British Children's Fashion Label Tootsa MacGinty Launches In America

Already a hit in Europe, where they are stocked in leading independents and major department stores, Tootsa MacGinty is now being launched in the U.S. with the AW13 ‘A Walk In The Woods’ collection, offering bright, playful, practical but stylish clothing that is unisex. In the world of Tootsa MacGinty, boys and girls should be able to wear pink, purple, green, blue – all the colours of the rainbow! 

Also being unisex means pieces can be handed down from sibling to sibling whether a boy or a girl. And because everything is made from natural fibres, the feel and comfort of the collection is excellent whilst it is also easy to care for– even the cashmere knits can be thrown into the washing machine! In addition, the clothes look great and are beautifully designed with attention to detail including clever, fun ‘surprise’ details, embroidered appliques and strong graphics which parents and children love. These are pieces which although fashionable will stand the test of time. 

The collection is themed around ‘A Walk In The Woods’ and features tartan, folklore and woodland animals. All items are pre-washed so that they can be thrown into the washing machine and won’t shrink. There are lambswool jumpers and woodland chunky knit cardigans featuring rabbits, pine tree and snowflakes , ‘pine forest’ chinos, cords and cool marle sweatpants. Striped Henley cotton tops with applique bears on the shoulder to fair isle printed t-shirts also feature in the collection and can be mixed and matched with many of the pieces.

June's Digital Issue of Baby & Kids Magazine is Now Available for Viewing

 

Dear Baby & Kids Reader,

Welcome to the June digital issue of Baby & Kids Magazine.


This Month's Featured Content:
• Back to School
• Licensed Products
• Shower Power

• Toys for Tots

• Meal Time

• Look Book

• Industry Notebook

• Star Sightings
• Mom-preneurs
• Editor's Picks
• Advertiser's Directory

 

New Feature:
Now Viewable on all devices
 

Please Note:
The Baby digital requires NO special downloads or applications to view in its entirety on any device.... 

Please click HERE to begin reading now!

We hope you enjoy this issue and all future digital issues of Baby. Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and feedback at babykids@talcott.com.

Sincerely,
The Baby Team

Sanrio and Uglydoll Partner to Create a Limited-Edition Hello Kitty Collection

Sanrio, Inc., the global lifestyle brand best known for pop icon, Hello Kitty, has announced a partnership with Pretty Ugly, LLC, owner of Uglydoll, to create global, co-branded collaboration with Hello Kitty and Uglydoll characters. Uglydoll's unique aesthetic, famous for defining 'ugly' as distinctive and unique, will be combined with the iconic style of Hello Kitty to create a selection of limited-edition collectibles.

The Hello Kitty Uglydoll collaboration will make its official debut at San Diego Comic-Con, held July 18th-21st. The collection will include a set of limited edition plush by Gund featuring Hello Kitty dressed as Uglydoll's popular characters - OX, Trunko, Ice-Bat and Wage - as well as a set of vinyl figures by Funko. Additional product exclusive to Comic-Con will include t-shirts by Mighty Fine, iPhone cases by Uncommon, and a collectible pin set by PinUSA. Specific items from the collection will also be shown at Licensing Show, held June 18th-20th in Las Vegas; and will be available later this Summer at select Sanrio boutique stores, Sanrio.com, Uglydolls.com and specialty retailers. Retail is starting at $20.

2013 PLUSH Exceeds All Expectations

The PLUSH Show, held on June 7-9 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA, was a tremendous success for consumers and retailers alike. The three-day baby and toddler trade show was dedicated to all posh and eco-conscious retailers and parents who are always setting the next big trend. Unlike other juvenile shows in the industry, PLUSH was able to set itself apart by being one step ahead, and selecting vendors that were all worth the time to visit. With endless research on what today’s modern parents are looking for, PLUSH had the best, most innovative, eco-friendly, and luxurious products on the market, and placed them all in one location for retailers, consumers and media. 

Here's what some of the attendees had to say about their experience: 

"The show was original, fun and had many new innovative products. We are developing an entirely unique approach in networking between vendors and retailers by sharing information, concerns and new ideas in a smaller venue. Retailers and vendors seemed to be intrigued with this new concept and ready to move forward together to build the relationship and combine resources. It is nice to have a choice in our industry!" -Barbara Hill, Store Owner, Kids Pointe in Tallahassee, FL. 

"Expectations for the 2013 PLUSH Show were on a high note this year. These expectations were met and praises were heard everywhere at the end of the three day event. The PLUSH Show, for the last 2 years, has accomplished an amazing job as a consumer only event. This was the first year PLUSH opened their doors to retailers. The size of the show gave me the opportunity to meet and spend time at every booth at the show. I found new products for my store and made new friends. On the last day of the show, I had a chance to be out on the floor with more than 800 consumers and saw firsthand what their needs and requirements were. The PLUSH Show is for the independent juvenile specialty stores." –Zora Sawyer, Closic's Baby & Teen Furniture, Wilmington, DE.

After months of planning and research, the overall response exceeded any and all expectations. From the positive outcome we're even more excited about our partnership with the International Market Center in October. -Jina Park, President and CEO, Plush, LLC.

At the Wubbanub booth - Barbara Hill from Kids Pointe in Tallahassee, FL, CJ LeJeune from Brousse's A Child’s World in Lake Charles, LA & Beaumont, TX, Zora Sawyer from Closic's Baby & Teen Furniture in Wilmington, DE, and Beth Jarabek, Executive Director of BFPA and the newly announced JRA.

Casino Night Party with Yvonne LeJeune from Brousse's A Child’s World in Lake Charles, LA & Beaumont, TX, Zora Sawyer from Closic's Baby & Teen Furniture in Wilmington, DE, and Yaluan Tejada from Macro Baby in Orlando, FL.

The PLUSH logo in the lobby.

The U.S. launch of Jané Strollers at the PLUSH show with Chris Shipferling.

One Million Frogs Launches on Kickstarter to Fund Entertaining Book Sharing Entrepreneurial Success and Life Lessons

Successful "frog entrepreneurs" Rhett Power's and Peter Gasca's new KickStarter crowd-funding campaign aims to raise funds for their new book titled, One Million Frogs. The book is an entertaining twist on entrepreneurship as it chronicles the challenging and often comical journey and personal transformations of two businessmen and one very unlikely frog company. The campaign needs to raise $15,000 by June 12, 2013, in order to fund publication of the book and the employment of an editor. After the book is published, all proceeds will go to promote entrepreneurship in youth.

The pair started their company, Wild Creations, and purchased the business concept. With an extensive business plan and strategy for growth, Wild Creations was to be the first of many successful businesses in their promising portfolio. But when Lehman Brothers filed bankruptcy and the financial industry collapsed, Wild Creations’ lines of credit dried up. Power and Gasca persevered and took to the roads, driving over a hundred thousand miles each, to attend trade shows and sell their new product. Fast-forward six years. Wild Creations' EcoAquariums have grown from selling in a modest 50 retail outlets to more than 1,500 stores. Frog sales are still strong, but even more impressive - kids invent many of Wild Creations' products.

The company has won over 40 industry awards, including a nomination as Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year. Wild Creations was recognized by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce as the #1 fastest growing company in South Carolina, and by Inc. Magazine twice as one of the fastest growing private companies in America. For more information, or to make a pledge to the KickStarter campaign, please visit their Kickstarter page.