 Cool Threads for Baby
You might look like
you shop at Walmart, but your baby doesn't
BY TARA TAYLOR
COPYRIGHT 2007 BY PARENTS'
PRESS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Baby clothes made
by local designers are a staple of the "hipster parent."
Cool designs on bright fabrics or humorous messages on onesies
don babies cruising down College Avenue in the Rockridge district
of Oakland with Mommy and Daddy. Original clothing for baby is
a way for parents to tap into their own creativity that may one
day rub off on Jimmy or Judy.
For Vonnie Chan, becoming
a parent was just the jumpstart her creative side needed. After
having her first child four years ago, Chan's inspiration blossomed
into what is now a thriving clothing business. Working from her
Berkeley home, Chan has created onesies (infant bodysuits) for
babies and vibrant toddler dresses that tap into the Bay Area's
diversity.
After sewing dresses
and blankets for her children, Chan started Chicks & Frogs
just over a year ago. She receivied a bit of inspiration from
her husband, Eugene, and his iPod®. "I kind of look
at his gadgets and go off them," said Chan. She began creating
high-tech onesies with a simple message that struck a chord with
parents: iPoo (they also come in iPee). Printed on white fabric
with gray lettering, this babywear would have even Steve Jobs
giggling. "At first they got a lot of chuckles," said
Chan, but then they took off. Chan began selling her designs
online.
A self-proclaimed
"fabric hoarder," Chan's inspiration didn't stop at
her husband's high-tech toys. She collected sayings from fortune
cookies that arrived with Chinese take-out food and embroidered
fortune cookies with mystical messages onto onesies. "He
who throws dirt is losing ground," inspired by an incident
at the park when her 4-year-old son Quincy threw dirt at other
children, now graces the front of one of Chicks & Frogs'
uniquely embroidered onesies.
Chan says originally
she was just looking for "something, that when I put it
on my kids, it was really special." But having two kids,
Quincy and 16-month-old Ruby, the inspiration just kept coming.
Chan began "finding fabrics that reflect the Bay Area culture"
and started a line of embroidered baby onesies with Mexican sugar
skulls (for Dia de los Muertos) and sushi. At first people asked,
"Why would you put a skull on a baby?" But Chan knew
she had found a niche market. Her sushi onesies come in Maguro
(tuna), Toro (fatty tuna), Mackerel, Maki (roll), Ebi (shrimp),
Tofu, and Tomago (egg).
Chan began to find
her niche at street fairs and festivals. Her booth at the Solano
Stroll last year lead to the placement of Chicks & Frogs
at Waddle and Swaddle in Berkeley (the only store that currently
carries Chan's line of clothing). Festivals and street fairs
are now a regular event for the Chan family. For this mom with
a thriving business and a part-time job in human resources at
a San Francisco nonprofit, these "working weekends"
have become a regular family outing, with Mom working the booth
and Dad taking the kids around to have fun. "Now when I
do fairs, I looking for ones where my son and daughter will have
a fun time," Chan said.
Besides onesies and
reversible dresses, Chan has created a line of bibs and blankets
with funky prints (traditional Japanese wooden toys and Anime
characters) on one side and soft fabric backing on the other.
"Anything I do is reversible, so you get dual uses,"
Chan said.
Chan uses clothing
manufacturers to provide the basic onesies, which she adds her
personal touch to but only companies that have a history
of taking good care of their employees and providing health care,
something that has become very important to her as a mother.
"If I am going to start a business, it should be more for
than just profit," said Chan.
In the beginning she
researched clothing companies and came across American Apparel,
a Los Angeles company that touts its fair wages and good treatment
of its workers. "I really wanted to support a company that
was aligned with my values," said Chan.
Juggling a growing
clothing company, family time, and her part-time job has been
a struggle for Chan but worth it. Chan said that escaping
to her sewing room is like taking a spa day.
"Having kids
has made me more focused on creating a business," Chan explained.
"It's a struggle to find the time," she said, but seeing
her finished product makes everything fit into place. She spends
many nights sewing with only the light from the sewing machine
to guide her, with her daughter sleeping nearby. Chan only has
to glance down at her sleeping baby to find more inspiration.
Chicks & Frogs
clothing can be found at Waddle and Swaddle, 1677 Shattuck Ave.,
Berkeley, or online at www.chicksandfrogs.com.
|
