Monday, October 31, 2011

10 minutes with...

















When I moved down to Australia from living in Denmark, one thing I knew I would miss was being able to get some of that specific colorful, retro clothes for my little girl. It was a world that I recently had been introduced to by the birth of my daughter, and now I was kind of hooked on the great quality of all these Scandinavian brands like, Katvig, Småfolk, Ej Sikke Lej, Danefæ, Molo, Plastisock to just name a few. Well to my happy surprise there were more Swedish moms down under who was missing the same things. Two moms in particular,
Helen Lindell Alexandersson and Anna Norelius was missing it so much that they realized they were onto a demand that needed to be filled. Thus was Baby Goes Retro born! Here is a look into their fabulous retro world...

Can you tell us a little about how Baby Goes Retro started? What is your inspiration, and how did you come up with the name?

We both just had our second baby and were talking about how many beautiful and funky retro clothes you can find in Scandinavia for kids and how hard it was to find anything similar here. We were also quite keen to have something to do while we were home raising our children that provided a bit of a challenge for the mind as well as setting ourselves up for when they would be old enough to go to school. We wanted a name that included the word baby and also that described that our clothes were different and one morning Anna just woke up and there it was; Baby goes Retro!


















Choosing your brands for Baby Goes Retro must be one of the fun parts of owning a children's clothing shop. What are some of the things you look for when deciding what brands would suit BGR?


It has to fit in with our philosophy that children should be children as long as possible! We look for colourful happy clothes that has beautiful and playful patterns and prints that kids take to. We believe that girls only have to wear pink and boys blue so we love all sorts of colours for both genders. The quality is also very important. It has to last, as our clothes are meant to be played in! A lot of our brands use organic cotton which are a big plus in our selection process.

















The retro look is something that is deeply rooted in Scandinavians consciousness. Most Scandinavian adults grew up wearing these bold, colourful clothes, and are now buying them for their children. Has it been difficult introducing the
retro love over in Australia where the gender colours have mostly been dominated with pink and blue?

We're not going to lie and say it has been easy but right from the start we got some attention from a few children's magazine editors that really liked that we offered something different so that helped getting us off to a good start. A lot of our customers have some sort of connection to Scandinavia and are a familiar with some of the brands and the style of clothing but then we have those that discover us and just falls head over heels for the retro look. We have worked hard to share our ideas that it is ok for girls and boys to wear other colours than the more traditional and that they can be mixed up with other colours to make an interesting outfit.

















You have recently also opened up a brick and mortar shop for Baby Goes Retro, so now you are also available in a store as well as online. What has been some of the challenges and rewards of coming so far as to being able to have both?


As our children have grown, so has our business! This has been perfect for us as now when all four of them are in school it has given us more time during the day to be able to commit to a shop front and the hours that come with that. As we are very established online thanks to our wonderful and loyal customers, we now have time to concentrate in getting the B&M shop off the ground. It has posed a new set of challenges to find our feet marketing to the local community compared to internet marketing. What we love with having a shop is that it is so much fun to meet our customers face to face and hear their thoughts and opinions.

















Since Australia and Scandinavia is not sharing the same seasons (summer in Australia means winter in Scandinavia), how do you go about deciding what clothes you are going to pick to suit the Australian customers?


It isn’t always easy to offer the latest styles to our customers as especially the winters in Scandinavia is just so much colder and harsher than here. We do however try and choose the most appropriate styles for the seasons here and we also like to mix it up a bit as some customers like to buy ahead or are going on holidays etc.

















Baby Goes Retro is a little bit of Scandinavia in Australia, what are some of your favorite Scandinavian things that you miss having, living in Australia?


Oh too much to mention here! Lollies and food comes to mind and luckily IKEA has a lot covered there but of course not the fresh food and the many lovely breads we have back in Sweden. We also really miss the wonderful long nights we get in the summer, nothing can really beat a Swedish summer!


















A new season has just landed on the shelves at
Baby Goes Retro, can you share your favorite picks from the spring & summer 2011 collections with us?

As the beach season is nearly upon us we really love the new Sandy Feet range. Not only are the bathers very funky and can be mixed and matched easily, new for this season is also beautiful beach kaftans for the girls. For babies you can’t go past the adorable animal print onesies and tees from Danish Ida T. For the boys a straw hat from Swedish label CTH Mini is a must this summer.

































What is coming up next for Baby Goes Retro, any dreams on the horizon?


As we only just opened up our B&M store we would like to see it develop and over time become a well known destination on the Sunshine Coast for all things Scandinavian for the family and home. For our online side we will continue to serve (and surprise!) our customers with even more cool and fashionable labels...the sky is the limit!


















Huge thanks to Helen and Anna from the wonderful Baby Goes Retro Team for the great look into their fabulous retro world.


Baby Goes Retro is offering Minor De:tales readers 15% off storewide for 1 week, so don't miss out on a great chance to stock up some unique colourful clothes! Simply use code: MD2011 when checking out. Happy shopping!!


VISIT: Baby Goes Retro

BABY GOES RETRO SHOP:
Shop 3, 129 Moolooaba Esp
Moolooaba, QLD 4557
Australia

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Tees from the Galaxy

Star Wars is and will always be big for kids (and adults), here are some cool tees to support that galaxy fandom for that budding mini Jedi.

1. Electric Boy - Join the green side tee
2. Well Spotted - Jedi mind tricks tee
3. Threadless - The Emperor tee
4. Well Spotted - Luke&Leia tee




Friday, October 28, 2011

Wool And The Gang

I definitely have a weak spot for knitted goods for kids! Chunky knits with lots of color... well it seems like Wool and the Gang are a match made in knit heaven for me. Just look at this lovely collection they have made for kids. You can either buy them ready made, individually handknitted in Peru, or buy the kits to knit for yourself. They have got an excellent video help section to see yourself through a knitting project, and they even have a little free patterns section to get you started too. The Sailor Sweater for Kids would be such a perfect item for those chilly seasons in Australia. Hmm, wonder how hard it would be to knit that one!
Check it out!

Rainy Day Mobile

Hard to not love this DIY cloud mobile (that doesn't seem to be too hard to do either!). It's the brilliant craft blog Mini Eco, who made this for a edition of OKIDO magazine. All you need to get going is paper, thread and glue! This would look lovely in a child's room or in a living room for that matter. For more more instructions, go here.

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

"Chillaxing"

It was one of those nice slow days today, warm winds and not too many crazy tantrums to yield either. We love these days. Can't wait until we can sneak down to the beach and have some evening dips in the ocean before nabbing some fish & chips, and catching a sunset or two...
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Creepy Halloween Food Ideas

Had to share these scarelicious food ideas for Halloween by Kid Independent.
Most of them are really easy to make and would make any kid jump for joy this Halloween.
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  1. Brain Cupcakes by Martha Stewart
  2. Mummy Pizza Slices by Parents.Com
  3. Meaty Mummies Appetizers by Better Homes and Gardens
  4. Gingerbread Skeletons by Family Fun
  5. Halloween Cake Pops by Bakerella
  6. Zombie Marshmallows by The Decorated Cookie
  7. Eyeball Truffles by Seventh Avenue
  8. Halloween Mini Sandwiches Bento by Mothering Corner

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Children's Gallery International

I am liking the idea of place where kids can share their art and get inspired by seeing what other kids create. Well recently I got an email from Michelle McInerney the creator of The International Children’s Gallery. A new online art gallery for displaying the artwork of children aged 0-13 years - a dedicated space for showcasing the imagination and creativity of our gorgeous little children, at home and at school.

From drawings to painting, craft and poetry this lovingly curated gallery helps children to develop a new sense of pride about their beautiful work and to feel like a famous artist!

Uploading artwork is quick and easy – parents and teachers can upload photographs of their children's artwork 'in a jiffy', in just three simple steps, and the kids will be so excited to see their pictures in a gallery! The simple act of creating is the founding principle of this gallery. If a child is inspired to create in even one home as a result of this project then this truly is a happy space.

The gallery is not here to judge or curate – all children’s artwork is valued and published. It’s real, it’s possible, it’s theirs. Check it out, and feel free to spread the word!

Spot on!

The Australian high end casual fashion label Rittenhouse, have got the trend of spots this season! Loving their soft blend tees and dresses in mixed hues of blue and white, perfect for this upcoming summer days...

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The "mini" Sartorialist #2

Some more The Sartorialist inspiration for a mini set. Loving the soft camel chinos + powerful black combo. All items available at Oii barnkläder (except for the dessert boots by UGG. )












  1. THE BRAND - Parkas
  2. EBBE - camel chinos
  3. POPUPSHOP - V-neck sweatshirt, black
  4. UGG - Kids Brockman dessert boot

Little Thoughts

I love how the mind works on a 5 year old. At the moment we go once a week to a school introduction day, where my girl get to visit her school that she will start in next year. As we were walking home from the morning class we passed a catholic school which Mika pointed at and said, is this my school? No, I said, this isn't your school, this is a catholic school for boys and girls. What's catholic?
It's a religion.
Oh like God and such.
Yes.
I know him, God. He sits on a bench and he can see everything! Even Africa and the snow in Sweden all at the same time!
Really...
Yes! He can even see the pandas eat bamboo all the way in China! He's got good eyes!

And that was our religious talk of the morning...haha.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Paper Magazine: Fashion Super Moms

Paper Magazine did a piece on some of the top players in fashion who also happens to be moms as well. They put them with their brood in front of the camera and let them feature some of this seasons best style bets.

Photographed by Katherine Wolkoff.
see Fashion Mommies

Mini Me

Had a bit of fun with collecting a "mini me" kit from one of the many amazing photos from The Sartorialist blog. All items (except I Dig Denim jeans) available at Smallable.
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  1. TALC Flower barrette, purple.
  2. CORRINNE PHILIPPON Anastasia headband
  3. LOUIS LOUISE Liliane blouse
  4. BELLEROSE Valerine carrot pants
  5. POM D'API Desert brogue shoes
  6. TALC bowler hat
  7. MILK ON THE ROCKS Fake fur vest
  8. NICO.NICO Tunisian t-shirt off white
  9. I DIG DENIM Soho raw
  10. LOUIS LOUISE Polka dots scarf
  11. GOLDEN GOOSE Clark shoes
  12. MINOLTA system camera

Saturday, October 22, 2011

minä perhonen

A good friend of mine recommended me to have a look at Japanese fashion label minä perhonen. After just a quick look I was instantly inspired to create! There is no limit to this brand. You can find inspiration in all areas, illustration, furniture, accessories, fabric, fashion all while just looking at their creations. The name means I Butterfly in Finnish, clearly inspired by Scandinavian design. The clean lines and shapes walk softly hand in hand as does the light mellow colours and the soft shades.

The head designer and label founder Akira Minagawa's quirky prints is also available to buy in a book form, from Selvedge.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Rain or Shine

Huge change in weather from yesterday. A whopping 15 degree change, so we were down on 15c today, but that didn't stop us. On with gumboots and explore the puddles instead of sunshine. We are so lucky, we have a wonderful food/cafe around the corner from where we live so we can always restock on lovely cookies and coffee no matter what the weather have to offer.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend out there!







Creativity

Mika drew this colourful crew today... can you guess who they are?



















The Sesame crowd: Big Bird, Abby Cadabby, Elmo & the Cookie Monster.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Mountains to Climb

How cool are these beanbags from Little Red Stuga? I loved their kebnekaise version they started with and these new ones are right up there! Here is how they described the process for coming up with the look and design of them.

"The challenge was to create something new and interesting around the beanbag concept, one of the world's most appreciated and functional pieces of furniture ever designed. For this project we explored our own relationship and associations with mountains; namely Fuji, Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest. Each pattern and color is a result of our journey discovering them. At a close-up you find more details in the patterns, like climbers and base camps on Mount Everest. Kawaii figures on Fuji and tribal masks on Kilimanjaro. The height of each mountain is printed to add a pedagogical layer. Perfect for play and soft storytelling moments."



Swoop

Had to share this great lego (or anything else for that matter) bag/playmat that I first heard about over at Bloesem Kids. Who hasn't long arguments about cleaning up the lego after play, or stepped on one of those misplaced pieces of lego (holy cow those things are painful!). Well we used to use a sheet, but this is a way more stylish option!

You can find them here at Swoop, and they come in an array of different nice canvas colours. Check it out!

United Colors of Benetton

Some inspirational autumn & winter looks from United Colors of Benetton children's section. Lots of raw denim, stripes, casual knits and of course a good dose of colour.

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