La Petite Caravane: Vibrant and French
I have been putting together my first set of children’s clothes (girls and boys) for a small Spring-Summer collection, as described in a previous posting.
The journey has been exhilarating, punctuated by mistakes and rebounds.
Design and production are fundamental, but what label do I put in the clothes?
Names, names, names.
Like anyone starting a brand, I have spent many days and nights thinking about what name to use. What story do I want to tell?
On the many scribbled lists, one word kept appearing: Caravane (caravan, in French).
As a globetrotter since a very young age, I have always had a passion for travel and the adventures it brings. From spending the morning on a fisherman’s boat on Inle Lake in Myanmar, to floating down the Mekong in an inner-tube, to experiencing a sleepless night of midsummer on a Finnish island.
The word Caravane speaks to curiosity and travel, from camels crossing the desert to the camper caravans that offer a window on the world. Adventure, explore, experience, spontaneity, curiosity, adaptability, change, the great outdoors.
As a mother, these are all things I would like to transmit to our daughter, and more broadly to other children.
I chose the French spelling Caravane because, as a French designer, I draw my aesthetics from my native Paris, with a touch of Vietnamese sensitivity.
Caravane and Clothes?
Beyond making just beautiful clothes with La Petite Caravane, I want to take children on a creative journey through fresh and vibrant prints, textures and colors.
Childhood is the best time to develop an eye for colors, prints and textures. It is the time when children learn how to mix, name and draw colors.
I also believe in the power of visual prints. How they can spark creativity and imagination. And maybe even be the start to a wonderful story.
There are infinite ways to approach prints.
For me, strong prints and colors do not need to be loud. They can also be vibrant and elegant when associated with the right cut, or mixed and matched with other colors and textures.
I have been handpicking every one of my fabrics. Each has been chosen for the vivid colors, original prints and softness. Pictured above are some of the fabrics I have been working with for my first (small and in the making) spring-summer collection.
As I want to expand the world of prints in children’s wear, I have decided to only create limited editions. This will allow me to offer a wider range of prints, more often.
In a nutshell:
La Petite Caravane is a French brand celebrating childhood through a rich palette of vibrant, handpicked textiles. A French style made in limited edition, La Petite Caravane uses quality cotton, poplin and linen. Vibrant and French.
Tempted?
Filed under: children, Fashion, My designs | 12 Comments
Beautiful bicolors prints…if I was a kid I would definitively wear “la petite caravane”.
Thank you Fabien!
I love it! I didn’t know that clothes could make me wish to have a little girl/boy sooner rather than later! Caravane is absolutely lovely. Very much tempted.
Thank you Georgina! Glad you are tempted!
Look forward to the little ones — soon! x
Thuy-Tien! I love that you’re doing this! With your amazing eye and sense of style, you’re going to be incredibly successful, no doubt.
I can’t wait to see the finished product. Let me know how I can help in the meantime.
Xo
Cindy
Cindy,
Great to hear from you! Thank you for your enthusiasm!
La Petite Caravane trunk should arrive in hand in a few weeks. Will keep you posted. It’s been a really fun journey so far. Lots more to learn and experiment ahead. Will definitely ping you for your eye and wisdom in the field!
x Thuy-Tien
I love the brand concept and it works very well with sourcing textiles from around the world and the sense of freedom that travelling in a carvane infuses.
La Petite Caravane inspires one to buy children clothes under the romantic assumption that the little caravane may have brought them from afar.
I love the typography, with that familiar font that we were force to imitate when learning how to write in French school… the boucled “L”, “V” and “R”… give it a vintage scent, whilst the hand-drawn caravane seems straight from the drawing doodles of a tiny little boy or girl. It makes one remember that above and beyond, this brand derived from a deep love of children’s imagination, their sensitivities and wonder at the big wide world.
La Petite Caravane has made a soft but deep entrance in the world of brands. There is nothing that this soft but honest brand will not be able to achieve, even beyond children’s clothes: children’s home textiles for bedroom furniture and linens, soft toys, etc.
It has hit the spot in my traveling heart…
Inma,
Thrilled to hear you like the concept and grasp so vividly the imaginaire I want to infuse via the choice of fabrics and the caravane. I love your creative sensitivity.
Thank you for your enthusiasm and support from the very beginning!
La Petite Caravane will find its way to London soon, slowly but surely.
x
C’est MAGNIFIQUE. et j’adore! I love the colors and the drawing and the name. BEAUTIFUL! I want to get some for Loulou. Where can we order?
Merci Anne-Laure! Really glad you like it.
Give me 10 days or so. I will post all my models online and you can see which ones Loulou will like! xxx
TT, this looks terrific. I love the brand name. Love, Dick
Congrats on launching this! Gorgeous bold color prints and a great story behind it. I love the evocative idea of the caravane. Have fun and good luck with keeping the trunk full!
xo
Cordelia