Earnshaw's | July/August 2023

THE RYLEE + CRU COLLECTIVE

noralee

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

Unique & Artistic Clothing for the imaginative child and mom.

What began for Kelli Murray Larson in the winter of 2014 as a passion project, inspired by her own children, Rylee and Cru, is now an established children’s clothing brand sold in 800+ retail boutiques and in 25+ countries. Within the Rylee + Cru Collective, Kelli has successfully launched three brands- Rylee + Cru, Quincy Mae, and Noralee, with the desire to build brands that meet children at every stage of life.

Rylee + Cru merges art and imagination, offering unique clothing for the modern child and mom. Each collection is built on high-quality basics with soft and well-loved qualities matched with beautiful muted tones and timeless traits.

VISIT

MEET THE COLLECTIVE

Rylee + Cru merges art and imagination, offering unique and artistic clothing for the modern child.

With a focus on modern natural baby basics, each Quincy Mae piece is made with organic materials.

Noralee is a collection of vintage-inspired specialty pieces, perfect for life’s most memorable moments.

Play offers quality apparel designed for high performance and everyday life.

noralee

This page: Sophia is wearing Snapper Rock and a white hat by Flap Happy

On the cover: Ella is wearing a one-piece by Molo and a vintage hat.

Photography by Zoe Adlersberg/See Management; styling and concept by Mariah Walker/Art Department. Location courtesy of LEW Productions. Special thanks to model agencies State Management, Zuri Agency and Generation Model Management.

THERE’S NO “I” IN TEAM

Behind every successful businessperson, there’s a team contributing to that success. No one is an island; every CEO, designer, retailer, and magazine publisher builds their own specialized squad to assist in bringing a vision to fruition. All of the stories in this month’s issue underscore the concept of teamwork.

We kick things off with a Q&A on a relative newcomer, The Sunday Collective, a sustainable company and proponent of “slow fashion” based in Portugal. Owners Chloe and Jae Kim rely on the teams of local farmers, factory workers and their staff to produce their 100% organic, chemical-free garments for their international roster of customers. “Farm to Fashion” starts on page 12.

We dive into the vertical business of Bird & Bean, founded by Janel Anderson. While Anderson has the creative energy of a small army and spends her free time remerchandising her store, this mom of two still relies on the unwavering support of her husband, wholesale and retail staffs and most recently, an operations manager. Read about Anderson’s journey and the necessity of her village in “Living the

Retail Dream” starting on page 14. Our Designer Chat delves into the non-traditional approach of boys’ brand Me + Henry, the brainchild of Mark Jeynes, who developed several more brands during Covid with the support of his friends-and-family team; “For the Lads” starts on page 38.

Last, but certainly not least, is our star-powered fashion pages led by our creative team of Mariah Walker, Nancy Campbell, and Trevett McCandliss, who couldn’t do this without the companies who supply clothing samples, our lovely models and their agencies, and this issue’s talented photographer Zoe Adlersberg. Although the end result might appear effortless, our on-location photo shoots take an incredible team effort. Every issue, I am increasingly amazed and inspired by our innovative stories and the village it takes to produce this magazine, including our hard-working publisher, Noelle Heffernan.

We hope you love this issue as much as we do. Drop me a line to tell me about your team at michele.silver@wainscotmedia.com. We look forward to seeing you in New York City at the Playtime/Kid’s Hub show.

Michele Silver Editor-In-Chief

SUN-SAFE SUMMER VIBES

BLUEQUAIL CLOTHING CO. rolls out its SS’24 stainresistant, UPF50+ rated kid’s wear inspired by the good times and good vibes of days spent under the sun. Owner/ designer Amanda Lundgren brought in bold, warm colors and captivating prints inspired by outdoor adventures with family with themes such as “the one that got away,” camping under the stars and sharing your first s’more.

BlueQuail also delivers some fashion spice with a traditional Latin American shirt, the guayabera, which Lundgren says has been growing in popularity. “Guayaberas have been making their way into the mainstream, offering a stylish and timeless look that blends sophistication, heritage and comfort,” she says. Finally, the company has refreshed its lineup of one-of-a-kind prints.

Long before Lundgren had children of her own, she noticed that clothing options for boys were limited, especially in the active lifestyle category. After Lundgren had her fraternal twins, she founded BlueQuail Clothing Co. and prioritized sun protection. Since the company’s start in 2015, the brand is now sold in more than 180 retailers across the U.S. “My biggest inspiration is my father, who continues to deal with skin cancer and preach the importance of sun protection. He is the reason each piece does its part to protect your child’s skin from harmful UV rays while encouraging self-expression and a love for the great outdoors,” she says. “This is the spirit of BlueQuail.”

PEACHY KEEN PARTNERSHIP

JUST PEACHY, an eco-conscious baby and kids’ brand based in San Diego, Calif., has teamed up with Redress, a renowned Asia-focused environmental charity, to donate a portion of its profits to this mission. In addition, the company has joined the prestigious 1% for the Planet network, further solidifying its dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The mission of Redress is to accelerate the transformation of the fashion industry into a circular economy. By educating and empowering both designers and consumers, Redress aims to minimize the negative environmental impacts of clothing production. Their efforts align with Just Peachy’s mission to reduce waste and promote eco-conscious parenting. Just Peachy offers a range of zero-waste diaper care products, reusable cloth diapers and sustainable kids’ underwear. Crafted from Tencel Modal, sourced from renewable beechwood in sustainable forests, Just Peachy’s underwear combines both comfort and sustainability.

As an innovative twist, the brand allows customization through design-ityourself iron-on stickers, enabling children to personalize their underwear and reduce overproduction waste.

Blue Quail Clothing Co.

Just Peachy

SCENE & HEARD

PRODOH SHOWROOM OPENS IN HOTLANTA

OUTDOOR CHILDRENSWEAR COMPANY Prodoh of Greenville, S.C., has a new home away from home at its showroom at AmericasMart in Atlanta. Thanks to its business growth and increasing foothold in the market, the new showroom will allow the company to

engage with customers even more. Showroom Manager Amanda Martin is looking forward to showing existing and potential customers what’s new for the coming season. Appointments can be made at (706) 284-9570 or Amanda.martin@prodoh.com.

Prodoh

Keep young customers sunsafe in tropical suits, adorable hats, cushiony sandals, and fun-yet-functional sunglasses.

Tropica

Igor

Flap Happy

Josmo

Lusso Cloud

Weefarers

Mini Melissa

Q&A

FARM TO FASHION

Responsibly crafted in Portugal, The Sunday Collective aims to leave behind— the smallest possible carbon footprint

THE HUSBAND-AND-WIFE team of Jae and Chloe Kim believe in slow fashion, gender-neutral looks, high-quality materials that can be handed down, and overall, serving as their own microcosm of a recycling eco-system. It’s not unusual for parents to want to make the world a better place for their children and the next generation, but Jae and Chloe Kim are truly doing it with their completely sustainable manufacturing processes.

The Sunday Collective (TSC) Naturals collection uses an organic dying process to create soft, muted, and environmentally friendly essentials with 100% natural resources that can safely be returned to the earth. Raw materials are collected from local businesses and farmers in Portugal, and

The eco-conscious duo: Chloe and Jae Kim

the natural materials are transformed into stable dye elements—until they find their way to their small customers who might just want to wear them from Sunday to Sunday.

Earnshaw’s spoke to the owners about the progression of their relatively new business over the last two years, their passion for quality control and how they walk the walk of sustainable fashion.

Earnshaw’s: What’s the history of your company?

Jae and Chloe Kim (The Kims): We wanted to carry on our family business of manufacturing in a new way. With all of the knowledge and perspective of how the clothes are made, we fell in love with the idea of making children’s clothing that we were proud to put our own kids in, clothes that were high quality and sustainably minded. We have an in-house market research team to search for newly sustainable materials and fabrics and seasonal trends. We try to be creative and curious about new processes and ways of doing things. For example, our TSC Naturals Collection, which launched this spring, uses locally sourced scraps, like onions, indigo and beechwood to make 100% natural dyed garments for everyday wear. Since we did not see other children’s brands doing programs like this, we wanted to >28

The Sunday Collective Naturals Collection

RETAIL DREAM LIVING THE

BY MICHELE SILVER

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN an art and psychology major travels to Europe? If you’re Janel Andersen, you get inspired to become a childrenswear designer. Andersen began a little company sewing patches onto T-shirts at her kitchen table.

Today, 18 years later, Anderson’s little company has evolved into a vertical operation and one-stop shop for not only apparel, but toys, crafts, plush, games, and gifts galore in the Berkeley-Oakland area of California.

How exactly did she get here? One step at a time, a mantra she uses frequently. Andersen’s T-shirt company became Nohi Kids, which she sold at street festivals and local trunk shows. “We started tiny and definitely bootstrapped all the way,” she says. Meanwhile, the brand grew, and she was exhibiting at trade shows, hiring sales reps and landed accounts across the country. “I loved the interactions with our customers and absolutely loved being

Bird & Bean of Berkeley, Calif., made the happy transition into a vertical operation, and owner Janel Andersen has never looked back.

Inside the Bird & Bean store

ROLLING BOLDLY into the future

KicKee Pants, the leader for over 15 years in bamboo apparel for infants and children, is making moves. The lifestyle brand and ten-time Earnie award winner, best known for high-quality sleepwear for the whole family, has replaced traditional plastic poly-bags with bags made of compostable materials.

DID YOU KNOW?

KicKee Pants is a sustainably sourced viscose from bamboo lifestyle brand that o ers:

• Unbelievably so apparel and accessories for the whole family.

• Fresh, new prints to choose from each month

• Innovative features like 2-way zippers, flip-feet, and fleece padding

• Environmentally friendly compostable bags in place of poly-bags

• Inventory for fill-ins and re-orders in-stock and ready to ship

• Award-winning customer service available to help with all your KicKee needs

If you haven’t already, come see what all the fuss is about! Our a ordable minimums make testing our brand easy and we promise you won’t regret it!

“This move felt in-line with our brand values. As a sustainably sourced bamboo brand, continuing to ship in plastic felt antiquated,” says co-founder, Nick Cloke.

When asked about the increased costs of a move like this, Nick said “It’s definitely an investment. Plastic is cheap and readily available. But our retailers care about this so we care about this! It may take us time to figure out how to adapt but when they speak, we listen. And this request felt right for our brand.”

This is one of many changes that KicKee has made in the last few years as they work to stay ahead of the curve. Product improvements like 2-way zippers and convertible flip-foot sleepers create

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

10% OFF YOUR FIRST 3 PRE-SEASON ORDERS

PLUS a $250 gi certificate to shop in-season immediately

ease for mom’s trying to keep little ones warm and dry.

“We’ve been around longer than the rest of our competition in the bamboo space so we have to work extra hard to stay relevant. Any retailer who hasn’t shopped our line in a while should take another look. They might like what they see.”

THE BEACHES OF LONG ISLAND SET THE PLAYFUL SCENE FOR THIS SEASON’S SWIMWEAR FEATURING RETRO RUFFLES, SWEET FLORALS AND BOHO TIE-DYE.

Kyla is wearing Feather4Arrow

Mya is wearing Coral Reef and a hat by Molo Opposite: Ella is wearing Puma and sunglasses by Snapper Rock

Sophia and Ava are both wearing Rylee + Cru

This page, from left: Ella is wearing a top by Molo with swim trunks by Prodoh. Mya is wearing an Appaman top with swim trunks by Farwell. Kyla is wearing a one-piece by Submarine

Ava is wearing Shade Critters and Jessica Simpson sandals by Esquire Brands

Opposite: Mya is wearing Planet Sea

Ava is wearing a yellow polka-dot two-piece and head band by Andy & Evan. Sophia is wearing a smocked pink two-piece from Flap Happy and a visor by Snapper Rock

Location courtesy of LEW Productions. Special thanks to model agencies State Management, Zuri Agency and Generation Model Management.

continued from page 13

pave the way and tell the story along the way.

In Spring of 2021 we launched The Sunday Collective’s first season with a small team of five people. Leading up to that launch, our son and daughter were fit models and sometimes we would meet with our team at our home to work on designs. Now as of Spring 2023, our team grown, and we have 20 wholesale accounts in USA, Canada, Taiwan, Barbados, and Kuwait.

Earnshaw’s: What was process for finding the right team of people for your company?

The Kims: Our small, but mighty team of 12 consists of design, production, marketing, and wholesale positions. Our marketing team works closely with our wholesale director to successfully present the brand identity to clients who appreciate The Sunday Collective’s unique aesthetics and sustainable vision. When we recruit our team, we take time to talk with each candidate about the philosophy of working in children’s fashion to

A popular flowy dress from TSC.

WE RESPECT

—JAE AND CHLOE KIM

ensure they share our same vision and values. We respect children and think that they are better versions of ourselves.

Earnshaw’s: Where are your factories and how do you ensure quality control?

The Kims: So, 90% of our product is made in Portugal, 5-10% in Peru and Spain. We have a strict process before approving to work with any new supplier to make sure they can deliver our high standards. Once we begin working with a factory, our production team regularly visits to check the facility and the production process along with the work environment for the employees. To bring the best quality to

our customers, we partner with a globally renowned testing lab to run full garment tests, including shrinkage, no harmful chemicals, and button and seam strength.

Earnshaw’s: Explain your quest for producing sustainable clothing and what types of challenges or successes have you encountered along the way.

The Kims: We believe that high-quality products are a big part of sustainability in the fashion industry. As a slow fashion brand, The Sunday Collective’s mission is to produce garments that can be passed down from one child to the next.

Finding the right suppliers who aligned with this mission was one of the biggest challenges for us so far. We have a very strict quality control process and require all of our suppliers to meet our high standards. By testing all samples at one of the globally leading testing centers, we are able to confirm the quality of the goods and find factories who we can trust to proudly partner with.

Earnshaw’s: How do you execute your sustainable process from start to the finished garment?

The Kims: Sustainability to us is promoting the natural beauty of earth without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. With our thoughtful design, careful eco- friendly material selection, working with local suppliers to minimize carbon footprint, and using less packaging materials, we hope we are doing our part to save the earth. We strive to make timeless design using the best materials so that our

products are not only practical but also bring joy in owning TSC products.

Earnshaw’s: How have you been problemsolving supply chain disruptions?

The Kims: We closely watch the raw material market from market reports updated by our team on a regular basis. To avoid impact from the raw material price instability, we try to reserve materials in advance. By doing so, the product price does not have to be changed so drastically during times of uncertainty.

Earnshaw’s: Why do you think retailers should consider carrying sustainable clothing?

The Kims: We realized the importance of creating products that can offer emotional value and attachment through timeless design that people want to keep and pass down. This timeless design along with the selection of higher quality materials that can withstand wash after wash is an important

part of practicing sustainability within our community.

Earnshaw’s: What’s selling well for the current season and what’s coming for FW’23?

The Kims: We have quite a few pieces that have been exceeding our expectations this season, especially the Organic Cotton pieces that are easy for children to play and explore in going into the summer. Our Natural Dye Graphic Tee, All Over Print Sweatshirt, and Summer Dresses are some of our best sellers. Our FW23 Collection, Build Your World, is inspired by the endless imagination of children and the art of play. As we did with all our previous collections, we created this collection from our own childhood nostalgia. From rock towers to pillow fortresses, we all once built our own world as children. Now as adults, we desire to create for our children with nature in mind. This season’s fabrics and colors reflect the smooth surface and

A premier destination for exceptional children’s toys, accessories and décor.

lines of man-made structures harmonized with the rough, organic textures of the nature.

Earnshaw’s: What’s the best piece of professional or personal advice you’ve received?

The Kims: “To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.”—Samuel Johnson

Earnshaw’s: What do you love about the childrenswear industry? What’s the most challenging?

The Kims: We love this industry because there is a tremendous amount of freedom in creating clothes for children. Being able to design clothes that we would want to wear but adding a child’s eye for imagination makes the entire process fun. The most challenging part is fighting against cost effectiveness while being sustainability minded. Environmentally friendly practices do not tend to be the most affordable way to do things.

Earnshaw’s: What defines professional success for you?

The Kims: It’s simply, when you find joy in what you love to do with whom you love to work.

The Kims hope kids will wear their collection from Sunday to Sunday.

HERE’S T H E T EA

Atlanta is the Home for Children’s Brands

CHILDREN’S TEMPORARIES

AUGUST 2–4, 2023

Join us in Atlanta for the market everyone will be talking about. See Spring/Summer ‘24 collections from sought-after children’s lines and discover new favorites for the season ahead. Browse a wide array of apparel, accessories, and shoes for children, plus mommy & me styles, gift items, and more. We’ll save you a seat.

Register now at Atlanta-Apparel.com/August

continued from page 14

back face-to-face with our community.” That love of connection is something that would stay with her.

Andersen was determined to make her teenage dream of having a brick an mortar a reality, and she set off to have the best of both of her worlds. In 2016, she opened her first store, Bird & Bean— the nicknames of her 1 month and 18 month old—and stocked Nohi Kids. After two years, she renamed Nohi Kids as Bird & Bean to match the store.It was all falling into place.

a decade and was familiar with many brands. “I knew what I loved, the designers and companies that I respected, and those that complimented my own brand. When I buy, I trust my gut and my eye. I can often make a buying decision super fast and luckily that has worked for me so far,” she explains. “I love a collection that is cohesive and on trend without being overly trendy. I want to see the personality of the designers come through and not just a copy/paste of the trend of the moment.”

#atlapparel | @apparelmarkets

Atlanta-Apparel.com

Andersen brought in an assortment of merchandise in other categories. She had already been in the industry for over

She admits it was an “insane time” to embark on this business: “This is something that crazy people do, I thought.

But I believed in it so much.” Her valid concerns of needing more than 24 hours in a day and needing to be in two, three or even four places at once didn’t deter her. “I know myself and I know that I am a very hard worker and if I want something I will make it happen.” Andersen is quick to credit the additional reinforcements she has had: Her “incredible husband” who has supported the business every step of the way, encouraging and believing in her. She also has an amazing team that functions as an extension of herself.

Then in late 2019, the storefront next door unexpectedly opened up, so she took it over and opened a women’s clothing and gift boutique called Stitch + Sparrow. “We were only open for about six months before the Covid shutdown, so that was an interesting ride. Two stores, a wholesale brand, and two kids under 5 during a

pandemic was a real plot twist!”

This was not Andersen’s first rodeo with career challenges. After graduating from college, she spent many years working with kids in the foster care system and group homes. “I loved this work, but because I have a bleeding heart, I got burnt out quickly and I needed a change. So I took several months off to travel. I got inspired by these adorable fashionable kids in Spain and started designing my first collection in my travel journal,” she explains. “When I got back from my travels, it was either continue to grad school or start making baby clothes.”

While Andersen may not have always had her sights set on creating baby apparel, she always had imagined herself owning some kind of retail shop, from the time she was a teenager. Supporting a wholesale and retail business has proven to be

a magical combination for her. “I love how they both work together—the brand has evolved based on what I hear in real time from customers and what sells in my store. I think that one of the reasons that the store has been successful is that we have our own label. Our customers are loyal to our brand and some have been buying from us since our street festival days,” Andersen relays.

Bird & Bean literally borders Oakland and Berkeley; the wall inside her store is official dividing line. Each side of the store is approximately 1,100 square feet—one side for kids and the other for adults, but with the newly knocked-down wall, the space is essentially one big store. Parents, caregivers and grandparents stock up on Rylee + Cru, Quincy Mae, Pink Chicken, Me + Henry (see Designer Profile on pp 38 - 39), Angel Dear, Blueberry Hill, City

Mouse, Appaman, Mayoral, Rivet Apparel, Baby Sprouts, Culk, Chaser, Tiny Whales, and of course, Bird & Bean. Her brand’s current top-sellers include adorable wash-and-wear tulle dresses, zip rompers, anything bamboo or modal, matching sibling items, and mommy and me outfits. When it comes to hiring staff, Andersen invests a great deal of time in training before someone is formally hired. “The employee piece is by far, the hardest part of running this business. I feel like I can control lots of other aspects, but this is the wild card.” The store has a lot to offer to new employees, especially the “open, communicative, fun, and supportive work environment.”

And her recent solution for needing to be in those four places at once while trying to run her businesseses and still be a mom? A full-time operations manager. “Having someone to handle the training,

staff management and the day-to-day workload at the shops is what I need to be sure both sides of the business are running well. There is no way that I could do it without her,” Andersen stresses.

“I have found the art of delegating and hiring people who you can trust. This was hard for me as a total control freak, but it’s a must-do to be successful,” she explains. Andersen constantly performs double duty with her wholesale side—both parts of the business get busy at the same time. “I am simultaneously selling my in-season collection, designing the next collection and buying for the shops.” As one can imagine, her operations manager has been a game changer.

In addition to her capable team, Andersen has a few core practices that help her move through her days, even if she channels her original “one task at a time” mantra. “The to-do lists are truly endless and can feel

New Bird & Bean Desert Adventure footie

TWINKLED TWIG

very overwhelming at times. I also follow this advice: ‘When you feel tired, rest, don’t quit.’ A good nap, a walk, a deep breath, stepping away from all of it for a minute usually helps me recharge and refocus.” She also follows a strategy for time management and productivity called “Eat the Frog.” The idea is that you identify your most challenging task (the frog) and do it first thing in the morning (eat it), so that it’s not hanging over you for the rest of the day.

After almost two decades in the childrenwear industry, Andersen has some of her own words of wisdom to share with budding entrepreneurs. She says that when it comes to funding, have more capital

than you think you need, invest in marketing and be original. She stresses this point: “Anyone can copy what is already being done, but what are you bringing to the table that is interesting and different?” For channels of distribution, having an e-commerce site is a non-negotiable marketing and selling strategy .

The art major in her remains the foundation of her love of design. “I will go to sleep with visions of prints in my head,” she says. “I love seeing those end up on a garment that then ends up becoming a store’s bestseller. I also love merchandising so much. Often, I will come in late when the shops are closed and do a full redo of the stores—it’s my therapy.”

OFTEN, I WILL COME IN LATE WHEN THE SHOPS ARE CLOSED AND DO A FULL REDO OF THE STORES—IT’S MY THERAPY.”

—JANEL ANDERSEN

FOR THE LADS

LONDONER MARK JEYNES might be one of the rare designers in the industry who hasn’t been inspired by his own children. This is the very reason to which he attributes his level of commercial success with his core brand Me & Henry; Jeynes has been creatively free to design for market needs instead of catering to specific little ones. He touts this as one of his superpowers. With more than 10 seasons of Me & Henry under his belt, Jeynes has simultaneously cocreated five more collections: Me & Henry’s sister line Vignette (girls 0-16), Ettie + h (gauze prints for 0-7), Poppet & Fox (an Anthropology/

Free People mashup up for boys and girls 2-16), Tickety Boo (handpainted watercolors in bamboo for newborn - 24 months), and Tiny Victories (gifts for 0-5).

His entré into childrenswear began at UK-based department store John Lewis, where he spent 23 years working his way up from shoe fittings and selling uniforms to managing entire teams at a flagship location and eventually getting promoted to a director buying position. We spoke to the boys’ apparel specialist about his inspirations, hardworking team of 13 family members and friends, and the unique

Every print tells a global story for Mark Jeynes, boys’ clothing designer and co-owner of Me & Henry.

Me + Henry

100-page storybook that’s currently en route to retail accounts for the current selling season.

Earnshaw’s: What’s your background as a designer and how did you develop the design aesthetic for Me & Henry?

Mark Jeynes: I haven’t had any formal training as a designer and always feel awkward being called one. But after many years selling and developing kids’ clothing, that has defined me. When I decided to launch a boys’ collection, people thought I was crazy because it was a time when labels and gender identity were being removed from many retailers in Europe. I did imagine the “me” in Me & Henry could be a boy or a girl, but I never doubted the demand for boys’ clothing. While we also have Vignette as the sister brand, we’re seen as one company because we design together, use the same manufacturer and share fabrics and color palettes.

ER: Do you have a favorite collection or set of items?

Jeynes: I love creating the dress shirt collection. It’s a smart and a cool look and something that has sadly died out in the UK. I’m a firm believer that boys want to wear more than just jeans and a tee, especially if dress shirts come in soft, colorful fabrics—so that’s my mission every season.

ER: What’s your design inspiration and how do you develop the theme and look for each season?

Jeynes: I travel a lot and can draw inspiration from walking around a city, looking at other retailers’ windows, soaking up a market in a faraway place—just the colors and smells and surroundings of life! I’m a very visual person and need to see things laid out in front of me so designing the new collection involves a huge amount of space. With boys, it’s hard to come up with new ideas and shapes, but I work on a ratio of 40% absolute newness every season, be it a different fabric

or item. This spring, I’ve added terry to hooded tops and polos, so that will be fun for buyers to include in their offerings.

Earnshaw’s: W hat do you have planned for marking the 10th season of Me & Henry?

Jeynes: I designed a 10th collection with graphic tees using prints from all the books I’ve written so far. Every season, I write a 100-page bedtime story book that is shipped free, and retailers can give them away as they wish. The illustrations are done by an amazing woman called Carolina Torres in Portugal. So many of our customers said to use the illustrations on the garments, so what was a one-off is now looking like a permanent part of the Me & Henry collection.

We gave our entire team the trip of a lifetime to India to celebrate our achievements. We also took time together to strategize and come up with new ideas for the future. We visited our manufacturer, went to the fabric market, visited an indigo dye factory and saw hand carved block prints being created—we created so many special memories as a group.

ER: Do you approach each season with a set of goals or milestones?

Jeynes: My only hope every season is that my amazing reps will love what I’ve created to keep their customers happy. I personally go to most markets and showrooms to meet accounts and sell the line, and I think they feel listened to and looked after. I want to hear first-hand what people like or don’t like. I want to know if there are any problems and what more we could be doing.

ER: To what do you attribute your growth and success in the industry?

Jeynes: I’m proud to acknowledge that through COVID, we still delivered on time and got sample collections to reps, I even a managed to get a special visa allowing me to travel to the U.S. to meet with stores—that helped people try us for the first time. We even designed and launched two of our new lines, Ettie & h and Poppet & Fox, during the lockdown days. I also have to acknowledge my partners in crime, Michele and Jenn, the owners of Vignette.

ER: Has your company been affected by supply-chain disruptions?

Jeynes: The ingenuity of our manufacturing team in Hong Kong was mind blowing during Covid. We also ship direct to our boutiques from there, and I was so astonished that during the peak period of the pandemic we were shipping early and complete. Last year when there were demonstrations across China about the zero policy, that’s the first time we properly hit a problem—but even then only a few styles shipped late. For the first time in almost four years, we were able to work with our Hong Kong team again in person this spring.

ER: What do you love most about what you do?

Jeynes: I genuinely love creating new things and designing new collections. My favorite and least favorite day are when the first samples arrive. Did they turn out ok? How does the fabric feel? Will people like them? I also love the fact that the entire team is made up of my immediate family and very close friends—it’s a joy and I consider myself very lucky.

Mark Jeynes with the furry namesake of his boys’ wear company, Henry.

FINAL CUT

Swimwear with SoCal Sass

Jaime Reese’s SS’24 swimwear from her company, Feather4Arrow, underscores her free spirited and chic design aesthetic that embodies Southern California beach culture while being East Coast accessible. Reese maintains her signature mixing and matching, allowing for easy merchandising. With premium upcycled, recycled, and chemical-free UPF50+ sun protective fabrics, the collection is lightweight, fast-drying, breathable, and has four-way stretch that won’t slow down active bodies. New for the season is a ruched one-piece, “The Seaside;” “The Solstice” sundresses; and a chafe-free liner that eliminates pesky mesh. The colorful and bright collections were shot in Hawaii and of course, Reese’s home turf of SoCal.

quinn - sand

Parker - BLUE FLORAL

Wynn - CAMO

Parker - GREy marble