Australian Television’s Nine Network morning news and lifestyle show the Today show featured a glimpse of Suri Cruise peeking through the window of a cupcake shop wearing ‘a beautiful designer maxi dress’ during Richard Reid’s Celebrity Gossip Segment….the dress Suri’s wearing  turns out to be our Polka’s Summer 2009 Collection’s Mini Maxi Dress in Green Diamond Print! Loving your style Suri!

for stockist details click here

Kid Style File’s Angela Anderson

Interviews Jo and Marika, Founders of POLKA

Tell us a little about your background

Jo: I was born in Vancouver, Canada, and moved to Australia 7 years ago. I grew up in a multi cultural city bursting with great west coast food, culture and breathtaking scenery. We travelled a lot as a family, and Travel has been one of the major inspirations in my life both in work and in personal growth. I studied extensively in Canada and I’m currently working on my Masters.

Marika: I was born in Sydney, then moved to Adelaide when I was 2 - where my parents owned a children’s wear boutique called ‘Alice in Wonderland’. I remember at 2 or 3 yrs old jealously sitting on the sidewalk with my grandparents as my older sister Charisse got to dress up as Alice, with my Mum dressed as the White Rabbit, and my dad as the Mad Hatter, in the Norwood Street Parade with all the other shop owners. We moved back to Sydney when I was 5, and then to the Gold Coast when I was 14. I’ve been a graphic designer since I was 20, and it has led me to my current passion of fashion and textile Design.

What, or who, inspires you?

Both: We can’t get enough of Scandinavian Street Fashion, Tokyo Street Fashion, Excessive Layering, Interesting Accessories, Nordic Knits, Architecture, Origami, Polish Traditional Folkwear, Alaskan Eskimos, Style Structure, Triangles, Hexagons, Danish Design, Revival Fashions - 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, even 80’s, Rich Daring Colour - combinations that PING! And our 2 energetic hyper-tots: best friends Mika and Indi - full of humour and endless love.

Which other baby and kids designers do you admire?

Both: European labels Smafolk, Katvig, and Plastisock were our favourite inspirational brands when we first started. Now we’re designing ourselves, and things are going full-throttle we don’t get a lot of time to see what other kids labels are doing now!

What is your favourite way to spend time with your child?

Jo: We try to get outside and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We are so blessed with year round great weather on the Gold Coast, and are lucky to live so close to the beach and to the rainforest. It’s really the best of both worlds.

Marika: We *HEART* making cakes! Making cakes brings us closer together in two ways, one because she’s taller when she stands on a highchair, and two because it makes Indi so happy she hugs our heads in tight and tells me ‘ooh my best fwend, i love ooh’ - melts my heart every time!

Another favourite way to spend time is with Jo and Mika, because the girls have the most adorable friendship - the sound of them giggling together is pure joy - and they do it non-stop when they’re together. They are such cute, kooky kids!

What are you passionate about?

Jo: Working with Marika, and developing Polka. So far I am loving the ride. I think we have a winning combination of skills and passion. This year I’m really looking forward to travelling to keep tight reigns on our production and oversee the quality control. Outside of work, I’m passionate about being a great mother, and a good friend.

Marika: Ohhh - Polka. We do, we live breathe and eat it! It’s beyond obsessive! I dream about Design, Architecture, Folds, Angles, Textures - we’re forever analyzing what’s worked well, sold well worn well, tweaking and refining - adding new inspirations, how to make the next collection better, tighter, stronger. I’m also incredibly excited about our latest POLKA project - our very Web2.0 website and it’s social networking additions! We’re hoping to help create a dialogue and inspirational space for POLKALOVERS to participate: at the moment we’re running a Small Folk Street Style Spotting Photoshoot competition! Outside of work, I find great joy in spending the time I have off with family and friends.

If you could see Polka on any child in the world, who would it be, and why?

Both: We’re In total agreeance: Nicole Richie’s daughter, Harlow, and Gwen Stefani’s little boy Kingston - both women have incredible style.

What are you listening to/reading right now?

Jo: I’m listening to German electronic music, and reading ‘A New Earth’ by EckhartTolle.

Marika: I’m digging Metronomy and LadyHawke (courtesy of my brother and sister), and flicking through the pages of Frankie Magazine.

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Enter Polka’s Small Folk Street Style Spotting Photoshoot competition for a chance to win Polka prizes. You can purchase Polka Kids online from Baby’s Got Style, Little Pinwheel, Tiny People, and My Messy Room.

Angela Anderson, Kidstylefile.com.au

“Colour Lovers sink your teeth into this! Polka’s Winter 2009
Collection’s Scandinavian inspired super soft cotton woollies will make
your heart sing!! A Polka kid’s wardrobe is not shy of colour,
featuring a kaleidoscope of rich and daring hues; burnt orange,
chocolate brown, deep turquoise, electric purple, aubergine, charcoal,
navy.”

Polka Kids launched last
year and has taken the kids fashion industry by storm. Check out their
cool range of babies, boys, girls and unisex stuff today!

To Visit My Jnr; A Resource For X and Y Gen Mothers Click Here

Polka lovers will love this! We have a fresh new online retailer to get all your Polka gear - find it here www.littlepinwheel.com.au. Store owner Hayley Blease draws on her varied and extensive fashion industry career experience, and skills as a graphic designer - combined with her obvious style and passion for all things gorgeous…She’s delightful to deal with, and her excitable enthusiasm is absolutely infectious! We love the new store Hayley! Well Done!

These shots below are from Hayley’s Blog; (click here to visit it) How gorgeous is her daughter Keely in the Science of Me Tracksuit, and her son Taj in the TV Test Pattern Blankie.

Little Pinwheel Profile:

Little Pinwheel is a children’s online boutique offering fun, hip and modern clothes for girls, boys and babies.The labels we carry are mostly showcased from Australian Designers and they range from beautiful pieces to your every day fun streetwear clothes.

Before having my two beautiful children, Keely and Taj, I dreamt of opening a children’s boutique. When I had Keely I found it really difficult to find beautiful clothes for her. Once I had Taj I realised that it is just as hard, if not harder to find great boys clothes.

With this in mind and my experience in fashion I thought I had to finally do my children’s boutique to help other mothers dress their children. I really wanted to make sure that I supported Australian Designers as I feel we have some great existing and up and coming creative people in this country.

I have been on every side of fashion, from being a Buyer, being involved in Production to being a Sales Rep and with all of this experience I am forever trying to source beautiful new products to add to my online store. If you know of any labels that you think I should stock then please contact us and I will do my best to get them online.

My future dream is to be an online store that opens the door to the up and coming designers we have, in clothing or accessories. This is just the beginning of an exciting future for Little Pinwheel!

Little Pinwheel is for playful and free spirited little people!

click this link to visit  www.littlepinwheel.com.au

This online boutique is the happy result of many not so happy shopping sessions that I have experienced. I was sick of traipsing around all day trying to pull together a unique gift for a new arrival, birthday party or baby shower!

In my “other life” as a magazine stylist, I also struggled to find interesting things for bubs and kids to include in magazine spreads. I discovered through extensive research both here in Australia and overseas that the great ranges and cool stuff did exist - but that I had to spend hours wading through the boring stuff (cartoon character t-shirts and lemon coloured jumpsuits) to find them.

I decided not to let the many hours shopping and researching be in vain. Baby’s Got Style online boutique was launched in October 2004.

Baby’s Got Style is gift shopping for stylish people who don’t have children and wouldn’t know where to start shopping for gorgeous things for one, and for mums and dads with little ones who want something a bit unique, fun and fabulous to dress their bambino in. We bring together the most gorgeous baby clothes, gifts and accessories under one virtual roof for ease of shopping.

I hope it will take the stress out and put the style back in to shopping for your little style setter (or someone else’s!)!

Wishing you happy shopping,
Daniela Minns (nee Gregg)

Visit Our Online Store: www.babysgotstyle.com.au

email enquiries:  mena@babysgotstyle.com.au

Kido Store; Welcome to the Family

These days everything that we do revolves around family. Whether it be our two beautiful daughters Gia and Dillon, our relatives, or our vast network of loved and cherished extended family we are never not surrounded by amazing people that we have so much love for. There is a little bit of each of them in everything that we do and they inspire and enlighten us on a daily basis.

The other all consuming part of our life is our business. In the past two and a half years it has grown up with our family, and we have come to look at it as our delinquent child. One that doesn’t really like to sleep much, never does as it’s told, and is still yet to be toilet trained. But amongst all of the trials and tribulations there have also been rewarding moments and proud occasions.

Our store is very much a reflection of our personal style, we sell things that we like, our kids like and our friends like. And with a team like that we can only hope that you, our customers, will like it too. We try to keep things as fresh as possible and are constantly traveling overseas, scouring the net and speaking to contacts and associates to keep one step ahead. Our customers have often been a great source for fantastic new products also, so if there is something you like that you feel we should stock please drop us a line.

Expect to see constant changes from us, as our delinquent child grows up and starts to walk on its own, as our own personal taste changes and evolves and as our experiences with our kids broaden through the coming stages of their development. Check back to the site often and keep an eye out for subtle changes in functionality, new features and a constant flow of fresh new product. Again if you think that there is something we could be doing better or a feature that you think would make your time online with us more pleasant please let us know.

Our store and our website operate independently, there are items for sale online that are not in our store and vice versa. So if you are ever in the neighborhood drop in a say hi we would love to see you in person.

Welcome to our family, we hope you like it.

Luke, Lauren, Gia & Dillon.

www.kidostore.com

Kido Store - Clovelly

159 Clovelly Road (Crn Carrington Rd)
Clovelly NSW 2031
Australia

Telephone

Telephone:  02 9314 7010

Facsimile: 02 9314 7469

Email: clovelly@kidostore.com

Hours Of Operation

Monday to Saturday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm

Kido Store - Online

159 Clovelly Road
Clovelly NSW 2031
Australia