriALL, an international workers’ union, to craft a global accord aimed at improving building and fire safety in the country’s factories. However, U.S. and Canadian retailers like Wal-Mart and Gap Inc. expressed concerns that the agreement would make manufacturers vulnerable to legal action. “While U.S. retailers share IndustriALL’s goal to improve worker safety in Bangladesh and to make tangible progress on the ground, U.S. retailers cannot in good conscience sign the accord because the current language presents potentially unlimited legal liability given its vague and ambiguous terms,” says John Lubbe, an attorney who testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June on behalf of the American and Canadian manufacturers working to create an action plan. The plan being released in July is meant to improve factory conditions in the country while removing the legal liability concerns that made so many U.S. retailers hesitant to sign the Accord helmed by IndustriALL, Elmore explains.

To get involved with the effort and for more information on how to improve factory safety in Bangladesh, contact Kathy Grannis at the National Retail Federation at grannisk@nrf.com. —Audrey Goodson Kingo

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Talking

Points

Honor Roll

K.I.D.S. fetes four inspiring women and a $1 billion benchmark.

From left: K.I.D.S. founder Karen Bromley, Fashion Group International President & CEO Margaret Hayes, First Candle CEO Kelly Neal Mariotti, K.I.D.S. President & CEO Denise Durham Williams, Cushman & Wakefield Vice Chairman of Retail Services Joanne Podell and Sesame Workshop Senior Vice President & General Manager of Global Consumer Products Maura Regan.

MEMBERS OF THE apparel industry were met with lots of big news at this year’s Women in Industry Luncheon, hosted on June 6 by children’s charity Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.), as well as its grown-up philanthropic counterpart, Fashion Delivers. Not only did K.I.D.S. introduce the organization’s new president and CEO, Denise Durham Williams, the charity also proudly announced it has now donated more than $1 billion in new products to needy children over the course of its efforts.

“This couldn’t have happened without people like you and all of our donors throughout the years,” said K.I.D.S. Chairman Kevin Burke at the event.

This year’s luncheon honored four women for achievement in

their respective fields: Margaret Hayes, president and CEO of The Fashion Group International; Joanne Podell, vice chairman of retail services at real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield; Maura Regan, senior vice president and general manager of global consumer products at Sesame Workshop; and Kelly Neal Mariotti, chief executive officer at First Candle, a nonprofit organization dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life.

The organizations also used the luncheon as an opportunity to raise awareness about efforts to help families who were devastated by the deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma.

To donate goods or money to the effort, visit www.kidsdonations.org or call (212) 279-5493. —A.G.K.

TRENDS AND TREATS Join the Earnshaw’s editors at NY NOW (formerly the New York International Gift Fair), and learn about the latest trends in the children’s market while noshing on tasty snacks. Mark your calendars for Monday, Aug. 19 at 3 p.m., and get the chance to meet the staff and learn what key items your store should stock this spring.

Contact Info: www.unitrendsusa.com Phone: (631) 390-9081 E-mail: info@unitrendsusa.com

Show Dates - 2013 KSA Shoe Show August 6-7 Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Los Angeles, CA - Westside

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Atlanta Shoe Market August 14-16 Atlanta, GA

FN Platform August 19-21 Las Vegas, NV

The Children’s Great Event September 10-12 Teaneck, NJ

This is my world

6/24/13 3:27 PM

RETAILERS HOPING TO shape up sales should hit the gym—clothes, that is. Kids’ activewear sales are up seven percent from last year, according to The NPD Group, a global information company that tracks retail sales in the category.

Get Moving

Surging activewear sales suggest smaller sellers should take note.

Although mass markets and national chains make up 40 percent of total kids’ activewear sales, Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst of The NPD Group, reports there is still room for smaller, specialty stores to get in on the action.

The key for boutique retailers, Cohen adds, is to find a way to teach parents that quality clothing is an investment that will pay for itself over time. “You want your kid to outgrow the product rather than outlive it,” he advises.

He also suggests taking active looks to the next level. Products with versatility are easier to sell as investment pieces, such as swimwear that transitions into street wear.

1993

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Companies like Malibu Sugar and Monkeybar Buddies have been successful selling their line to smaller boutiques by marketing activewear as transitional fashion basics. By offering a wide variety of colors and stand-alone pieces that can also be layered, many brands are eliminating the need for retailers to label products seasonally—meaning activewear can line store shelves year round.

Malibu Sugar offers most of their styles in up to 30 different colors, which helps attract kids to a product moms already know they need, says Jil Garcia, CEO and president of Malibu Sugar. “The fashion world and active world have collided,” she adds. Girls can “wear something for them to exercise in, yet still look trendy,” she says.

It’s also important to choose the right material for maximum versatility, notes Shelly Rosenberg, owner of Beyda’s Lad & Lassie, a children’s clothing boutique in Bethesda, MD. Monkeybar Buddies' shorts and leggings are made of stretchy nylon and spandex that is perfect for the pool or under uniforms and dresses, she points out. “Customers come in and ask for Monkeybar Buddies by name,” she adds. —Brittany Leitner

2013

6/21/13 4:05 PM

Talking

Points Eurovision Tom & Drew designer Alexia Panza opens a showroom for international brands.

LOOKING TO SCOUT more international children’s labels? Buyers will find a familiar face behind L’Officiel Enfant, the latest kids’ showroom to hit midtown Manhattan. Alexia Panza, the wunderkind behind boys’ brand Tom & Drew, has decided to take a hiatus from her role as designer and tackle a new role in the industry, as a show-

room rep for more than a dozen European and international brands aiming to break into the U.S. market.

“Tom & Drew was an amazing ride, full of incredible accomplishments, trying hurdles, formidable challenges and path-changing revelations,” says Panza, who launched Tom & Drew while still

USA WHOLESALES: New York and Los Angeles www.catimini.com/en/pro-access/sell

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in college. Over the course of just five seasons, the brand amassed more than $1 million in sales and became a hit with A-list celebrity moms, like Sarah Jessica Parker and Angelina Jolie.

It’s that experience of building a brand from start to finish—aided by her team’s savvy social media strategy and carefully-placed celebrity endorsements—that Panza says makes her uniquely suited to help international brands find a warm welcome in the U.S. market. “From Tom & Drew’s inception I’ve been involved in every aspect of the brand’s creation: from designing and manufacturing to marketing, sales, distribution, public relations and promotion,” she adds.

Visitors to Panza’s new space will spot a wide array of international children’s fashion, including special occasion wear from Australian brands Tutu Du Monde and Mischka Aoki, ballet flats and oxfords from Spanish labels Maa and Manuela De Juan, comfy tights and basics from Israeli brand Funky Legs and girls’ wear by London brand Hucklebones. (For a full list of brands, visit lofficielenfant.com.)

Panza is promoting L’Officiel Enfant as more than just a showroom for her roster of clients, with a team that can tackle everything from logistics, sales management, branding and merchandising to graphic design, web development, publicity, celebrity outreach and social media.

“Social media is such an important platform to focus on within the children’s market,” Panza explains. “Moms represent a $2.4 trillion dollar market, and social media gives us the advantage to work directly with moms, in a very personal, genuine way."

But Panza is careful to point out the value of traditional marketing, too. "I’m also a huge believer in snail mail, paper and all things handwritten," she adds. "It’s very important for my team to maintain an even balance between online communication and also old fashioned, personalized marketing.” —A.G.K.

6/21/13 12:07 PM

CUIPO SPROUTS UP

CUIPO, A LIFESTYLE brand dedicated to saving the rainforest by using profit from products to preserve parcels of land in Panama, is partnering with the watch brand Sprout to raise awareness for their cause.

John Oswald, co-founder and president of Cuipo, who was also the co-founder and former CEO of Paul Frank, thought Sprout’s attention to detail and fun characters made it a perfect license for the organization.

“Utilizing the various animals and their

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hot PROPERTIES

respective traits is the best way to appeal to younger generations in telling the story of our cause,” he notes. The company first met Sprout at Outdoor Retailer last August and decided it would be good fit. “We were drawn to their eye-catching designs, use of eco-sensitive materials and cause driven marketing,” he adds. Orders for the watches, which also come in adult styles, begin shipping next month and could hit shelves as early as the end of the summer, with some midmajor chains looking to add the collection for their holiday assortment. The kids’ watches come in four different styles and wholesale for $15.75. For more information, contact sales@sproutwatches.com.

UGLYDOLL TO THE RESCUE PRETTY UGLY, LLC, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ DC Entertainment, is releasing three Uglydoll plushes sporting superhero disguises. Alita Friedman, chief brand officer of Pretty Ugly LLC, says the partnership first came about during the San Diego Comic Con last year when the company debuted its own superhero—Power Babo. “We both admired each other’s brands and thought we could pull off an amazing program together,” she remembers. Two versions of the Ice-Bat/Batman plush as well as a Babo/Superman plush will be available at retailers this fall. “Fans are already requesting Wonder Woman and Green Lantern [versions], and we don’t even have the first three out at retail,” Friedman says. Accessories and collectible figures from Funko based on the collection will also be available for holiday.

Retail prices start in the $20 range for the items. To find out more, email pretty@uglydolls.com.

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F

RESH FINDS

Just Beachy

Model-turned-swimwear designer Lisa Lozano lends her expertise to the kids’ market with Lilo Tati. From basic spots and stripes to fun prints with elephants and birds, two-pieces can be mixed and matched while ruffles add sweet detail to one-piece suits. Sizes for the made-in-L.A. line range from 3 to 8 and wholesale prices range from $28 to $32. Check out www.lilotati.com.

London Calling

The British are Coming

Helmed by husband-and-wife design duo Jessica Richard and James New, Jessie and James lands stateside for Spring/Summer 2014. Made in the north of England from locally sourced fabric and carried at British heavyweights like Harvey Nichols and Liberty London, the collection consists of clever cuts and fun silhouettes for boys and girls. Sizes range from 3 months to 7 years and wholesale prices range from $19 to $82.

Go to www.jessieandjames.co.uk.

Popping prints, contrasting trims and a touch of ‘70s bohemia add flair to Liberty London’s debut children’s collection.

Classic prints pulled from Liberty’s extensive archive are used to create colorful shirts for boys and dresses for girls sizes newborn to 8, as well as bibs, bloomers, swimwear and soft toys. Wholesale prices range from $15 to $194.

Visit www.liberty.co.uk.

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Mommy and Me

The Matching Dots does exactly what it says on the tin: The line of madein-the-U.S.A. polka dot dresses designed for girls ages 12 months to 12 years also includes coordinating pieces for moms. Matching dog and doll outfits are available for select styles, too. Wholesale prices range from $11 to $33. Go to www. thematchingdots.com.

Into the Woods

British-based brand Tootsa Maginty brings its line of unisex kidswear to the U.S. this fall. With designs made to please kids as well as adults—ladybugs hide under collars and foxes peep from pockets—the machine washable knitwear is made in Portugal from soft pre-washed cashmere and lambswool. Sizes range from 0 to 8 years and wholesale prices range from $25 to $55. Check out www.tootsamaginty.com.

Kid Power

Designed by kids, for kids, VeryMeri’s line of apparel and accessories features messages of love, peace and confidence, dreamed up by youngsters across the country and emblazoned on T-shirts, hoodies, slap watches and tablet sleeves.

A portion of proceeds will go to each designer’s chosen charity. Available in kids’ sizes XS to XL, the line wholesales from $8 to $15.

Visit www.verymeri.com.

No Boys Allowed

Girls who love Mini & Maximus’ graphic tees and tanks no longer have to share with boys; the So-Cal brand launches a girlsonly collection this fall with dresses, skirts, leggings and more.

Each eco-friendly piece is made from bamboo or cotton and illustrations are screenprinted using water-soluble inks. Sizes range from 3 months to 14 years and wholesale prices range from $10 to $30. Check out www.miniandmaximus.com. er_07_13_fresh_finds_03.indd 13

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OnTrend

Fashion Fusion Fashionistas and foodies don’t necessarily have a lot in common, so who would expect fashion designers to take styling advice from the culinary arts? This season’s stab at print mixing invites a little bit of everything to the table. With a dash of cheetah print here and a spot of polka dots there, labels are taking a more-is-more approach to the trend, creating a whirl of whimsical and quirky outfits often topped with a sprinkle of glitter and sequins. And as prints become more vivid and realistic in part to advancements in digital fabric printing, we expect to see this trend last well beyond its first course. —Angela Velasquez

Eeboo

Mustard Pie

Coney Island Baby

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Mimi & Maggie

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n

Les Tout Petits

Mini Noch

Moxie & Mabel dress, headband by Andrea’s Beau

Hannah Banana

Donita

Maggie

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OnTrend

Military Ranks

Kiddo

Say what you will about Honey Boo Boo and her colorful-yet-loving family, but Mama June may have hit the sartorial nail on the head this spring when she wed her longtime beau “Sugar Bear” in a camouflage print gown.

Thankfully for retail’s sake, designers have finessed the Rambo look by using the print on more sophisticated duffle coats, skinny jeans and street-ready sneakers. Add to that the season’s military-sharp tailoring on wool coats, and this winter’s brigade of outerwear definitely stands at attention.—A.V.

Ralph Lauren

Esp No. 1 striped shirt and tie-dye jeans, Little Traveler coat

Un Deux Trois

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Diesel

ddo

Dickies

Sew Lati Couture

Deisel

Woolrich

Joules

Millions of Colors

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6/24/13 3:36 PM

Q& A

RAEGAN MOYA-JONES, THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF ADEN + ANAIS, TURNED HER LOVE OF MUSLIN BLANKETS INTO A MILLION-DOLLAR CHILDREN’S BRAND, BUT THE MOM FROM BROOKLYN BY WAY OF AUSTRALIA IS READY FOR ROUND TWO. BY AUDREY GOODSON KINGO

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MCCANDLISS AND CAMPBELL

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T’S A BUSY day in the Moya-Jones household—otherwise known as an ordinary day.

With the family’s four girls all home from school, their apartment is full of laughter and light, spilling in from windows with a prime view of the Brooklyn Bridge. None of it seems to phase their mother, Raegan Moya-Jones, the founder and CEO of children’s brand Aden + Anais. This is clearly a woman well versed in bringing order out of chaos.

It makes complete sense once you know her story—how she launched the brand by selling her beloved muslin swaddle blankets out of the back of a taxi in 2006, and how she carefully and thoughtfully expanded the product line to include everything from skincare ointments to toys and digital feeding devices. Now, Aden + Anais products are carried at 10,000 stores in 35 countries. But while the laid-back Australian native may make it look easy, the journey from selling swaddles in just two boutiques to mass distribution in big box stores like Target and BuyBuy Baby didn’t come without its share of struggles, including hair loss, sleep deprivation and “my children calling me by the nanny’s name,” she confesses.

The tale begins when Moya-Jones moved to New York City 17 years ago with her now-husband, Markos. Like many a mompreneur, her light bulb moment came after she had her first child and began scouring the market for an item she couldn’t seem to find: muslin swaddling blankets. “You do not have a baby in Australia without at least 10 muslins,” she asserts. The lightweight, breathable fabric makes the material perfect for swaddling babies in the Australian heat, but MoyaJones knew the textile would be ideal for American baby blankets, too.

“I thought, every Australian mother can’t be wrong.” So she launched the brand in 2006, with her then-partner Claudia Schwartz. (Schwartz sold her shares in the company to Moya-Jones in 2009. The brand’s name comes from the name of each of their eldest children.)

Her hunch about muslin was quickly corroborated: “Three weeks after we walked the product into the Pump Station in Los Angeles, a friend of mine called me and said, ‘Raegan, go buy UsWeekly. There is a full-page photograph of Adam Sandler and his wife walking on Malibu beach with the baby draped in Aden + Anais,’” she recalls. It was just the beginning for a brand that would quickly garner an A-list following. But while grateful for celebrity support, Moya-Jones credits much of the early success to the boutiques that stocked the blankets rather than the stars that snapped them up. “It’s the small, specialty stores who have helped me create this boutique brand,” she notes. “They’re everything to me.”

Two short years after the brand’s debut, Moya-Jones was approached by Target and asked to create a diffusion line of smaller, thinner muslin blankets at a more affordable price point. It was a risky proposition for the foundling company—a move that could have alienated its loyal boutique retailers and undermined the company’s profits if shoppers flocked to the lower-priced product instead. In the end, she went for the deal. “I really did start the diffusion brand because I wanted to make sure everyone had access to muslin,” she says. It proved to be a smart business move: The boutique sales weren’t affected by the diffusion line (called Aden by Aden + Anais), and it’s now carried at BuyBuy Baby and Babies “R” Us in addition to Target. To MoyaJones, the diffusion line targets a totally different customer from the boutique brand. “Pink doesn’t go into Target to buy her Aden + Anais muslin. She goes to Kitson. That’s what gives us our boutique cachet,” she points out.

With a dedicated fan following in both the boutique and mass-market tiers, many moms of four might have rested on their laurels. But Moya-Jones had other ideas. Specifically, to bring more Australian heritage products to U.S. parents, including a skincare line, Mum + Bub, based on Australia’s native pawpaw fruit. Then came the Serenity Star, a multi-tasking electronic feeding and sleep system. Launched just last year, the device has already developed a near-fanatic following among bloggers. Next up is a merino-wool muslin blanket that promises to be the brand’s most luxurious item yet, as well as several other exciting developments the company is currently keeping under wraps.

“Luckily, I’m a bit of an insomniac,” the busy mom admits, although thankfully for her family and friends, her pace has slowed a bit from those first few grueling years. In the beginning, she worked in sales at The Economist during the day while running the company at night. “I would go from my day job, be with my girls from 6 to 9, then work until 3 or 4 in the morning,” she describes.

It was all worth it for a woman who isn’t afraid of being called a muslin evangelist—a woman who has literally written the book, Swaddle Love, on the importance of swaddling, and who is currently trying to launch a nonprofit foundation aimed at encouraging swaddling and eliminating touch deprivation in orphanages in developing countries like Tanzania. Her company’s latest philanthropic project is a partnership with Hayden’s Heart, a foundation launched by a mother who lost her infant son to a congenital heart defect. The mother wrote a letter to Moya-Jones about how much her son loved his Aden + Anais blankets, so the company created a special Hayden’s Heart print for its muslin swaddles, with proceeds of the blanket’s sales to benefit the foundation.

“I get the most beautiful e-mails and letters from mothers. I literally burst into tears once a week,” Moya-Jones says. “Some moms have even lost their babies and still find the time to write to me and say ‘Your blankets brought them so much.’”

The letters are a touching and humbling unintended consequence of the little light bulb moment that launched it all, she says. “I didn’t set out to do anything. I just wanted to start a business and sell some blankets. But based on the letters and e-mails I get, we’ve had an impact on people’s lives, and that’s a wonderful and very privileged place for me to have ended up. That’s by far and away the best part of what I do.”

What was the biggest challenge when launching the brand?

It was working capital—actually having money to do it. And to this day it still remains a challenge. I’m just now, nearly seven years later, getting over that hump where we can fund our own business. Starting the business at the beginning of the worst recession since the Great Depression was also not ideal timing because whereas I would have had access to capital prior to that, no one would even look at me. I spent the first five years begging and pleading friends and family for money to keep going. And there were many times where it was very touch and go. We were like, ‘Do we buy stock or do we pay the four people who work for us?’

Why do you think parents still flocked to Aden + Anais, even in the midst of a recession?

I think that parents are always looking for quality and usefulness.

That’s what I try to make our brand stand for. If it’s not a product I want to use in my home on my children, it’s not something I would ever put the Aden + Anais stamp on. Every decision for this business gets made from the perspective of a mom rather than a business person.

How do you think that perspective as a mom helps?

Here’s a good story: A company wanted to buy Aden + Anais a few years

As the founder and CEO of Aden + Anais and a busy mom of four girls—Anais, 9, Lourdes, 7, Arin, 5, and Amelie Rose, 3— Raegan Moya-Jones rarely has a moment to relax in her lively Brooklyn abode.

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UPCLOSE What’s your favorite hometown memory? It would have to be hanging out at the beach. That’s what we did in Australia. We went to school, then did our homework, then went to the beach.

What’s your favorite way to spend a lazy afternoon? You don’t really have them with four kids. I can’t really tell you the last lazy afternoon I had. Sipping wine on the terrace with my closest friends and family and the kids running around having a good time—that’s my ideal weekend.

What was the best book you read this year? Dorkishly, I read a lot of business books. The last book I read for fun was The Hunger Games, and I read it in a day and a half. I was absolutely engrossed.

How about the best movie? The Untouchables. It’s a French film, based on a true story. Beyond that it’s WreckIt Ralph and The Little Mermaid. That’s about the extent of my film experience.

ago, and I ended up having discussions with them.

I’m sitting in their board room with a bunch of men in their mid 40s—no disrespect to men—and they are selling me on what they do. One of them starts talking to me about a breast pump they are launching, and he says that it is super comfortable. And I said, ‘Oh please, have you actually had a breast pump on your nipple?’ And they all looked at me. I said, ‘Seriously, have you? Then how can you tell me? There is no such thing as a comfortable breast pump. They hurt.’ I really do think that’s why a lot of businesses that are truly run by a mother stand out. We live it every single day. We’re not sitting in some room somewhere coming up with products we think are going to make lots of money. We’re coming up with products in our home because we want them for ourselves. We’re a built-in test market.

It was a lot of work in the beginning. What made you so determined?

I believed in muslin. I can honestly say with my head and my heart I have never made a decision in this business for money. I’ve never gone, ‘Oh that will make me a lot of money.’ I believe that’s a slippery slope and you make bad decisions because of it. I created the diffusion brand because people were writing to me about how wonderful and beautiful the product was, but how expensive it was. It’s only $12 a blanket, but to a lot of people

that’s expensive. In fact, we are still expensive in that mass-market space. We are by far and away the most expensive product in that realm. But we’re considered an aspirational brand. People are prepared to pay a bit more for Aden + Anais, because they want what you can buy in Harrods and what the celebrities are putting on their children. We’ve been extremely lucky with being able to have such success with both of the lines.

How did your experience at The Economist help you build the brand?

My background is sales. And at the end of the day, Aden + Anais is a sales and marketing organization. I think that designers who start businesses tend to struggle because they don’t think the same way. I was so entrenched in a business culture and I understood profitability. That said, my husband worked as my pseudo-CFO until we could afford a real one, and he kept me in balance. The problem with a sales person is we tend to only think topline revenue—it’s just about bringing in the sales.

But it’s really not just about that. At the end of the day the bottom line is way more important than the top line.

Your sales background also helped you convince those first two retailers to sign up.

I was fearless. I just knocked on people’s doors. It was so comfortable for me to walk into people’s

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stores with a pile of Aden + Anais blankets, which is what we did for the first year. Some would take it and some wouldn’t. And that was the other thing, too—when you’ve had 20 years of sales experience, rejection just rolls right off your back. I didn’t care that people said no because I believed so much in the product and what I was doing. I knew it was no for now, but I also knew they would be back.

Your blankets were an immediate hit, due in part to the sophisticated prints. What inspired those?

I created Aden + Anais patterns based on my own taste. I know this seems ridiculous, but seven years ago it was still very much a chicken and duck world, or teddy bears, and it was still very limited in terms of the aesthetic that is so common now. That’s why I did the vibrant colors and the bolder prints because that was my personal taste, and that’s what I wanted for my children. Lucky for me that resonated with other people.

And now it’s resonating with other brands, too! What do you think of all the companies jumping on the muslin bandwagon?

From the beginning, I understood it was a sprint because I knew that as soon as other people understood what muslin was about, I would be copied. I actually thought I would be copied by the big guys off the bat.

What shocked me was that I was copied by the little guys. Even people who I sold to decided to rip me off! And when I say ripped me off, I mean verbatim. I’ve even had people use my Aden + Anais name to drive people to their own website where they sell copycat muslin.

Does it worry you?

No, they’ve just jumped on the muslin bandwagon because they’ve seen what we’ve accomplished in the space. It’s not really the essence of what their business is, which is why they’re never going to do it justice like we do. I’ve spent the last seven years living and breathing muslin, which is why we’ve perfected the quality—why ours doesn’t shrink, doesn’t pill and why it’s as soft as it is. I’m definitely a type-A perfectionist. I’m always striving to make it better. Even to this day I’m still trying to perfect things. Plus, I’ve got a fairly big head start on everyone. They can’t just go in and replicate the same quality muslin. And nine out of 10 have fallen by the wayside already. No one has had any impact. We are so, so lucky that for whatever reason we have such brand loyalty to our product. Stores have even said to us that our competitors have given them free stock. And they said it just sits there, because people really want our brand.

Where do you source your muslin?

It’s all out of China. I’ve definitely tried to diversify. I don’t like having all my eggs in the China basket for many reasons. But at the end of the day I’ve looked at many different countries and nobody does textiles like the Chinese, and nobody can compete with them on the price. I’d love to manufacture in Brooklyn. That would make my life so easy. But they can’t do it. In fact, I tried to have our new merino wool muslin done in Italy, because I was going super high-end—think Bergdorf and linen boxes. But the Italians couldn’t get it right. I ended up going back to my Chinese manufacturer because he created a more beautiful product, and the bonus was it was a quarter of the price.

Swaddling has earned a bit of a bad rap in the news lately, with some day cares banning the practice. What do you make of the brouhaha?

I think it’s very sad because I can tell you without one element of doubt in my mind that swaddling was a huge help to me when I was having my babies. I just think it’s sad that some people are trying to knock down this age-old, ancient practice because of a few idiots in day care centers.

There’s nothing wrong with swaddling when it’s done properly. It’s only about learning to do it the right way. I personally think it’s a storm in a

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tea cup, and it will blow over. Something that’s been around for thousands of years isn’t going to be knocked over by some dope in a day care center.

What made you decide to branch into skincare with Mum + Bub? That happened because just like the muslin you cannot go to a house in Australia and not see a tub of what’s called Lucas’ Pawpaw Ointment. It’s been around since the 1800s in Australia, and it’s basically the fresh, fermented pawpaw fruit in an ointment. We use it for everything—chapped lips and cheeks, as a diaper ointment, for eczema… Because I refuse to rip anyone off, I initially went to Lucas’ and said, ‘Can I work with you to repackage this?’ But they weren’t into that. Then I also found out that it had petroleum in it, and everyone is sort of down on petroleum now. So I just found a chemist and went about formulating my version of pawpaw without petroleum in it. Ours is beeswax based. And we’re getting the same reaction to the pawpaw as we did the muslin. The people who have found it love it. Interestingly enough, the body wash and the lotion sells more than the ointment currently because Americans understand lotion and body wash. They don’t understand pawpaw ointment yet, but I’m confident they will. They will get there eventually.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to jump into the children’s market?

I have always loved this quote by John Burroughs: “Leap and the net will appear.” People ask me, ‘What was different for you when so many people have these ideas?’ The biggest difference is I actually did it. The thing that drove me the most was the thought of somebody else doing it and me sitting there and going, ‘Damn, I had that idea!’ My advice would be to just go for it. It’s best that you don’t know all the sordid details about what you are actually signing up for [laughs]. •

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Rebirth of a S FORGET CLUNKY CASH REGISTERS. THE FUTURE OF RETAIL IS WRITTEN IN THE CLOUD.

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6/24/13 12:06 PM

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TIM JONES

Salesman FROM ONLINE BEHEMOTHS like Amazon to the recent influx of mobile apps that instantly help shoppers find the lowest price available, the Internet is changing how consumers shop and spend. But while some brick-and-mortar retailers may begrudge the online revolution, others are using the technology to rethink the way they do business—for the better.

Looking to remain competitive, increase efficiency and cut costs, many traditional retailers are jumping on the cloud computing bandwagon, switching from cash registers and point-of-sale (POS) systems to a version that can be run from a tablet or mobile device.

What is cloud computing, you might ask? First off, you probably already use it. For example, Netflix streaming allows you to watch a movie without downloading a huge file to your hard drive or purchasing it on DVD. Likewise, many people use Google Drive, Google’s alternative to Microsoft Office, to create and store all sorts of files. Cloud computing applies to POS systems in much the same way: It’s the ability to use the software you need as a web-based, pay-as-you-go service rather than buying a hard copy. Cloud solutions also allow for the free flow of information on a real-time basis between multiple stores and headquarters, instead of the nightly polling of data that many retailers know all too well. With cloud computing, devices like iPads and mobile phones are simply the means to perform your daily operations, but the information itself lives in the cloud. That means shop owners can manage their store’s POS from anywhere—the best cloud-based services have smartphone apps with live sales data at your fingertips.

That’s exactly what appealed to Joe Sturm, director of customer relations for New York-based Baggu, when the colorful tote bag company opened a temporary summer shop in Brooklyn last year. “I worked Monday to Friday and the pop-up was Friday to Sunday, but I could use the iPhone app to monitor sales from wherever I was—I could run sales reports and make changes from the beach,” Sturm shares.

In addition to processing basic transactions, cloudbased systems can also be used for inventory tracking, payroll, e-mail receipts and more, and manage everything from coupons and loyalty programs to secure payment processing and real-time reporting. San Francisco’s Revel Systems built a matrix inventory from the ground up, based on what its clients wanted.

“Say you have one shirt in 10 different sizes and 10 color options—with us you see one shirt on the screen, you click it and a pop-up tells you how many sizes and what colors you have in stock. You don’t have a messy screen,” explains Chris Ciabarra, the company’s co-founder and CTO. Another bonus is the ability to launch targeted e-mail campaigns with minimal effort on the retailer’s end. “When you send an e-mail receipt to a customer, the system collects his information and attaches it to that sale, which can be used to generate lists to let customers know about new products specific to their purchase,” says Jason Richelson, founder of New York-based ShopKeep POS. Traditional retailers spend their whole careers attempting to bring in business, notes Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a national retail consulting and investment banking firm headquartered in New York. But that’s only half the battle. The key is to encourage them to stay in the store long enough to actually make a purchase.

That’s where a mobile POS system can come in handy.

Cashiers can approach people in a queue to take orders for merchandise, improving service while making it less likely that those customers will leave. For years, sales associates in Apple’s retail stores have carried iPod Touch devices outfitted with credit card readers. Similarly, cash registers are being phased out in favor of iPads on a swivel at Urban Outfitters, and Nordstrom’s salespeople can do everything on their handheld devices that they can at a register.

“Think of how much space the checkout at any store takes up,” offers Poonam Goyal, senior retail analyst at Bloomberg Industries. “When you remove physical cash registers, you open up space to display more products and, in turn, you’re more productive, which will be helpful to sales.”

But whether your store is running on a traditional electronic cash register or an elaborate computerized system, adding mobile checkout isn’t as easy as adding a card reader to an iPad. As retailers know all too well, updating existing on-premises infrastructure can be timely and expensive: hardware has to be ordered, paid for, installed and configured. Replacements and upgrades require time and money and many retailers choose to stick with older legacy systems and software, which usually aren’t compatible with these newer mobile systems. One IBM study estimates that

Traditional POS systems are cumbersome in size and pricing, charging a software license fee per register and a yearly maintenance fee of 18 to 20 percent per upgrade.

The total costs involved can be anywhere between $3,000 and $50,000.

Retailers can be up and running with an iPad, a cash drawer, a credit card reader, a barcode scanner, a receipt printer and a cloud-based management system for less than $1,000.

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made handbags online and at trunk shows, recently cut ties with Austin, TX-based SalesVu. “It seemed like a great thing at the time—I liked the inventory management—but the credit card processer was charging me crazy fees and I had to cancel my subscription. It ended up being a little bit of a mess,” she reveals. While SalesVu doesn’t charge for its software, it partners with Mercury, a credit card processor that charges 2.7 percent per swiped or keyed transaction and has a $560 minimum monthly processing requirement with a $15 monthly minimum processing fee.

Merchants who don’t use the service during any given month will still be charged $15 for that month. It also means that processing fees that do not total at least $15 in a month will be rounded up to $15.

As Richelson of ShopKeep warns, every POS system doesn’t have all the features that work for every store. That’s why the former retailer (he once co-owned Brooklyn’s Greene Grape wine shop) has a try-beforeyou-buy offer of 30 days. “Small retailers need to put together a bundle of things that work for them,” he says. For example, some cloud systems allow retailers to stick with their current credit card processor, while others require retailers to work with specific companies. Richelson notes that ShopKeep doesn’t require retailers to switch companies if they are satisfied with their current credit card processor. “If you’ve always been with Wells Fargo, you can continue to work with them. We don’t bundle credit card processing.”

But what if the Internet connection is slow or goes down altogether?

Most cloud-based POS systems rely on a strong Internet connection to process transactions. “Any issues we had, like the receipts not printing or not e-mailing to the customers, were due to an occasionally weak wire-

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70 percent of IT budgets are spent maintaining current systems. On top of that, the average retail chain is paying for about 450 specialty software programs designed for various niches and needs, many of which are only used at certain times (like Black Friday).

Because of all that, experts say cloud computing might be a better bet in the long run, especially for those retailers starting from scratch.

According to a four-year study conducted by Hurwitz & Associates, cloud POS systems can deliver a reduction in total cost of ownership as great as 55 percent compared to closed legacy systems, which typically charge a software license fee per register and then a yearly maintenance fee of 18 to 20 percent for upgrades and yet another fee for support and training. “The way POS systems used to be—and in a lot of cases still are—is that a guy presents you a package that costs at least $10,000. There and then you have to make a decision and write a big check,” says Richelson of ShopKeep, a cloud-based system that charges $49 per month for businesses with one register and sells a complete hardware package (iPad, stand, cash drawer, credit card reader and receipt printer) for $1,155.

“It’s a difficult decision to make quickly because you might get the wrong system and then you’re down a lot of money,” he adds. Ciabarra agrees.

“Legacy systems haven’t changed in 20 years,” he points out. “They don’t look good, they’re hard to use and they crash all the time and take 20 minutes to re-boot.” He adds, “It’s very limited what can go wrong on an iPad. It simplifies everything for you.”

But just because cloud computing can be less expensive to set up than traditional systems doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be the best deal.

Jen Lewis, owner and operator of Purse & Clutch, which sells hand-

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less connection,” Sturm reveals. “If there a was a weekend with a freak accident where the Internet was out there wasn’t really a backup.”

Lewis had similar problems. “Every once in a while I had an issue where if I was in a building that had some weird metal I couldn’t connect to WiFi,” she says.

Shopkeep has since found a way around this issue, allowing businesses to ring up sales on in-store iPads and sync that data when the system goes back online. Revel Systems has on offline mode, too, so that the POS can continue seamlessly during an Internet outage. It also means that new retailers can have a working POS setup from day one, even if the provider hasn’t come to install the Internet connection. Ciabarra claims that 95 percent of his customers set up the systems by themselves by exporting their entire inventory and customer information to a spreadsheet and uploading it to the cloud provider.

(The not-so tech-savvy are advised to call Best Buy’s Geek Squad to perform that service.)

What about security breaches? Thanks to cloud computing, retailers can log on anywhere and get a real-time view of the day’s business.

Unfortunately, this level of access may also be convenient for credit card thieves. But Richelson argues that many of the biggest security issues stem from Windows machines in retail stores—and many mom-and-pops use Windows XP. He also points out that in two years time it’s anticipated that Visa, Mastercard and American Express will take responsibility for the cost of goods bought with stolen cards, but only for merchants that use the newest technology for card acceptance. “Windows XP is a huge problem and by eliminating the use of that in a retail store we’re cutting that threat,” he says.

As any retailer knows, the security of credit card information is a paramount concern for shoppers. Richelson assures that it’s not a problem with ShopKeep, noting, “As soon as you swipe a credit card it’s encrypted in the hardware.” It’s the same for SalesVu, says Pascal Nicolas, founder and CEO. “On the credit card side the app never sees the actual credit card number because as soon as they swipe the card the card reader encrypts the number and we just send that encrypted packet to the processor,” he explains, adding, “Every customer has their own database so there’s no way for different customers to have mingled data.” Revel Systems has gone a step further to provide an added level of comfort for users and merchants: a new identity theft protection system shows an image of the credit card holder on the merchant’s screen whenever they use their credit card. Many merchants already request photo ID when conducting credit card transactions, but having no photo on file to compare it to means the possibility for identity theft and fraud still exists. “When the salesperson swipes a credit card, the customer’s picture will pop up on the POS to prove that it actually is him. It safeguards both sides,” Ciabarra says.

Cloud-based POS systems offer a potential low-cost solution to brick-and-mortar retailers, giving them the freedom to innovate and get closer to their customers without shouldering the IT burden. But before making the jump into the cloud, so to speak, make sure the solution is best suited to your store’s specific needs. Goyal believes it’s not a matter of if, but when. “It’s not about wanting to do it; it’s how complex it is to do based on the system you currently have in place,” he says. “Retailers large and small need to keep in mind that it really depends on how fast they can integrate it—how good of a system are you working on right now and how easy is it to bring in cloud POS.” As always, the devil is in the details. “Read the fine print, and look for cancellation fees and yearly contract fees,” warns Lewis of Purse & Clutch, who recently signed up with mobile payment startup Square.

“Make sure to really do your homework before you make a decision.”•

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6/24/13 12:08 PM

Tech Boom

Birthday season gets a boost with smart gadgets.

BY ANGEL A VEL ASQUEZ IF IT SEEMS like an influx of customers are searching for birthday gifts each summer, it’s not your imagination. Chalk it up to winter’s celebratory mood, free-flowing champagne and romantic evenings spent home around the fireplace. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the most popular months for birthdays are September, August, June and July, in that order, meaning that there’s a boom in baby-making activities during the holiday season. Unlike other occasions that call for gifts, birthdays have yet to drum up a registry business, leaving well-intentioned shoppers out in the cold searching for the perfect present.

Gift cards might be an easy choice—made easier with sites like Facebook, Wrapp and Square which sell digital gift cards that can be redeemed through smart phones—but for shoppers who want something to primp and present, retailers can jump on the digital bandwagon by stocking tech-y gadgets for boys, girls and parents.

With NY NOW (formerly the New York International Gift Fair) scheduled to take place Aug. 17-21, retailers have a prime opportunity to check out the latest digital dynamos just in time to start stocking up for next year’s wave of birthdays.

Big on innovation and impact, these gifts are poised to make the lives of the birthday boy or girl a little easier (and more fun) and are sure to spark gift-giving envy.

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The newest parents-to-be Instagram their sonograms, so it should come as no surprise that their Gen Y offspring will grow up with no clue what, “Shake it like a Polaroid picture,” actually means. Baby toys like Twig’s Instagram-inspired camera picks up where the clunky devices of yesteryear left off.

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6/21/13 6:19 PM

SAY CHEESE

Foster the creative talents of the next generation of Meisels and Leibovitzs with kid-friendly digital cameras from the likes of VTech. The 1.3 megapixel camera with a 4x digital zoom and 128 MB internal memory allows kids age 3 to 8 to snap photos, add wacky effects and record video. It’s also loaded with three games, making it a must-have for family vacations.

DEAR DIARY

Girls’ secrets are kept under digital lock and key with the iHeart Locket from Dano.

The wearable locket transmits a code that unlocks the app, accessible on iPads, where girls can post photos, illustrations, audio recordings and other customizable materials and keep it from prying eyes, be it an older brother or the Facebook crowd.

TAKING NOTES

From Throwback Thursdays to iterations of ‘90s sitcoms like Boy Meets World returning to the tube, it’s safe to say that the new generation of dads like a bit of nostalgia to slow down their fast-paced lives. Old school accessories for modern day marvels, like this composition notebook iPad case by iHome, offers dads a chance to reminisce about their glory days without all the homework.

TIME MACHINE

FAST FOOD

Faced with dismal in-flight dishes and decadent fare from faraway lands, frequent travelers know it can be difficult to eat smartly on the road, but babies on-the-go are covered with Yoomi’s self-heating bottle.

The bottle features a microwavable warming pod that captures heat and can warm milk to a perfect 89 degrees in as fast as a minute with just a press of a button whenever and wherever a tummy rumbles.

When tying a string around your finger won’t cut it, moms can keep track of baby’s feeding, nap and medication times with the Benbini watch. Just line up arrows around the face of the watch with the current hour and minute. As time passes, the hands will point to the exact amount of time that elapsed. The trendy colored watches also feature a left and right switch for breastfeeding mums.

IN CUFFS

Brag books are to grandmas as USB cufflinks loaded with baby photos are to dads. Sleek and modern— these cufflinks with built-in flash drives by Tateossian multi-task as a smart accessory and small token of affection for new tech-savvy dads. Each link carries 2GB of data storage (which holds more 1,400 lo-res snapshots) and features the brand’s signature diamond pattern for a dapper, GQ-look.

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Little Joule sweater vest, La Miniatura button-down shirt and check pants.

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The invention of the automatic pinsetter led to a rapid growth in the number of bowling alleys and lanes in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The heyday of bowling was the mid-1960s, when there were approximately 12,000 bowling centers in the United States. Business predominately was driven by leagues, where bowlers signed up to come once or more every week for at least 30 weeks and to participate in tournaments.

On weekends bowling alleys were populated with kids throwing birthday parties.

From left: La MIniatura cardigan, Little Joule plaid shirt, Stinky McGee bowtie, Andy & Evan pants; Truly Me dress, Jefferies tights.

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One theory on the history of birthday gifts suggests that years ago in Europe, people believed evil spirits would seek out and haunt someone on his or her birthday, most importantly the king.

Therefore, people would gather to protect the birthday boy or girl and would bring with them good wishes. These gatherings became our modern day birthday parties, and over time, people brought more than just good wishes to ward off evil spirits—they brought presents, too.

Bella Bliss Peter Pan collar dress.

Opposite: Val & Max coat, Two Patches corduroy dress, Jefferies knee socks, Pediped Mary Janes, turban by Reina Mora.

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Even though historians are certain that people have observed their birthdays for quite some time, there are very few records of such celebrations that still exist. The only ones documented in history are the birthdays of kings, high-ranking nobility and other important figures. Why? Historians chalk it up to the fact that nobles were the only people wealthy enough to throw such celebrations, and quite possibly were the only ones thought to be important enough to have been written about or remembered.

Some historians believe these early birthday bashes resulted in the custom of wearing birthday “crowns� as time went on.

From left: Carolina K cardigan, Hucklebones sleeveless blouse, Millions of Colors skirt, frilly socks by Jefferies, Yosi Samra flats; La Miniatura dress, leaf cardigan by Rachel Riley, Jefferies socks, Cole Haan Mary Janes; Busy Bees sweater worn over Gil & Jas button-down shirt, Toobydoo jeans, See Kai Run sneakers.

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American singer Lesley Gore scored a hit with her 1963 single “It’s My Party,” which she recorded when she was 16. The song hit No. 1 on the pop and rhythm and blues charts in the United States and peaked at No. 9 in the United Kingdom, becoming Gore’s only major hit there. It was the first hit single for producer Quincy Jones.

Florence Eiseman apple dress worn over Little Threads Peter Pan collar shirt, TicTacToe tights; Appaman dress, Jefferies socks. Opposite, from left: Andy & Evan suit jacket, shirt, pants and bowtie; Toobydoo zipper sweater, Rachel Riley airplane print button-down shirt, Stinky McGee tie, pants by Karpi; Kallio jumper dress, Mademoiselle Charlotte Peter Pan collar sweater, tights by TicTacToe, Bows Arts headband.

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The Mashed Potato was more than a dinner staple in 1962, when it became synonymous with a new dance move sweeping the nation, performed during songs like Dee Dee Sharp’s “Mashed Potato Time.” Also referred to as “mash potato” or “mashed potatoes,” the move vaguely resembles that of the Twist, by Sharp’s fellow Philadelphian, Chubby Checker.

Autumn Cashmere peplum sweater and skirt, knee socks

by Jefferies, Bass saddle shoes; Val & Max sweater dress, TicTacToe knee socks, Pediped shoes, Ribbit headband; Ralph Lauren letterman jacket, Woolrich denim button-down shirt, stylist’s pants and shoes; Andy & Evan cardigan, plaid shirt, pants and bowtie, shoes by Clarks; Anthem of the Ants retro print dress, Jefferies knee socks, Nina Kids patent Mary Janes; Bock Copenhagen sweater and skirt, Rachel Riley scallop collar blouse, Jefferies cuffed socks, Cole Haan Mary Janes.

Hair and makeup: JSterling; hair and makeup assistant: Briana Mirzo; shot on location at AMF Bay Shore Lanes and the American Legion Hall, Bay Shore, NY; adult vintage fashion provided by Linda Varaday.

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6/24/13 4:59 PM

stargazing

What the A-list love at…

Pumpkinheads, Los Angeles, CA

Owner Jamara Ghalayini shares the scoop on who buys what at her celebrity-favored store.

By Lyndsay McGregor

Halle Berry is a loyal customer and a Pink Chicken devotee, dressing her daughter in the brand’s jewel-toned skirts and dresses.

Alyson Hannigan loves Luna Leggings’ bright and colorful printed tights. Sales soared the day after she was photographed buying a bunch at Pumpkinheads.

Ghalayini reveals that when Reese Witherspoon’s son, Tennessee, was featured wearing a Daily Threads tee in People, UsWeekly and Life & Style, it sold out in two weeks.

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estled among art galleries and Pilates studios on San Vicente Boulevard in tony Brentwood in Santa Monica, CA, Pumpkinheads has been outfitting the offspring of its famous clientele for almost eight years. The 1,000-square-foot space carries a mix of U.S. and European brands, from tried-and-true Petit Bateau and Pink Chicken to trend stars Scotch Shrunk and R’Belle and Catimini, and owner Jamara Ghalayini says business is booming. “Last year was our best year on record and we’re up two percent on that so far this year,” she shares. Her upscale boutique specializes in high-end clothing and accessories for boys and girls ages newborn to 12.

Pumpkinheads was an instant celebrity fave when it first opened its doors in 2005, and Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon are regularly snapped toting the store’s bright orange shopping bags. “People don’t like to admit that [celebrity endorsement] drives a sale but it does; it somehow validates a brand,” Ghalayini says, noting that 75 percent of her customers are regulars. But it’s not just celebrity sightings that keep her customers coming back for more. The shop also donates 15 percent of its profits to local children’s charities and is an official drop-off location for Baby2Baby, which distributes new and gently used items to more than 50,000 children each year.

Stocking her store with in-demand products has kept the register ringing this year. Among other things, Ghalayini recently added Yosi Samra’s foldable flats and CJ Free, actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s jewelry line, to her merchandise mix, both of which became instant It items. “CJ Free has these great bracelets that we started carrying in pink, blue and white for expectant mothers. It’s a really cute idea and it did super-well for us. Now the brand does beaded bracelets for girls with butterfly and star charms and those have been selling phenomenally,” she reveals.

But she says there’s always room to improve. “We’re horrible about social media—we just have not explored that as well as we should have—but we have a sandwich board outside the store that we change to update with promotions and new arrivals, and that’s probably more effective than anything because of all the foot traffic,” she reasons.

For now she’s keeping her eyes peeled for lower-priced boys’ lines and new denim. “I want something that has an all-American look to it but that isn’t overstyled with a crazy finish. Even in boys’ the finishes are either super-sandblasted or acid-washed. I just want two or three basic shades of that classic ‘70s denim,” she pleads, laughing. •

Beaded bracelets from CJ Free, actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s jewelry line, are on every little girl’s wish list at Pumpkinheads.

Special Occasion Girl Dresses, Boy Formal Wear, Infant Dresses and Accessories www.kidsdreamus.com info@kidsdreamus.com

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BEHIND THE SEAMS are you following?

facebook.com/theslingdiaries

English Conquest Jojo Maman Bébé has its sights set on U.S. domination.

W baby sling crafted of fine all natural fibers: soft Irish linens and lush dupioni silks. adjust adjustable, one size. newborn-35lbs. made in massachusetts.

SakuraBloom.com hello@sakurabloom.com

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HEN LAURA TENISON started selling Jojo Maman Bébé out of her parents’ garage in Wales in 1993, she never imagined that 20 years later her line of Breton-inspired duds would line the shelves at 55 stores across the U.K. and Ireland and in 70 countries worldwide. The London-based CEO says she’s “absolutely bowled over” at the response her brand has received since launching in the U.S. 18 months ago. “I thought it would do well in the Hamptons because they like that nautical style, but stores have picked us up from Miami right up to the Canadian border,” she says.

It’s clear the British brand is focused on U.S. expansion, having this year added 24 sales reps to tout its line of clothing and accessories for infants, children and moms-to-be. Tenison reveals her three-year plan is to build up enough business to warrant a stateside distribution center, and she’s well on her way. “At one store in Brooklyn we’ve grown literally from a $2,500 order to a $25,000 order. We’ve grown tenfold in a year and a half,” she shares.

But Tenison insists the growth has been organic. “We still maintain our company values, and something that inspires me to keep growing the business in a small and measured way is that

my first employee is still a member of the team,” she says.

Originally inspired by French nautical style, Jojo Maman Bébé has evolved to offer a mix of classic and quirky clothes, swimwear and snowsuits for boys and girls sizes 0 to 5 years. Many designs include features to improve fit and quality, such as adjustable elastic waists in toddler styles and high tech swim fabrics that protect from harmful UV rays. “When you’re starting out in this business, you’ve got to capture the imagination of your clients. Making a fashion collection is one thing, and I’m very proud of ours, but all these little quirky areas are a great way to grab the attention of the press,” she says. As an example she points to the brand’s wet weather gear, which is 100 percent breathable and waterproof, so if a toddler decides to sit in a puddle at the park, mom doesn’t have to worry about a wet diaper. In fact, Tenison describes her typical customers as “thinking parents.”

“They are parents who understand the value of investing in clothes. We offer good quality clothes that can wash and wear until the child outgrows them,” she says of the collection, which wholesales for $4 to $70. In fact, her company employs more garment technicians than designers because kids’ clothes “get hammered to death.”

“Several customers have e-mailed us to say they have four kids who are wearing hand-me-downs,” she says. “It makes me very happy to know that the clothes are surviving.” —Lyndsay McGregor

6/24/13 1:24 PM

Classic Cool Shihoshi brings its brand of crisp coats stateside.

F

ED UP WITH the overload of glitter for girls in the marketplace, Jiana Kwon decided to put her frustration to good use and in 2010 launched Shihoshi, a line of minimalist coats and dresses. “I was looking for a very simple coat or just simple black bottoms [for my daughter], but it was so hard to find,” the former stylist says. It wasn’t long before moms were requesting the sleek styles in their sizes, and now that Kwon has relocated from Japan to California, she has added some women’s styles just in time for the brand’s U.S. debut this fall.

Named after Kwon’s 9-year-old daughter, the collection consists of tailored, elegant pieces for the urban mother and daughter in a subdued palette of black, tan, gray and cream. The pieces are simple, but hardly plain—a voluminous cocoon coat balances on the shoulders and ends at the knee, and a chestnut overcoat has an origami style fold at the back. When paired with slim black pants and boxy dresses, the styles call to mind Audrey Hepburn circa Breakfast at Tiffany’s. “It’s neo-classical design with neutral colors, since children are already perfect without any fancy accessories or colors on,” she says.

Her inspirations are varied, spanning old Asian movies to the geometric shapes of Matisse, and everything is made in Seoul in South Korea using easy-care, high quality fabrics such as wool and cashmere. She describes her target market as “people who are not too trendy and with somewhat classical tastes,” adding that they likely share an interest in music and art with their offspring. Moving into Spring ’14, Shihoshi will center on motherdaughter trench coats. Sizes range from 4 to 12 for girls and wholesale prices range from $39 to $98. —L.M.

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Any way you stack it,

Dallas offers more for kids Dallas KidsWorld Market APPAREL. GIFT. ACCESSORIES. TOY.

August 14-17, 2013 Wednesday-Saturday

October 24-27, 2013 Thursday-Sunday

Dallas Market Center dallasmarketcenter.com 214.744.7444

6/24/13 1:23 PM

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BEHIND THE SEAMS

Dream Job A young owner revives her family’s special occasion legacy.

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resh out of college and faced with a struggling market, not many newly-minted finance majors would have volunteered to take on the challenge of helming a children’s special occasion company. But that’s exactly what Chewy Jung jumped at the chance to do, when the previous owner of Kid’s Dream decided she wanted to pursue the women’s fashion market.

For Jung, it was more than just an opportunity to utilize her new diploma. (She graduated with a degree in finance with an emphasis in management from Santa Clara University.) It was also an opportunity to honor her family legacy—her parents had worked with the company for about 10 years, as part of the company’s manufacturing team located in South Korea. When the brand relocated to Los Angeles, the Jungs moved with it. It simply made sense for her family to buy the company they knew so well, and in January of 2012, that’s what they did, with Jung taking over as owner and her parents managing the brand’s manufacturing arm.

Jung’s plans for the company include hewing to the brand’s traditional designs, but she also aims to roll out casual wear for Fall ’13, to keep up with a market where casual is currently outperforming dressy. (Sales of infant/toddler dresses are down 15.7 percent as of March 2013 compared

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to the year before, according to the NPD Group, Inc., a global information company that tracks the industry.) The casual line will include sundresses and T-shirts designed by Jung and her parents.

Kid’s Dream will also continue to sell little boys’ suits, tuxedos, vest sets and coats.

But while Jung plans to expand the brand’s collection, she also realizes the importance of satisfying the company’s established customers and building the brand’s bread-and-butter business — traditional, frothy girls’ dresses made out of chiffon and silk fabrics. In fact, Kid’s Dream has been producing everything from flower girl dresses to christening gowns in sizes 3 months to 14 years for more than 15 years, and currently has about 250 buyers worldwide. Since the brand had an established roster of buyers when Jung took it over, she plans to carry over many of the same designs. She notes lighter pastel colored dresses are best sellers and chiffon fabric details are still in high demand. Wholesale prices for the collection range from $12 to $32.

Jung is aware of the challenges ahead, but the intrepid owner isn’t worried. “We are a family run business,” she says, adding, “We know exactly what our customer needs and 95 percent of our items are made in the U.S.” She also believes working with e-commerce retailers will keep her business thriving. “The trend I see in buying habits are very e-commerce oriented,” she observes.

— Brittany Leitner

6/24/13 1:23 PM

Treasure Island

An Aussie brand becomes an American party favorite.

D

esigns that mums fall in love with and kids cannot resist sounds simple enough, but for Conie Silvestro, founder and designer of Mini Treasure Kids, also known as MTK, simple sometimes requires a generous amount of sparkle, color and guts. After the birth of her first daughter, the busy pattern maker launched MTK in 2009, but not even a global financial crisis could put a kibosh on Silvestro’s plan. She adds, “There was a real scare in the beginning, but if we could produce something really special for weddings, parties and other special occasions, then we knew we could survive and be the label we are today.”

Known for sophisticated yet kid-friendly designs for boys and girls from newborn to size 14, the designer says she is motivated to make each collection better than the last. For Fall ’13 that meant fine lace and bold shots of cobalt blue and red, rather than an abundance of bling often seen in dresswear. Embellishments were kept to a minimum so styles are easier to layer and both the boys and girls lines feature a mix of wools— two factors that are proving to be especially important as winters are becoming warmer.

Standouts in the girls’ collection include a ruffle sleeve smock dress, a wool dress with a dramatic bow and satin pants. The boys’ selection is kept simple with a traditional three-piece suit, sweater vests and versatile striped sweaters. MTK also offers footwear for girls size 24 to 32 that come with a matching hair clip. Wholesale prices for apparel and footwear range from $25 to $50.

MTK crossed international waters in 2011 when it showed in Europe and at ENK Children’s Club in New York City—the latter being especially complicated to conquer because Silvestro notes the U.S. market has a lot more regulations.

Silvestro advises international brands entering the U.S. market to take the time to find the right customer. No matter how many overseas connections you rack up, she claims no one will sell the brand the way you do, adding, “You really have to do all the trade fairs to ensure you are represented correctly.” Winning over the trust of boutiques is her top priority. “We work around the clock to make sure we service our U.S. customer and make it as simple as we can,” she explains. —Angela Velasquez

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MARKETPLACE CELEBRATING

LIFE in style

Wrap your baby in our luxurious, easy to care for collections of baby apparel including blankets, bibs, burp cloths, beanie caps and security blankets.

www.burpnbaby.com

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6/21/13 6:25 PM

For information on Marketplace contact Alexandra.Marinacci@9threads.com or call (646) 278-1510

THE SWIM ISSUE NAUTICAL AND NICE Classic swimwear makes a comeback in our vintage-tinged fashion pages.

CONTINENTAL COOL We break down the latest trends hitting European runways at Pitti Bimbo, Playtime Paris and more.

CAMP SIGHT Send your littlest customers to summer camp in style with comfy basics, bold accesories and practical protective gear—and boost your bottom line.

SO MUCH MORE… Inspirational and insightful, Earnshaw’s magazine has been the go-to resource for children’s apparel retailers for the past 96 years. With thousands of followers on

Facebook and Twitter, in addition to its award-winning print publication, Earnshaw’s is an industry leader across a diverse array of media platforms, relied on by buyers and manufacturers for the best in children’s fashion and retail news.

©

A STEP ABOVE Advertise in Earnshaw’s and place your brand message in front of 15,000 childrenswear buyers and professionals. Brand impression is everything today, and we can make sure your message remains top of mind within the industry.

Ad Close: 7/8 Materials Close: 7/15 Bonus distribution: ENK Children’s Club, Playtime New York, KidShow, regional trade marts, NYC showrooms, earnshaws.com

Contact: Noelle Heffernan, (646) 278-1531, noelle.heffernan@9threads.com for advertising rates, sponsorships and custom publication opportunities.

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SHOW ISSUE

PHOTOGRAPH BY RACHEL BANK

AUGUST ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

6/21/13 6:26 PM

IN THE BAG

resort rewards You might find this mama lounging on her yacht’s deck along the shores of St. Tropez or relaxing poolside at Miami’s famed Fontainebleau Hotel, but chances are she’s chasing her tot with a melting popsicle in one hand and an inflatable dolphin raft in the other. Being a mom is a full-time job, but there’s no reason she can’t relish her vacay in style with classic seaside accessories that will stand the test of time in her family’s Instagram album.

—Angela Velasquez

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1. Danzo Baby canvas diaper tote and changing pad 2. Rockabye Baby! lullaby renditions of hits by The Beach Boys 3. Juniorbeads necklace 4. Little Sapling Toys wooden teether 5. Ipanema flip flops 6.

Toms sunglasses 7. Stella & Dot lightweight scarf 8.

Itzy Ritzy resuable snack bag 9. Badger sunscreen 10. Kid Kanteen bottle 11.

Comotomo silicone teether 12. Fossil striped rubber iPhone cover.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY McCANDLISS AND CAMPBELL

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