Cristie Schrader and Alyson Abreu want to keep kids in fashion.
That’s why the two friends decided to start Nest, a Seattle-based children’s clothing line launching in November. Schrader brings five years of design experience to the company, having worked in various positions at Nordstrom. Abreu, who has been employed in the advertising industry, is the mother of three-year-old daughter London, and six-day-old son Julian.
About a year ago, the friends were chatting about finding clothes for London that were fashionable as well as functional. Abreu said she became frustrated when she couldn’t find those elements in children’s wear. And so the idea for Nest was born.
“London loves clothes and being girly, and I keep buying dresses that don’t last,” Abreu said. “She wears them once or twice, and they are worn out.”
Nest is based on adult styles that the two woman admire: There’s an eyelet dress, tunic-inspired onesies, trenchcoats and super-stylish diaper bags.
“We were inspired by familiar styles and textiles that appeal to us,” Schrader explained. “We like the juxtaposition of classic and modern and felt it was the direction we had to go in for the collection. For instance, the tunic silhouette is everywhere, and we thought it would be cute as a onesie. Our signature print, the Infant Damask, is a playful twist on a classic pattern.”
Wholesaling from $4.50 for a hat or bib to $142 for a leather diaper bag, Abreu and Schrader insist on using natural fibers, mostly cotton, to make the clothes easy to wear for infants’ and toddlers’ sensitive skin. They used fine cottons so the clothes are easy to wash and have staying power.
“We understand how moms shop for children in entire outfits, but as adults we are more focused on separates,” Abreu said. “We wanted to offer a line with pieces that you can play with to create match-y outfits or a more unique look.”
The diaper bags were designed with moms in mind. Available in leather and fake leather, they are fashionable but also functional, with interior bottle pockets, zip-out changing pads and diaper compartment, as well as outside pockets for keys, wallets and cell phones. Each detail on the bag was mom-tested by Abreu, who said the zip-out, easy-to-clean nylon lining was a must, as was the small stands on the bottom to make sure the bag doesn’t fall over during diaper changes.
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“We really want this to be a bag that she will want to use even after the diapers are gone,” Schrader said. “I know that I love it and plan to use it all the time.”
Launching in November on Nestchildren.com, the company also expects the line to be available in specialty and department stores nationwide in December. Schrader and Abreu declined to give estimates for first-year sales volume.