Bubble London : quick update (day one)

Excellent first day at Bubble London. Exhibitors, retailers and press all gave very good comments on the show in general and said they love the new venue. The "Stand out award" was given to Poppy for the best stand decoration. Poppy will get a free space at the next edition of Bubble London. A full show report will follow soon.

Bubble London opens tomorrow!

Bubble London will open tomorrow, Sunday June 21st at 9am with over 150 exhibitors (Molo Kids, Petit Bateau, Mini A Ture, Bonnie Baby, Katvig, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Bright and Stripes, Ed Hardy Kids, French Connection Kidswear, Hucklebones, ilovegorgeous, No Added Sugar, Their Nibs, ej sikke lej, O'Neill, Pepe Jeans London, Mexx, Bloch, Tip Toe Joey, Dandy Star...).
OKIDO will also run fun workshops for children twice a day. Find out more on http://www.bubblelondon.com/visitors.htm.

Mini scale mania

Kids are living in lucky times : after Vitra for kids, it is now the turn of Knoll to come with a collection of spirited, modern furniture scaled for a younger generation. Here's a Eero Saarinen 1948 Womb chair, made exclusively for Knoll, that, the firm says "displays the Finnish-born designer's flair for challenging rules, breaking molds and setting new standards for modern design". An inspiration for airports to design kids lounges?

Glamping anyone?

It's a new trend in the UK. Understand glam(our) (cam)ping, in other words sleeping under a tent with all the possible comfort : furniture, feather beds, wood-burning stoves and flushing toilets. Because in times of crisis, we have more than ever a Swiss family Robinson soul... http://www.featherdown.com/

Maclaren's entry into the nursery furniture category

Interior designer David Netto founded his residential decoration and architectural design shop, David Netto Design, in 2000. Around the time he was shopping for a crib for his daughter, Netto developed a line of stylish modern baby furniture, the Netto Collection. This month the brand was acquired by the stroller company Maclaren. David Netto will continue his involvement with this innovative brand and will collaborate with Maclaren to design and develop future collections and other juvenile products.

News from Spain

The new edition of Naif Magazine is out! It's number 3, featuring Fashion, Design (Matali Crasset), Travel (Rio de Janeiro). Good news, we've heard that Naif will soon be available in the UK and the US.

Old days clothing for newborn

We know why we love vintage : we have to pay a lot today to get the equivalent of what was produced in the past (fabric, cut, workmanship). Moreover, we like that feeling of uniqueness wearing things from other centuries. Bel Heir is the best place to find perfect vintage pieces for babies and children (0 to 5). The selection, (focusing on the 20's-50's) is amazing; the quality as well as, the owner washing and restoring every piece. Belle Heir is based in the US but ships all over the world. www.belleheir.com.

Seven cool dads

The latest edition of Milk, released at the beginning of this month (next week in the US!) features a great story called "Daddy Cool". The seven stylish fathers posing with their children will be exhibited in large scale at Bubble London next Sunday!

Bubble London supports Kids Company

Kids Company is a charity that provides practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children and young people. This year Kids Company will help over 13,500 children and young people through a walk in street level centre in Lambeth, through their program in 37 inner city schools and through their post sixteen educational institute, The Urban Academy. Bubble London is proud to support Kids Company and to help the kids who will benefit from their actions.

Poppy&Ned @ Bubble London

Welcome to the world of Poppy & Ned, a magical place capturing the innocence & wonder of childhood. Beautifully designed by Jessica Seaman, the clothes are made in Nepal and India using the finest fabrics. From July, their Pure Cashmere collection will be in Barneys NY. Well done!

For girls 12 month – 12 years

When she had her daughter in 2002, Beth Miles started to scour flea markets for items that were clean of branding and trends that overwhelmed her delicate, beautiful nature. That's how she created ses petites mains, attempting to capture the styles and details that she so hoped to find. “I love the idea of all fabrics being able to be worn together. As children love to throw 'anything' on, I designed all the pieces work together. Shirtwaists with slips; slips as dresses; slips as loungewear; tunics with bermudas; halter overalls--darling with or without anything underneath". Bubble New York is a great supporter of this unique and precious line from San Francisco.

A surprise from the little boat!

The ad campaigns of Petit Bateau always create a moment of surprise. They communicate well with both kids and adults, combining playful ingredients+colorful fantasy+hints of surrealism (yeah!) in an organized manner (wehw...). This season the brand brings a new element of excitement through their collaboration with fetish music&fashion label Kitsune who designed a limited edition of (already cult) tees. Petit Bateau will be at Bubble London, June 21-22.

Neverland inspired

Patouche, new label designed and manufactured in Canada launched with great success at Bubble New York last March. Retailers and press liked this playful line which brings a touch of dress-up into everyday wear. Spring/Summer '09 is about lostboys, fairies, mermaids and pirates, reminding a trip to Neverland dominated by cotton prints, natural linens and nautical stripes.

Buy less and buy better

Our children's Gorilla has always been one of our favorites decor/play brands. Great materials, design & execution as well as humor + ethics. The brand, whose motto is "buy less and buy better", has just signed with a UK distributor : Thorsten van Elten. We hope the whales, monkeys and other funky gorilla characters will spread quickly across the country.

Another Bubble exhibitor in exclusivity at Colette!

Inspired by the crochet and knit works of our grandmothers, Loica Bonini's collection offers pieces of the traditional new born & baby wardrobe, treated in a contemporary way. Absolutely refined and unique, this collection for boys (o-2 years old) will be displayed in exclusivity at Colette's Dococo space in Paris, May 12-30.

Memorial Day special treat

We can't resist to post this funny video of Iggy Pop. Watch it with the kids and enjoy their laughter! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsXkjkC5OxI

Home sweet home

New York City–based couple Robert and Cortney Novogratz have been renovating and designing unique homes for families for over ten years. They live in Soho in a sophisticated bohemian townhouse (featured in Milk Magazine "styles" number 2) with their 7 children. In the book published this month by Rizzoli, they give realistic advice on how to create original, warm interiors with ease. You'll find practical info, inspiring pictures and humorous anecdotes about the pitfalls and pleasures of renovation and, of course, advice on how to decorate kids’ rooms. With 7 kids under 10, you can trust their words!

Right Komplot

The Little Komplot is a Sustainable chair for children made out of recycled plastic bottles, covered by felt. We love the simple shape and playful aspect as well as the natural and 100% recyclable materials. Available at www.hay.dk.

Children's touch

Plush is a sparkling new children’s clothing + accessories brand from Belgium. It’s huggable, it’s cute, it’s raw and somewhat rock’n’roll! The handmade colourful high-class tees finished with felt up-prints are
simply fun to wear. No wonder : the choice of material, colours and forms of the upprints is decided togheter with children.

T-Shirt couturier

Shirin Roubeni, designer of SHirin Kids is passionate about designing her own prints. She combines innovative drawings with quality craftsmanship to redefine the fabric of the basic cotton tee. The end result is a sophisticate and delightful eco-friendly collection. Every piece is individually hand silkscreened with water based inks which create a soft transparent look complemented by pure and vibrant colors. Many of the miniature designs find their equivalent counterpart in the adult line, creating a a delightful perk for mother and child in Shirin's Mommy and Me Couture combinations.

Paper anime

Keisuke Saka is a Japanese paper engineer making fun kits to assemble. It takes about two hours to complete, so it is the perfect companion for a rainy afternoon. Just make sure you have scissors, craft knife and glue. The colorful designs are printed on good quality paper, and a few moving parts produce fun movements. Available at paperanimation.com.

Danish delights

Debuting this season at Bubble London is Sebra Interior for Kids. Launched in 2004 by designer Mia Dela, this innovative and beautifully designed Danish brand offers an extensive collection of furniture, bedding and accessories for children. A large part of the collection is handmade and uses natural materials such as wood, wool and cotton. www.sebra.dk

Rooms with a twist

We love the selection of children's room on the charming website Bianca and family. If you have beautiful kids rooms, you can submit some images and be part of it. Just one thing : you'll have to revise your French!

Liberty by Minihaha

One of Bubble’s London favorite vendors, Bebe by Minihaha, is launching a range using the world famous liberty flowers. What can we expect from the Australian brand? Exclusive prints and special attention to detail, comfort and softness for newborn to 6.

The little shop of images

"Chez Violette and Lolo, the little shop of images" is the idea that sprung from the encounter of photographers Violaine Rogasik and Laura Farrell. The two graduates from ICP (NY) decided to create a small agency specialized in Kids Fashion Photography and to compose images in which imagination, dreams and happiness of childhood converge with adventures and fears. The two are currently casting a small network of emerging photographers from the Americas, Europe and Asia that share a passion for childhood in their art. Meanwhile they already have beautiful selection of images available that can be seen on www.violainerogasik.com.

Preppy-Boho from Chicago

Benny & Moon, based and produced in Chicago, is a collection of stylish, preppy-boho clothing for children ages 2 to 6 years old. Launched in 2009, the design inspiration is drawn from influences of art, photography, film and vintage wardrobes. The founder also has two lovely nieces as well as several other little boys and girls in her life who continually inspire her to create comfortable classic pieces for their everyday adventures. Benny & Moon will be showing at Bubble New York in August.

Glow in the dark wall sticker

At day time, the Cocoboheme stickers decorate the walls discretely. At night, they start to glow, bringing magic to the house. Don't miss the animals chalk stickers and the animal bibs...all fun! www.cocoboheme.com

Bling bling!

Iceing on top is a must-have jewelry collection for baby, child and teen. It’s loaded with sparkling gold facets and comes in pretty colors like rose, yellow and white gold. A line of fine jewelry with a signature eye-catching look that has also incorporated eco-friendly values into every facet of the collection, from the product to packaging. Iceing on top will be at Bubble New York in August.

News from Salone del Mobile

A new cool product has been added to the Magis’Me Too range of children’s furniture. Villa Julia by Javier Mariscal was launched at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan last month. The black and white Villa Julia comes with stickers so chidren can personalise their playhouse. Villa Julia will only be available in the fall, so we recommend to save it for Santa's list.

Okey, Kid!

Launched in 2007, Okido (hybrid of “ kid” and “okey”) is a science and arts magazine for 2 to 7 years old children, published four times a year. Each issue has a theme and is illustrated by contemporary artists. With the help of the unforgettable characters Messy Monster or Yoga Monkey, Okido is all about inspiring our children with games, stories and recipes. Don’t miss Okido Magazine at Bubble London for exclusive workshops and activities.

New comer in Miami

Located in the heart of the Bird Road shopping district in Miami, The Nest & Cradle is a light-hearted and fun boutique, much like the collections in display. Newly opened (August 08), the Nest & Cradle offers a wide range of products, "good designer products rather than designer labels". The owner Carmen Uriarte confesses her clients particularly like the colorful modern dresses from Pink Chicken, the sophisticated look of Chase'n Sky and Jasper Wren's jean birdie dress, which Carmen calls a "window stopper". Besides from clothing, clients have a preference for the Orbit stroller, the store's best selling product. We wish a long life to The Nest&Cradle!

Paraguay produced, fair trade of course

Aravore (meaning 'a piece of Heaven') produces organic baby wear and accessories for babies and toddlers from 0 to 5 years. Aravore produce the collections in their own workshops, and work with small-scale farms in Paraguay to produce the cotton they use, which is certified fair trade as well as organic. Yanina Aubrey, social entrepreneur and founder of Aravore Babies, ensures that her business model not only helps parents in the UK to provide luxurious, yet ethically produced, clothing for their children but has made a real difference to many women in Paraguay, where the products are made.

Happy shelter

Native Play Designs tipis will be on display at Bubble London in June. Handmade in Wales from 100% cotton, the Native Play tipis provide a refreshing antidote to the garish polyester pop ups. They are cooler inside as well, and available in different versions of colors/patterns. The company owner says : "Give the children an imaginative play environment and a few simple toys and watch their imaginations run away with them". We are sure that those tipis will provide many happy playtime memories!