Category Archives: International Kiddo

Guest Blogger: Steph from Bondville.

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Hello there, Kiddos! it’s Steph Bond from Bondville and Alix asked me if I could do a guest post for you all.  I always get a thrill when I see a Weekly Kiddo wearing Australian designs. There are a *huge* amount of talented kids fashion designers in Australia and many of these hard-working entrepreneurs are Mums, working their butts off. So in celebration of the little guy/gal, and the dreams and determination of these folks, here is a showcase of 5 of my favourite Australian kids fashion designers:

Olive’s Friend Pop
If you love the nostalgic sweetness of the 1940’s, then the sweet-as-pie designs from Sydney-based Olive’s Friend Pop are for you. These are hard-working, stylish pieces that your parents (and grandparents) will love too. You can find Sydney-based Olive’s Friend Pop at stockists around Australia, online and in South Korea.

LUV Child
Brisbane label LUV Child launched to much acclaim at markets in Australia last year, immediately capturing everyone’s attention with lace capped tanks, bloomers and angel wings for little angels.The LUV in LUV Child stands for Little Urban Vintage which perfectly describes the collection. You can find LUV Child in the label’s E-Boutique.

Paperwings
This one is a bit special. Paperwings is the lovechild of movie costume designers (Moulin Rouge, Star Wars, Peter Pan) Jason Gibaud and Michelle Fallon, based in northern NSW. Each piece is theatrical and yet made for play. Truly head-turning. You can find Paperwings at various stockists internationally and you can view their collections on their gorgeous Website (a highly recommended experience for a hit of creative inspiration).

Tutu du Monde
“Dancing Dresses” are major at our place, so I thought a Tutu du Monde dress would be perfect for my big girl’s 3rd birthday. She hasn’t taken it off since! Tutu du Monde dresses are simply divine works of art (and a welcome alternative to polyester princess frocks), designed by fashion designer Andrea Rembeck in Sydney. You can find Tutu Du Monde in the online store as well as at stockists in Australia and the US.

Tea Princess

Oh, it’s all lovely crochet, doilies and floral prints at Sydney label Tea Princess. These are clothes for girls who want to be girls. Tea Princess also has a lovely range of Special Occasion pieces for weddings and christenings that are just heavenly. You can buy Tea Princess at the online store and find Tea Princess stockists listed on the website.

A little (a lot) girl-oriented, I know. But I promise to let you know about great design for boys another time. Thank you so much Dottie and Alix for the invitation to drop by Modern Kiddo for a while. It’s been lovely. Please stop by at Bondville (Australian design for Mum, Kids and Home) and Bondville Kids (Australian Kids Fashion) to say Hi,

Steph Bond
x

PS – all images credited to their respective labels.

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What an amazing selection and it makes me want to fly to Australia and meet the masterminds behind these gorg kiddo clothes. And of course to hang out with you, Steph! And a super special thanks to our gal, Ms. Steph from Bondville for rocking out such a great post for us. And we’d love to see what you have up your sleeve as far as Australian Boys companies.  Let’s set a day for that post!  Can’t get enough of Ms. Steph? Well, neither can we–and that is why we stop by Bondville every chance we get and suggest you do the same too!

My dream site: Swedishness

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If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, well then, you know my ahem…obsession with Sweden. I know you think IKEA would have scratched my itch for all things Swedish.   I know. I have a problem…

But problem solved with Swedishness!

Really, how could I not love this site with all things Swedish? Like these shoes. These beautifully designed little shoes. And exquisite little animal puppets…

A charming little twist on the nesting doll trend. Who says only Babushkas should have all the fun? Sweden thinks otherwise. And Sweden puts little ears on its nesting dolls.

They even have these divine knitted goodies. Oh those impossibly small mittens and booties. If they were made for Swedish winters, I think they can handle the Bay Area on a cold day…

And check out this lush little dress that is joyous with color. Yeah–made in Sweden, natch.

Brio, only the coolest toy company in the universe… Based in Sweden. Yup.  And it is a dachshund. The coolest dog too!

Oh, this lovely site is just whetting my palette for Sweden.  I wish I could hop on a plane right now and go there!  Is it wrong that I want to celebrate St. Lucia although I’m not Swedish? Would it be wrong to put the Peach through her Swedish paces and invest in a little wreath with candles on it? Anyone actually dressed up as St. Lucia? Was it amazing?  Did it change your life? Inquiring minds want to know!

Oh La La: Ola & Olek

International Kiddo,

I love a good redhead.

I would have been drinking henna milkshakes if I thought it would have helped the Peach turn a bit more into a strawberry.

So, you understand why I fell in love with Ola & Olek, the particularly delicious line of children’s clothing from London designer, Eliza Lopatowska. You are sucked in by the stunning red hed kiddo models, but stay because the clothing is just divine. With a wink and a nod towards vintage, Eliza manages to combined all of the comfort of today’s kid’s clothes dashed with pretty pretty accents that would not be strangers in your mother’s closet as a child.

Like a pretty peter pan collar.

A sweet bit of detail on a pocket or two–perfect for putting something special in.

A ruffle here. A ruffle there.

Even the t-shirts are something special.

As Eliza notes on her Website:

My line is for the parents with very individual tastes in design who are looking for designer children’s clothing with a unique charm and appeal. Every line consists of both tailored and casual pieces. The tailored pieces demonstrate timelessness, simplicity and clean cuts. This is coupled with the use of specific materials in a beautiful nostalgic palette that are often surprising for children’s clothing. The final outcome is quality design pieces with definite ‘pass-it-on’ potential. The casual pieces consist of quality kids pieces with creative and quirky applications.

Too true, Eliza!

All of these goodies can be found in select stores in Europe, Asia and Australia.  Clearly they need a US distributor. Any takers? PLEASE!

Yay for Ola & Olek!

Scandinavian Cool

International Kiddo, Kiddo Style: Modern

The website for ittikid says, “Cool and Modern Clothing from Scandinavia” and whooo mama, they ain’t kiddin’! I am obsessed with vintage patterns and fabrics and these goodies are right up my alley. This cool company was started by a hip set of parents right here in the Bay Area (who knew?!).

As the mommy of a little boy I have to admit I’m always bummed by the standard fare for boy’s clothing. Whereas the little girls department will have  the most whimsical, glorious prints in candy colors, little boys are stuck with blues, greens and earth tones. Then there are the “active” motifs—robots and monsters at best, but cars, trucks and sports stuff at worst. Whenever I see a cute pattern I think, “Why does this have to be for a girl? Why can’t the giraffe be orange instead of pink? Does this shirt really need to have a wee bow at the neckline??” Well, VOILA my friends. Check out these genius prints over at ittikid. It’s like someone heard my belly aching and produced the cutest line ever. Yes, there are lots of blues and yep, there are even cars and trucks—but they are all done in such a great graphic way that feels hip-yet-appropriately-childish. Check it out, you’ll see what I mean!







Lawdy but the darn little girl’s dressies really are crazy cute:

And this last little dressie….well, sign me up for the Grown Up version because I would wear it in a heart beat!!

All of these goodies and more are available at the fabulous ittikid. Be sure to check them out!