less is more with Mie ( Ito)

Mie ( Ito) is very poetic clothing range for kids ages 0 to 6 years old. Based in France and inspired by Japanese culture and aesthetic, this collection has some beautiful pieces. The A-line felt dresses are to die for, I especially love the charcoal one with the stars on. And of course I am completely mad about the mono-chromatic look of this range!
www.mieito.com

Kickcan & Conkers: what a lovely online store.

The best thing about doing this blog is getting to discover new and amazing kids stuff from around the world. From kids clothing brands to decor , I never get tired of finding little hidden treasures on the web. Kickcan & Conkers is a place full of those little treasures. And if like me, you have a soft spot for vintage pieces then you're going to love browsing through this online store:
http://kickcanandconkers.bigcartel.com

Love the A/ W Collection 2011 from IKKS

I am not especially fond of winter as a season ( hence me living in Africa) but I do love winter fashion! And I am loving this collection from IKKS. These are the kind of clothes I would love to get for my little dude Noah, he would look super cute in the brown corduroy blazer!
www.ikks.com

Beck Marshall, the woman behind Papier Mache!

 You have seen me gush over this magazine many times and I am so excited to be sharing this amazing interview with Beck Marshall with you. If you don't know this magazine yet, well clearly you haven't been following my blog ! ( big no no :). The first time I discovered Papier Mache, I felt like I had entered a whole new world, a beautiful world full of the most amazing things. Yes yes I was just like a kid again in the loveliest candy store ever made! Papier Mache was created by Beck Marshall in 2009 and I was dying to know how it all got started and who was the woman behind this wonderful mag:

1- WWKA: What inspired you to start Papier Mache?

Beck: I had been working for years in the children’s wear industry here in Australia – in both design and freelance on a few different publications....
I was constantly finding amazing things from all around the world and thinking: "Wow my friends would love this – these people are AMAZING ...EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM....and its so simple to buy online.."
So I guess really it just became the next step for me - to start something of my own where I could share all my these wonderful people and products....
I initially started with a blog back in 2007 – posting funny little things / my lovelists while I played around on the concept of Papier Mache..
We played around with just beginning as a print publication..but the immediate joy of internet and the ability to link everything seemed more revelant to the idea.....

 2- WWKA: What was the most challenging thing about starting an online mag?
Beck: Well it was so exciting I don’t remember feeling challenged...
I felt anxious and unsure of how people would respond to it...We would spend days and days on just one page... Trying to get the concept and look right... As we have evolved we are faced with more challenges...

3- WWKA: Papier Mache has its 2nd print issue out now. After having published so many beautiful issues online since 2009, how satisfying was it to finally hold your first print issue in your hand?
Beck: Pretty satisfying....It was the hardest few months of my life- the lead up to sending the first file to the printers.. It is truly such a mammoth task with only 2 people , 4 kids... And a million freelance jobs that were backing up....
But when the first pre-released copy arrived we were pretty damn stoked!

4- WWKA:  When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Beck: It is weird but I can’t remember wanting to be just one thing.. I was a pretty mad child according to my mum!
Always strong headed....I remember when I was 11 and I wanted to be sing ballads I would write strange poems and turn them into songs – I thought I was so cool...I shaved off my hair and wore beatnik sweaters for months...
Funny in the tiny country town I grew up in...
Ultimately I think I was convinced I would be an actress – or a playwright...
Mmm... Seems I was pretty far off!
I am so shy now I can’t imagine I was once brave enough to act on stage!

 5- WWKA: If you were a character in a fairytale, who would you be?
Beck: Tricky...maybe Elrond from the Hobbit or Gandalf..depending on my mood!

 6- WWKA: Who would you like to be stuck with in an elevator?
Beck: So..so hard...before he died Allen Ginsberg....so considering he is dead it would be Leonard Cohen....


THANK YOU SO MUCH BECK FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS!!


www.papier-mache.com.au/

kids fashion news: Franky Grow @ Playtime Paris

My little European friends, great news for you. Playtime Paris is almost upon us: it opens from 28 Jan to 30th Jan. If you find yourself anywhere near Paris during those dates, you HAVE TO GO! The best kids brand in the world will be exhibiting! From Franky Grow ( one of my favourite!) to Mini Rodini. With magazine like Milk and Kidswear also participating. It's in time like these than living at the bottom of Africa feels very far away. Watch out for Franky Grow's designer Chizuko Takai who will be unveiling FW 2012/13! She is one very talented and very creative designer, not to miss!

 www.frankygrow.com

 

Playtime http://www.playtimeparis.com/

Date : les 28, 29 et 30 janvier 2012  9H30 - 18h30 (fermé à 17h lundi)

Date : 28, 29 and 30 January 2012  9:30am - 6:30pm (closed on 5:00pm Monday)

 

Lieu - Place : PARC FLORAL DE PARIS, L'ESPACE EVENEMENT

Route de la Pyramide, 75012 Paris
 Château de Vincennes (ligne 1), sortie 'Parc Floral'

TALC, the Parisian flair!

 

 If you are looking for a brand with a certain je ne sais quoi then you are going to love TALC. It has captured the elegance and style of Parisians. This french brand has just released their Spring/Summer collection for 2012. Expect amazingly tailored clothes for kids, some fabulous shorts for girls and great blazers for boys. TALC has kept its colour palette fairly muted for this collection, with beiges and soft yellows. It is a truly beautiful collection!

www.talcboutique.com 

Papier Mache, you make me smile

Nothing like a new issue of Papier Mache to brighten my day! I can't explain how excited I get when a new issue of Papier Mache comes out. This mag never disappoints me, the editorials are always absolutely beautiful. I am especially fond of the editorial shown above, probably because the little girl with the darker hair has a french air about her, she reminds me of the little girl in "The city of lost children", one of my favourite movies. I just love the style of this shoot!!!

Donna Wilson and her fabulous creatures

You know by now that all things quirky, odd and yet super charming always have a special place on my blog! And this is why Donna Wilson's creatures caught my eye. She started her company in 2003, after selling out her fabulous knitted creatures she had made for her final show at the Royal College of art. Her business has now grown and includes ceramics, cushions,blankets and whole bunch of other lovely things to discover:

www.donnawilson.com

A new favourite for this year : Dolls And Dirt.

Firstly I have to explain to you how I came across this great label. We were away on holiday in the smallest little town on the south coast of Durban in SA. Justin and I are addicted to magazines, and  despite the wonders of the internet, flicking through the pages on a beautiful mag still is our first love. So where ever we go, we always keep an eye on mags. It was a really long shot to find anything remotely exciting inside this very small town, at the bottom of Africa, miles away from anything slightly fashionable or cool.
So I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the December issue of Junior magazine, it was Christmas day all over again for me! I was in my element again, reading one of my favourite kids magazine!
I was all inspired by all the new labels I came across and Dolls And Dirt ( great name by the way) caught my eyes first. Soon as I was back in front of my laptop in Cape Town, I was able to look through their website and discover more on this fab brand.
This range, based in London UK, is composed of Dollface for little girls and Dirtboy for little dudes. They created a collection of Tshirts that are fun and cool . Dollface is all about being a girl: dancing around in flowy tutus and sparkly tshirts, and Dirtboy is exactly what my little dude would love: rocking graphics with bright colours and a rock'n'roll attitude!
http://dollsanddirt.co.uk
www.juniormagazine.co.uk

where the wild kids are is back!!!!

I am so happy to be back after a lovely break by the sea on the south coast of Durban, SA.
I am so excited to get blogging again and share with you some of the loveliest and coolest kids things around. December was definitely crazy. And amongst other things, Justin and I managed to produce 2 very beautiful kids editorials, one for La Petite and one for Babiekins. I can't wait to be able to share those images with you when their Spring issues are out.

Anyway, enough chatting. And on to the important stuff, I have discovered some new and amazing kids label while I was on holiday. So watch out for the next post!