Imps&Elfs originated in 1997 as ‘a modest children’s label without frills and fancies, which concentrates on the shape of the child. Fons Cohen is the owner and founder and Jaqueline Streng is the designer. Based in South Amsterdam their Baby (Sleep) and Toddler (Walk) collections have transcended borders and are sold widely all over the world.

Here at Mash n Gravy, we are delighted to showcase the ‘Talk’ collection ( 3 years to 7 years in our store) which concentrates on a capsule collection of every day items of exceptional quality and superior fit.

Jaqueline Streng considers children to be ‘the most precious gift on earth‘ and this is evident in her choice of delightfully soft, light as a feather fabrics for this seasons tops and tees.

Imps&Elfs works with MADE-BY, a subsiduary of the Dutch Solidaridad fair trade organization, to clean up the production process.

MADE-By is an umbrella label used by about twenty fashion brands to show consumers that their clothes are produced in a sustainable manner. Brands affiliated to MADE-BY use biological cotton and work together with sewing factories which have a social code of conduct, thereby focusing on environmental and working conditions throughout the entire production chain.

We feel that Imps& Elfs Talk Collection fits the Mash n Gravy profile as it has style, a sense of humour, subtle colour schemes punctuated by unexpected shots of colour, not to mention it’s green credentials. We have been so blown away by this first delivery that we’ve had to vocalise our excitement in the form of this post before we’ve had the garments photographed. Keep your eyes peeled, as the collection will be available to purchase soon. In the mean time, please enjoy these styling shots – a taste of what will soon be on offer.

In our relentless quest to bring you the freshest trends, we are delighted to introduce Angels’ Face to our store.

We have just taken delivery of their frothy Pettiskirts and HQ has become a riot of colour with frills and ribbon spilling out everywhere.

If you are an avid on line shopper or, indeed a serial browser with self restraint (I take my hat off to you madam!) you cannot have failed to notice the presence of the fuller skirt for little girls, with even the more traditional labels such as Mini A Ture including tulle skirts in their forthcoming collection. Set to be a big trend, not just for the coming season, but for the foreseeable future, voluminous pettiskirts are back. Made wit hover forty yards of soft frills these were just made for twirling.

Perfect as a present Angel’s Face have also designed a stylish hat box which doubles, not only as beautiful presentation, but also as practical storage for the shirt when not being worn.

Little girls across the land who are lucky enough to own one of these will want to wear it to parties, weddings, ballet, dressing up and even with wellingtons in the rain. I know I would if they made them in my size!

Now how are we going to get all of these back in their boxes…?

Another awesome new arrival at Mash N Gravy

Dandy Star pride themselves on not doing the ‘fashion thing,’ although it is quite evident that they cannot escape their own heritage.

Because they care about what they make, from sourcing the best of soft cotton, to designs that may cause the odd argument over a cup of tea, the outcome is ranges that don’t have a shelf life or sell-by date.

Their design aesthetic goes back to a time of sandy shoes on the backstep, Portabello junk in the living room, Marc Bolan in the bedroom and definitely too much blue eyeliner in the bathroom.

Vibrant yet muted our shades contrast with bold typography and line. The natural fading achieved through the production process, with some added sparkle and dandification. All that works with the way you like to live and your kids like to play.

On a sales trip to NYC in 1955 Abbot Pederson decided to pop into a local bar prior to catching his return flight to Minneapolis. Stumbling out some time later in an attempt to find a taxi he took a wrong turning and found himself outside a taxidermists shop, staring at a row of stuffed penguins. Before you could say ‘flightless bird’, Pederson had bought one of the penguins, named him Pete and was sipping cocktails with him on the flight home.

At some point on the flight Pederson accidently knocked the head off the bird, and worse for wear was assisted by a stewardess who removed his tie and placed it round Pete’s neck. She joked that such a dapper fellow deserved to be immortalised, perhaps on a shirt similar to the one Pederson was wearing.

On his return to Minneapolis Pederson wasted no time in realising his dream. A keen golfer, he created a shirt that was casual, yet smart and equally at home on the 18th hole as well as the 19th. So the Munsingwear golf shirt was born.

Pete, thereafter was associated with the American elite – Clint Eastwood, Richard Nixon, Frank Sinatra to name but a few. An Original Penguin had become an American Classic.

The shirts were catapulted back into fashion around 2000, when there was a demand for them in vintage boutiques. In 2003, this overwhelming demand led to the rebirth of the brand. Their archive of mid century classics were reworked to reflect todays life style without compromising the heritage or craftsmanship that gave the brand its iconic status.

Let Them Eat Cake has joined forces with 2 talented British artists, Annie Kevans and Stella Vine in order to create T-Shirts for ‘The Environmental Justice Foundation Charity’ (EJF campaigns internationally on the issues their grassroots partners attempt to work locally to solve including, cotton production, pirate fishing, shrimp farming, pesticides,wildlife and climate refugees.)

The T-Shirt designs feature iconic images, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono and a young Britney Spears and complement the vintage style of Let Them Eat Cake. The designs are printed on the best quality and ethical T-Shirts by American Apparel and are all hand printed in Bath.

Katvig is a brand familiar to many for it’s unparalleled use of the stripe. Their signature apple print is instantly recognisable and their use of unusual colour combinations, inspirational.

Looking beyond the funky seasonal collections, the ethos of the label is even more important. Katvig have long used a high proportion of organic cotton and bamboo fibres in their garments which is apparent to the touch and are tirelessly campaigning for a ban on the use of all non organic cotton. 25% of the worlds total use of pesticides comes from cotton production. One kilo of pesticides is currently used for every eight cotton t-shirts produced, which is both ruinous to
nature and detrimental to the health of the cotton workers and their families.

In an attempt to do something positive in the mean time Katvig are proud to include recycled cotton in this seasons collection. Up to 40% of cotton is wasted in the production process in between the cutting and sewing. Katvig receive their own cotton leftovers and then process them, without the use of any toxic chemicals, the resulting fabric is then tested once again to ensure that it is free from any harmful substances. The subsequent material is one which is softer and lighter and when the recycled fibres are exposed gives a vintage look.

Vibrant colours, perfect fit and conscientiously produced. We love Katvig!

BOBO CHOSES is a fun loving yet responsible, original clothing line from Barcelona. Each season brings a new set of stories and new garments, made with comfortable natural fabrics and a simple elegant cut. For Spring/Summer 2010 we are treated to the story of The Donkey and the Stars, featuring shades of grey, dove and imperial blue, punctuated with a splash of vermillion.

All clothing is made at the ACT SOCIAL workshop-school in Bangladesh, where women from rural areas are given the opportunity to learn a skill in the textile industry. 10% of profit is returned to the school. Each BOBO CHOSES garment bears a label with a code that you can enter at www.bobochoses.com to see where the product comes from and how your purchase contributes to the ACT SOCIAL project. BOBO CHOSES is a great example of how to build a great business based on creativity, quality and social awareness.

THE DONKEY AND THE STARS

Once upon a time there lived an old donkey on Okinawa Island,
who fell asleep every night looking up at the moon.

And in his dreams, he would dream of white doves
who were gathering him a basket filled with stars.

“Dear doves” the old donkey would say, “throw down the basket,
so that the stars may flutter around me like butterflies”.

And so they would, but at that very moment
the sun would begin to rise, little by little,
and instead of stars and doves and butterflies,
the old donkey would wake up surrounded by flies,
who would laughingly say to him:

“Dear donkey, sleepy old donkey, wake up now, the sun has risen”.

And that’s why each morning, the donkeys and the flies
would amble down to the beach together
to watch the dawn and the colours of the sea
turning from red to orange and from orange to blue…

And all this happened on Okinawa Island,
a place just like any other place,
so near and yet so far from the moon and the stars.

Let Them Eat Cake is a new label, which has received an overwhelming reception so far, fuelled by a mention in prestige publications such as Harpers Bazaar and Junior. Designer Felicity Lynch blends modern styling with vintage romanticism, and the result is beautiful and unique.

Felicity trained at the London College of Fashion and had dreamed about designing children’s clothing for a long time. With three young children herself, she made that leap!

She has a passion for beautiful textiles and loves using rare vintage pieces for her collections. For this season inspiration is taken from Victorian circus posters, and everything in the collection is hand made in Bath to an exceptional standard. Heirloom pieces indeed!

The T-Shirts are 100% organic cotton too.

Kidscase is a small independent company founded in Amsterdam in 2000. Their aim is to design collections that fit the lifestyle of individualistic and modern parents and their children. The first collection was launched in 2001 and from the beginning their fashion forward simplicity and intense powerful colours attracted attention.

The Kidscase style is tranquil, versatile and modern with a preference for the ‘basic plus’ look: inventive, simple designs, refined and rich in detail, with fabrics of exceptionally high quality. Comfortable, wearable, sophisticated and radiating style each collection has a selection of exciting and often unexpected colours.

For Spring/Summer 2010 be blown away by chilli pepper red and azure blue and be enveloped by hazy grey and rice white.

Here are just a couple of images from the new Kidscase collection, click the images to view in more detail.

As Mash n Gravy begins to mature and our children to grow we are continually looking for innovative and inspirational labels to promote in store. First to arrive for Spring /Summer 2010 is Scotch Shrunk.

Scotch and Soda Childrenswear range, ‘Shrunk in Amsterdam’, was launched in Fall 2008 to huge acclaim, making it an instant favourite across Europe.

The fast growing Dutch brand offers affordable, casual creations in versatile styles to suit even the most choosey little boy making the range widely appealing.

The collections underlying theme is preppy sportswear with a twist. Ideal for layering, the brand offers a rich diversity of styles, materials and colours with freedom to mix it up a little.

We are delighted to welcome Scotch Shrunk to Mash n Gravy and hope that your little guys love it as much as ours.

Click on the images below to get a better view of the Scotch Shrunk catalogue.