What catches my eye

Designers by trade, Kate and James Hayden-Ellis launched online children’s fashion, gift and accessories store burp! boutique in March 2010. Kate, whose CV includes print and web illustration and web design, turned her attention to retail after becoming pregnant and, with James, created both the store’s branding and site. Here she tells CWB’s Laura Turner about her buying methods and what a product must have to catch her eye.

Laura Turner: Where do you source the products you stock?

Kate Hayden-Ellis: “We do go to trade shows, but we're always looking on the web, and we’re lucky enough to get sent some great emails direct from stockists and independent people. We also keep an eye out when we’re travelling around; I recently found some great things in NYC.”

LT: What do you look for in a product?

KH-E: “Being illustrators and designers, James and I are drawn to bright, bold colours, quirky designs and strong patterns, which are reflected in our collections. We don’t do ‘twee and twiddly’; everything on our site is a representation of us at burp! Towers. We like to have fun and laugh, choose pieces that kids and bigger kids will like, and put smiles on faces. We’re also keen to support independent designers and British-made products.”

LT: What are some of your all-time favourites?

KH-E: “The Mysterio Predicts T-shirts by WryBaby are great fun (the T-shirt comes in a sealed bag with Mysterio’s Prediction printed on the front). We found them in Williamsburg in NYC when I was pregnant with my daughter Evie, so we bought her one – Mysterio predicts she’ll be a criminal mastermind. We also love the fabulous Flamingos & Dominoes garments. They’re handmade in Britain, which is fantastic, and the designs on them are awesome, some of the best I’ve seen for some time; really unique.”

 

LT: Is there anything new you have coming in-store that you’re particularly excited about?

KH-E: “I am very excited about some of the new toys I have coming in. The first selection is from a talented lady called Anna Chambers from the US who has designed some truly gorgeous plushes for kids. There are several different types, bunnies and lions, though not as you would expect. Stuf has developed a new range called Circus, featuring a super cute elephant, ringmaster, clown and lion; they are totally brilliant. We also stock their developmental Stufs.”

LT: Are there any product areas that you don’t currently cover that you would be interested in stocking going forward?

KH-E: “We have contemplated branching out into homeware but, for the moment, I just want to concentrate on what we have and let that grow before taking on too much. We are expanding the age range around autumn from 0-3 to 0-5 years, and I’d rather have a core set of strong collections than lots of weaker ones.”

Visit burp! boutique at http://www.burpboutique.com/