Living and Loving Fashion!

Great design is all about inspiration!  When Sarah, our Assistant Designer for le•top was in China with the Dragon Boat team, she was stimulated by the beauty and all the unique encounters.  Of course she always has her eye out for fashion…and we couldn’t resist sharing these fabulous shoes she found.  These one of a kind flats are made of cow hide, and have the kind of whimsy that makes them le•top extraordinary!  She wore them in to work the other day and I just had to snap a photo for you all to see!

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What Surrounds Us

Obviously, my love for design pervades all areas of my life, not just fashion and designing fabulous baby clothes! I love finding new (or old) things to decorate the house. I visit antique stores for inspiration. I reupholster and paint vintage furniture I find on the street, as well as investing in sturdy and long-lasting key pieces. If you get even just a few pieces of what you love and create nooks or special clusters in your home, it can become a great focal point. It can become a special, treasured area to spend a little extra time just taking in your loved pieces before getting on with your day. I think it feeds the mind and heart to take pleasure in the visual beauty of our own making, no matter how little or inexpensive it may be. And, here are my favorite “nooks” in the house.

le•top blog would love to see the special nooks in your home (or office!), so please share!

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Conquering the Big Apple

Kathy and Lisa prepping the le•top booth before the show

The theme of our New York week – let’s get to work!

After spending Friday morning doing ‘home improvement’ projects at the new showroom we were ready to move on to the next stop – the Jacob Javitts Convention Center to set up for the Children’s Club show. We had decided to revamp our booth, since we loved our new look at the Las Vegas show. We bought new furniture in New York to avoid the shipping costs from California – so here’s the question: how long does it take to put together 7 tables and 16 chairs? A looong time. Paul was again pulled in as a ‘worker bee’ – resulting in a serious cramp in his hand by the time all this furniture was assembled! So much for “easy assembly” – easy and quick are 2 very different things! Of course the result of everyone’s labor was a striking booth…the customers commented we looked “new and modern!”

The show was very, very busy for us! It is always wonderful to see our favorite customers in person and listen to their feedback. I have a confession…neither Paul nor I actually sell the collection to the buyers, we simply ‘hang out’ and absorb suggestions. I always joke that we act as ‘booth host and hostess’ – but the pleasure is always ours. One of the real treats is that we not only see all of our favorite New York customers at this show, we also see friends from different regions of the U.S. and some from outside of the country. The show is officially an international show – and it is wonderful to hear input from all different perspectives. Our designers are in the midst of designing the Spring 2010 collection and eagerly await the feedback, since it gives them even more inspiration. I loved hearing about colors and styles that are selling in the stores – because we want to be sure we create new things that will make our customers happy!

Of course “all work and no play” makes for a dull group – and we are definitely not dull! Erin said all I wrote about  our Vegas trip was food, making her very hungry, so stay tuned for what we did to “play”…because we love going to great restaurants!

Busy buyers at the rabbitmoon booth

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Driving Design Inspiration

Marykate and I thought it would be fun to share this great little “inspiration” story! Once upon a time there was a pony named “Spot”. Marykate had discovered him while driving to the office one day. He was a teeny tiny little thing, standing close to his mommy, and gazing at the road with his big brown eyes, all the while batting his long eyelashes at passersby. He was absolutely precious. And thus the “Pony Named Spot” le•top baby group (Fall 08) was born. You can never tell where the designer will find her inspiration, or in this case, her pony named Spot!

Design board: concepts to final product for le•top baby Pony Named Spot Collection, Fall 08

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It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s KRYPTON! THE SUPERDOG!

Krypton, the Superdog!

In our very dog-friendly office, we have a superhero among our canine regulars – it’s Krypton! Our head designer Pat Landskron has diabetes, and needs to pay very close attention to her health. Pat is a very talented designer who creates whimsical and unique clothing – and needs to always be healthy and happy to maintain her unique perspective. Pat has created many designs through the years that were inspired by her kitty cats, but now we have the best puppy groups! (Just wait until you see the new collection!) Pat’s inspiration is fueled by her assistance dog, Krypton. Most people are unaware that dogs can be trained to help people with diabetes monitor their sugar level – it is really amazing!

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