Around the world

French artist Julie Mercier has illustrated a bunch of children's books and magazines. She just created an exclusive and monumental atlas for L’Affiche Moderne, an ideal medium for kids to discover the richness and diversity of our great planet. The funny details and creatures will definitely be a source of numerous questions and discoveries, capturing children’s attention and imagination for hours. Available in English or French versions.

Boy's stuff!

Good news for parents who love coloring books with a twist : Rosie Flo's books are now available [almost] all over the world : Japan, Australia, China, etc. And wonderful news for parents who are desperately looking for boys activities : the books are also published in a blue version, under the name Johnny Joe, featuring all sorts of boy's favorites, from knights to astronauts to cars and dinosaurs. Famous London book store Daunts says "At last a colouring book for boys. Another sure fire winner". Rosie Flo's collections are available at children's/ toys stores, bookstores and at most of the Museum stores (Moma, Bristish Library, Tate Modern, The Wallace Collection, etc).

Tribeca welcomes Petite Pomme

Brooklyn beloved children's store Pomme recently opened a new retail space in Manhattan. Located in Tribeca, Petite Pomme is dedicated to newborn - 18th month children. Forget about the loft size and feel, it's all white and small scale in this new paradise, providing a cosy atmosphere for young parents and parents-to-be. Petite Pomme features the ideal selection of brands for an introduction to parenthood : Makie, flora and henri, Tane Organic, Jess brown, Tamar Morgendorf, Atsuyo et Akiko, etc. The best of modern design and quality to welcome little ones in this world. Petite Pomme, 186 Duane Street between Hudson and Greenich.

From Sweden with style

A hint of the 80´s, intricate buttons and details, pastel colors and a high fashion content : that's Franka's cocktail for Spring Summer 2010. The collection features thin silhouette trousers in khaki twill, chinos in papery twill, Liberty prints and lots of dresses. The Swedish brand now has an online store, to make sure moms from all over the world can have access to the collections in just one click.

Petit Couture is a luxury brand of infant and toddler basics, dressy apparel, accessories and select mama items founded in 2009 by Rebecca Kaykas-Wolff and Noree Milligan. Dedicated to sustainable and ethical business practices and as such, Petit Couture sources and manufactures exclusively in the USA. The manufacturing process is on a quarterly basis rather than the standard six-month product creation cycle for most items, a good way to keep Petit Couture client's attention with fresh fashion proposals. The brand will showcase its owl logo collection at Bubble New York in March 2010.

Windows overview

Christmas windows are flourishing here and there in London, simultaneously with the first cold days and the high street decoration lights. There's a great lot of maximalist-kitsch-overload and color explosion, as seen at Christian Louboutin, Conran Store, Selfridges and Marc Jacobs. Is Santa also going to be in excess mode packing his bags this year, that is the question...

mor mor rita is back on tracks

After a year long break to be with her family, Ryan Roche is back with a mor mor rita collection. The new line features well priced basics including leggings, simple but perfect underpants, tees, sweatshirts, stockings and jeans in beautiful organic cotton. The cashmere blend knits will make your heart melt. Don't miss the women's size stockings in mor mor rita's unique color palette.

On the subject of brand identity

Ola&Olek is a newly launched UK-based line from designer Eliza Lopatowska. She gets inspired from her native Poland and her little cousins to create a delicately touching line of organic tees and retro dresses & cardigans. Introduced at Bubble London last June, the collection is small but perfectly put together. The visuals are the strength of the identity of Ola & Olek. So much is communicated in those few images, immediately drawing us into the spirit of the brand. For the discerning buyer who likes something different with a strong point of view.

Milk Deco 3 launch party at YoyaMart, NY

Milk Deco, the bi-annual style supplement of Milk Magazine is out. This 3rd edition takes us to the usual places (New York, Paris, London, Tokyo) but also to Tanger, Stockholm and Utrecht for a greater diversity of home inspirations. YoyaMart's owner Stephane Gerbier (featured in the booklet) hosted a party at his Meatpacking district store last week. Stephane takes the pose with Isis Colombe Combeas, founder-owner of Milk, and her son Aliocha.

At home with Cocoon Couture

Launched in 2004 by Designer Ingrid Daniell, Cocoon Couture started as a collection of beautiful children’s bean bags. The brand has grown since, adding a range of wooden room accessories: height charts, bookends and wall arts. The vintage inspired Enchanted Tree is the perfect tool to hang one's little secrets. Cocoon Couture will exclusively exhibit at Bubble London 31 January & 1 February 2010 at the Business Design Centre.

The little stories of Karin

Featured in Junior Magazine, Vogue Bambini, Elle decor, Glamour, Karin Nussbaumer is an Austrian photographer based in Amsterdam. Karin loves telling little stories, using photography to play with fantasy, trying to tell as much as possible in each of her images. Playing widely with light, tones and props, Karin makes her stories a pleasant travel for the viewer. Karin is represented by Julie Seguinier at juliesagency.com.

One step ahead

Anorak Magazine is always a step ahead. This fantastic UK children magazine, labeled as the Happy Mag for Kids, now has its own iPhone & iPod Touch application. Happy words search games. Happy colouring-in pages. Happy cycling game. Available from early November on iTunes. iWant it now.

Imagine

The British designers MillerGoodman who brought us ShapeMaker have launched yet another beautiful children's toy called PlayShapes. It's a unique and fun modular set of geometric wooden shapes which can be endlessly arranged or stacked to produce hunders of 3D creations. Beautifully crafted from durable rubberwood, they engage every child's imagination. As Albert Einstein put it so well together: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all, we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand." It will launch soon on www.shhhop.com and is available for wholesale in select stores.

Little Bean Shop Launches

Christine Visneau, from Baby Bean Vintage Daywear and Small Magazine is striking again with a very attractive new online shop, following the opening of her store in East Dallas. Of course it carries her eponymous vintage line Baby Bean, but it also sells a nicely edited selection of Clover New York, Mini Rotation and more. All Bubble favorites.

Stella for Gap

So good to see that designer & the high street (aka main street) are collaborating in the kids world as well. Stella McCartney's line for Gap Kid and BabyGap will be unveiled this November 4th, available in the UK, France, Japan, the US and Canada. The line includes cashmere blankets for newborns, brushed cotton blazers with silk lapels, wool military jackets embroidered with gold thread. Prices go from $14 to $128 for jackets and they're going to fly from the shelves, or so we think. The ad campaign has been shot by Ryan McGinley, above is a preview of the sweet images.

0-77 Photo Exhibit at YoyaMart

YoyaMart is working on a serie of photo exhibits, the first one to be launched next week. The intention of YoyaMart is to create a design environment related to the children's world but compatible with adult's taste. The first two participating artists are Ron Agam and Marc Dumas. The exhibit will coincide with a party held at the store for the launch of Milk Deco 3, on October 29th. For more info tel +1 212 242 5511.

Ron Agam flower portraits "In Full Bloom" point to the grandeur of Nature as reflected in some of its most fragile creations. His images are relevant to this time of ecological crisis. Ron spent his childhood between Paris & Rehovot, Israel.


Marc Dumas divides his time between Paris and Savador de Bahia where he captures the energy of Brazilian kids. He is a Professor of visual communication at Ecole Camondo in Paris.

Innovative design for a crisis

Trio of Swedish architects Claesson/Koivisto/Rune is proving that innovation is the best weapon in times of crisis. With the help of STFI-Packfosk (research&development) and Södra (Production factory), they have created Papuru, a chair for children made of DuraPulp (derivative of paper) and PLA (bioplactic extracted form corn starch). It's all very technical and it has to be, to achieve that performance : the chair is waterproof, recyclable, stackable, colorful...and it should cost half of the price of a classic plastic chair. We can't wait to see it in stores (2010).

Straight from the 50's, with a twist

A newborn in the family of inspiring online stores, Edmond offers a selection of furniture and vintage objects from the 1950's. Their children's selection includes miniature chairs, bedside tables, lamps, French school desks in a large array of prices. The pieces are either left in their vintage state or restored and actualized. Next to the collector's items signed Thonet, Charles & Ray Eames, Marcel Gascoin, Jean Prouvé, Edmond has added its own line of limited editions, which uses raw materials such as wood and wool. We particularly like the raw-wood miniature stools.
Photos Annabel Salesa

Myths, legends and Mini A Ture

Founded in 2001, Mini A Ture has established itself as one of the leading Danish brands in Europe. For their Autumn/Winter 09 collection, designer Katrine Lemvigh Montag has found inspiration in the magical world of fairytales inhabited by ogres, enchanted animals and beautiful princesses. The result is a high quality and contemporary collection with signature colour combinations. We can’t wait to discover what's next with the brand at Bubble London January 2010!

where the wild things are

Where the wild things are is drawing inspiration on everyone at the moment...Kudos to LA-based Entertaining Elephants and its sweet interpretation of thermals and bunny hats.