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.

Purchasing clothes for a baby can be tricky. What do we make our decicion on? Something that looks nice to us or a funky yet different design or is it just something that looks comfortable for the kid to wear. One company that we feel at mashNgravy HQ that has become synonymous with comfortable, appealing baby clothes is Urban Elk.

Started just in 2006, Urban Elk, has rapidly become one of the best known names within the industry for producing comfortable kid’s clothes that look quirky and fun.

With less than 45 days till Christmas many people will be wondering what to buy for the youngest members in the family; many will end up getting the usual toys and interactive games so this year why not opt from the normal and get them something that is very stylish as well as practicable.

As we all know women are in general better at choosing baby presents than men, after all what 18 month old child wants to play with a scalextric or put on a pair of football boots?

As the cold winter winds start to hit most of Europe one of the most practical presents to get your youngest must be the Baby Wen Ombre Blue Jacket from Mini A Ture – this is a must-have jacket for your little one, the Teflon coating will keep your child warm and dry as well as allowing their skin room to breathe.

Don’t forget, use discount code MINI30 at the shopping cart to receive a 30% reduction.

It is all go here at mashNgravy HQ but somehow we’ve managed to find the time to do a blog post about the latest Urban Elk goodies. As is normal with Urban Elk they have their Elk stamped into the design to remind everyone that it is of high quality material and stitching that is expected from this brand.

Onesies, sweatshirts, sweatpants, babysuits and long sleeve tops are all here in an array of comforting colours.

At last, we have taken stock of the new BOdeBO range and now have it live, ready for purchase, from our online store. We’ll be adding to this collection as winter gives over to spring and we are sure that many of our readers will beging to fall in love with the BOdeBO brand just like ourselves.

Here is our latest BOdeBO collection…

Sssshhh, want a wee sneak at the new Mini Rodini outwear collection. Yeah! Well, I’m happy to oblige.

Did you know that this is the first time Mini Rodini have done an autumnal outwear collection? Nah, me neither! But, hey, everyday is a schoolday .

The new range features shiny puffa jackets, plenty of checks, flannel lumberjack coats and faux fur hats.

Gorgeous, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Ok, it’s sneak-a-peek time, oh and don’t forget to lookout for our own Mini Rodini section as we will being updating it with new stock, very, very, soon…