At Babiekins, we are always very excited to hear about the opening of a new independent children’s boutique. Why? Well, because it means that more people are understanding and appreciating the aesthetic and quality of the designers we admire and adore. Kodomo, owned and operated by Jasmine Punzalan, is a shop that opened on August 4, 2016 in Boston’s historic south end district. Kodomo, which is the Japanese word for child, is the result of Jasmine’s mindful journey from the corporate world to yoga to motherhood. You may read more about this journey on the Kodomo blog.
Jasmine shares with us how she goes about selecting which items and designers to carry at Kodomo, “The foundation of our business is ethically produced, playful & stylish clothing, shoes, and accessories for babies,kids, and tweens. I have met every designer either in person (over dinner, drinks, coffee) or I’ve had 5AM skypes with some of our European designers. It is very important for us to support independent designers who are respectful of our environment and pay their employees fair wages.
We believe kids should be comfortable in their clothing. As moms know, kids don’t like to wear anything itchy or constricting for movement. We also believe that kids shouldn’t be confined to the stereotypical kids style with princesses, trains, pink for girls, blue for boys etc. Much of our selection is unisex. Our store is not separated by boy and girl sections. We fully support kids being creative, playful and to express themselves how they want. If a boy wants to wear a pink tutu, why should he have to go to the “girls section”?”
Jasmine also let us in on which are the top selling items at Kodomo: “Nununu! Especially the ninja hoodies and star dresses, which has been a refreshing change for the otherwise conservative Boston. Mini Rodini. Kids and adults alike are drawn to their fun prints. Atelier Choux baby blankets. We are the first US retailer of this brand from Paris which is 100% organic cotton, made in France and feature whimsical story-book prints. New moms LOVE these. Not only are they beautiful but they are also functional. They can be used as a nursing cover, scarf, swaddle, light weight stroller blanket.”
For their launch, Kodomo collaborated with Josephina Carlier and Katherine Edmunds on a beautiful photo series. Below are a couple of our favorites.
If you are not in Boston, you may also shop online on the Kodomo website.
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