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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Designer Series: Le Top Baby

…interview with le•top baby designer: Elena Kotchetova

Design sketches by head le•top baby designer MaryKate

Whenever I tell people what I do for a living, they always reply, “Wow, that is so cool!” Well, I do work for a great company with an amazingly talented designer, Marykate Fleming, who leads the design team for le•top baby. Sometimes we take for granted being able to say wonderfully bizarre things like, “That blue is 5% too red”, and “I’m thinking of a more shabby-chic-not-so-heavy pink…” or, my signature phrase, “That looks like cake, let’s go with that!” But, after an hour of serious discussion that the turtle looks too “round” or the elephant isn’t “fat” enough, and how getting the elephant weight just right is crucial, I don’t need to be reminded that designing is a very “cool” job. Cool, indeed!

A few views of Elena's le•top baby favorites: Lullaby Landing, Fall 08 Collection (l) and Baby Train Spring 09 Collection (r)

And here we are, already into the start of a new season (Spring 2010!), and well into the beginning of what is going to be another gorgeous le top baby collection. I’ve met with Marykate to discuss thread colors and the shades of ribbons, as well as other design details. Very exciting! My favorite groups have always been the “Precious Blue” baby boy groups. “Precious Blue” is a color we pretty much invented, and we feature it in our collection every season. I love the clean, fresh and soft look of these groups. My favorites include “Lullaby Landing” from Fall 2008 and “Baby Train” from Spring 2009. Of course, everyone has her favorites. Believe me, there are lots of beautiful groups to chose from!

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Designer Series: Wags ‘N Whiskers from the le•top Fall Collection

Did you pick this Wags ‘N Whiskers collection as one of your faves in our Favorites Contest?

These two cousins are adorable in le•top’s Wags ‘N Whiskers collection. Puppy dogs for little boys, and cute kittens for little girls. Perfect for siblings, twins, cousins, and more! Get cozy and warm in these hooded plush jackets. Floppy blue ears or little pink ears will make your darlings the cat’s meow! (These jackets are actually warm enough to wear outdoors, but super soft!)

Pants, dresses and overalls are made of soft flannel, paired with luscious knit tops sure to keep them comfortable and warm. Available in sizes 3 months to 6X. Visit our le•top store locator to find a shop near you, or click here for online shopping options.

More from this collection…

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