Inspirations behind creating a Fashion Brand

At L&G we love to bring you the latest stories on trends, travel, fashion and jewellery. However did you ever wonder what inspired these brands and where they came from? One of the biggest growing markets in fashion is children’s fashion, from Stella McCartney to Tommy Hilfiger they are all trying to break into this market place.

On a recent trip to the US, we caught up with Wati Grossman, founder of Wati Design ( www.watidesign.com) who is based in California. Her line is carried by some of the most cutting edge kids fashion shops around the United States, including Neiman Marcus. So we asked her

What was the inspiration behind creating the brand ?

Wati: After working for big corporations such as The Gap and Levi Strauss & Co. in the 90's and early 2000's, I really just wanted to start a girls' line.  For most of a decade I have manufactured in India, a country I find to be very inspiring. But recently I've felt a push to be more about locally made, and of designing things that can be passed down and loved for a very long time. That's why I went back to my childhood obsession of Liberty of London prints. Americans are still learning about Liberty but once they see the prints of course, they are hooked forever!

What were your goals behind the brand?
Wati: My goals for the brand were always to design dresses that made girls happy. With the amount of fan mail I still receive I think I've fulfilled that mission. My husband has teased me over the years that my driving force has never been about making money, it's always been about seeing the smiles on all those young girls' faces.

 What is the inspiration behind your designs this year?
This summer I'll be pivoting the business and re-vamping the website. Our eldest is going off to university in the Fall so now I feel like I can focus on new projects. This past year was for me, all about being in California more and traveling less. Sometimes as an entrepreneur you need to change the pace and adjust depending on what's right for you. Just looking through a Liberty swatch book my brain goes to design heaven.  I started doing small accessories and made-to-order dresses for women friends but what's really popular are the Liberty belts. They're like candy, people want one in every print. They liven up white or blue jeans and are an easy way to wear prints if you're mostly a solids person.

I appreciate all things classic and well-tailored but adore exotic textiles, fashion inspired by ethnic dress and Liberty of London prints. I count Lou Lou de la Falaise and Ines de la Fressange as style inspirations. You can follow my design boards on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/watidesign/ and my twin blog at https://doublevisiontwinsblog.squarespace.com/blog/

Who else is doing a good job designing kids clothing and shoes, that really have made an impression in the fashion market place for kids? 

Here is a short list of my favorites:  Ses Petites Mains of San Francisco:   http://sespetitesmains.com/  Truly lovely dresses and separates for girls by ex-Ralph Lauren designer Beth Miles, sizes ranging from 12 months to age 14. The obvious guys! Crewcuts by JCrew and Gap Kids and California children's shoe company Livie & Luca:  http://www.livieandluca.com/. One can't exclude Bonpoint which is always classic yet relevant. Its very fun that they had Garance Dore direct their mini promo film to celebrate the opening of their new store in Soho, New York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvME7tOQs3Q

For more information contact: watidesign@gmail.com