iggle & boo

How did iggle & boo get started?

We officially launched the venture in February this year… it’s a pretty funny story how it got started actually…Tara and I are neighbours and our eldest children are 4 months apart in age. We didn’t know each other prior to our children being born, but soon after the birth of our first children we bought houses right next door to each other and our families all became great friends. The children have all grown up together and have been the inspiration for our children’s clothing label – their nicknames are iggle & boo which is how Tara came up with the name! I guess it really all started when I was pregnant with my eldest child. I started nesting a little and asked my husband for a sewing machine for my birthday. Tara was working in a children’s clothing store in Sydney Rd Brunswick – Kid’s Cargo. Mel and Tan (the owners of Kid’s Cargo) are great for supporting local designers and asked if I could make a few dresses. We knocked on doors, we rang people we knew who may be able to help us get started, we put our creative hats on and designed some prints to get screen printed and all of a sudden we had a range together! We borrowed props, mannequins, marquees and headed to the Shirt and Skirt market at Abbotsford Convent to launch the range (on every 3rd Sunday of each month), which is one of our favourite markets and home to many emerging designers. It was a great success.

What does your designer children’s clothing range consist of?

We know that kids love to feel comfortable in what they are wearing, so we wanted to create a range of practical clothes with funky prints that kids can play and have fun in. Our base colours are navy, red, white, grey and denim. Our initial range has had a bit of a vintage feel with classic car prints for the boys, and a dressmakers bodice and a chandelier print for the girls. We also have a signature elephant design which is used on many of the baby rompers, the play mat and the pram blanket. We have just finished all the designs for the summer range which we will launch around September. There are lots more fun prints coming including a moose, birdcage, carousel & helicopter. The items we have include baby jumpsuits, t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, skirts, great unisex designer jeans, blankets and cushions. We love creating gorgeous clothing and homewares for little people! The classic styles and colours are perfect for children to wear every day. They are a great addition to any wardrobe.

What are your future plans for your label?

We love that we can work around being home with our children. We have very grand plans for the label, kicking off with a number of events from September onwards this year, once our jeans and full new Summer range are available. We will also be doing a number of charity events to support local charities. Tara and I have put successful finance careers on hold for family and this business venture, so we are really excited to be working on it and watching it grow. We live in a street with many other families and they have all been fantastic in supporting our growth. We attend markets regularly where we have stalls and are often surrounded by other very talented designers with their divine creations. Check our website for more info on where we are popping up next. www.iggleandboo.com.au

Has it been easy to begin a creative business?

There have been many, many hurdles to jump so far and I’m sure there will be many more but we are also having a lot of fun. And while it’s fun, we’ll be continuing to move and groove with iggle and boo – where elephants say mooo! We have an incredible support network of friends and family who have been sending off our marketing emails to their friends and family, and also buying gifts for their own families and friends, so we are getting a great following that way too. We are both very determined by nature, we are following a dream which we are passionate about so things have fallen into place nicely so far.