A FA M I LY A F FA I R Pop star and actor Kimberley Walsh on turning her talents to kids clothing Wo r d s H E L E N BA RO N
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imberley Walsh’s biography reads like a modern fairytale: plucky Yorkshire lass with dreams of stardom auditions for a TV talent show and doesn’t quite make the cut. But when another contestant is disqualified, she finds herself back in the running – and wins through to the final five. The show was the UK’s Popstars: The Rivals, and the final five of which Walsh was one would win national fame as pop group Girls Aloud. It’s now 16 years since Walsh and her counterparts were fast-tracked to fame and five years since they announced their split with an arena tour and second greatest hits collection. Walsh has used the time since to focus on acting, with roles in TV’s Ackley Bridge and West End productions, including Shrek The Musical and Elf: The Musical. Now she’s branching out once again, this time into children’s fashion, with her Kimba Kids line of boys clothing available to buy through high street giant, Next, across the world. Walsh’s own nickname – given to her by Girls Aloud bandmate Cheryl Cole – is the
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inspiration for the name. And the range was born of Walsh’s frustration with the options available for her own two sons, and features bold, playful designs for kids aged two to 14. Here, we speak to her about the new venture, her inspirations and collaborating with her younger brother, Adam, on the designs. Q What prompted you to design your own kids clothing line? A It came from being a mum to two boys aged three and one. Initially when shopping for them I found the options a bit dull and uninspiring, especially for boys. Everything seemed either monochrome or nautical and I was after something more fun. My brother works in the clothing industry, so the collaboration seemed like a natural one. We both had the idea and he had the capability to help with design and putting the samples into production. This is a labour of love for us. We had the idea after I had Bobby, my first child, and it’s been in the pipeline since – it didn’t get going until he was one and then I had my second child, so it’s been in development for some time and wasn’t something we wanted to rush. Q Tell us about the collaboration with Next. A We’re launching exclusively with Next but
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