Waves of Inspiration from Yellow Jungle
We are excited to have a partnership with The Little Mag for the Playtime B2B Marketplace!
Join Holly Chan from The Little Mag as she explores the behind-the-scenes of a select few brands from the Playtime B2B Marketplace
Yellow Jungle is a designer brand that creates modern original summer wear for kids.
We sat down with Sophie Martzloff, a French born fashion designer now living in Sydney.
After many years of working for Children’s designer brands in Paris, you moved down under, was that the main inspiration behind Yellow Jungle?
Yellow Jungle launched in 2018 with a swimwear line for kids. Living in Sydney we wanted our first collection to reflect the vibe we're experiencing all year around with lots of sun, the ocean, and nature. We started with beachwear because we felt this space needed something new, so our goal was to be unique, original and fun. We also wanted to be bold when it comes to styles because we think kids should be able to rock amazing cossies at the beach or pool, there's no reason to wear anything boring! From next season we're expanding into a more complete range of kids prêt-à-porter and we're staying true to our roots: audacious designs and playful patterns.
What stage did you decide to take the brand international?
Our focus in the past few years has been on getting the brand established in Australia. This year we'll be launching our third collection and we feel it's time to take on the world! We're really looking forward to seeing how the brand will be received overseas.
Do you think it is a challenge for Australian brands to get seen internationally?
Living down under does introduce some challenges, the biggest one for fashion brands being opposite seasons to most of the world.
However in the Internet age and a global world there's space for Australian brands that stay creative and relevant.
What is your favourite thing about the Playtime fairs?
I love the creative atmosphere that you feel as soon as you enter the fair, and my favourite thing is their trends spaces with art installations designed by local artists. It's always a great inspiration for me and it sets the tone for the upcoming season.
Can you tell us where the name Yellow Jungle came from?
Coming up with a brand name is surprisingly difficult, there are so many things to consider! You want it to convey your style and vision for the brand but it also has to sound fun, catchy and original. We started with one of our favourite colours: yellow! It makes us feel positive and creative. We combined it with the jungle which for us represents adventures in nature, exciting for kids and grown ups alike!
We saw you also make some of your gorgeous swimsuits in Woman’s sizes? What has the response to this been? Do you plan to do more Adult sizes in the future too?
Many mums told us that they loved the idea of a matching swimsuit with their daughter's so we decided to try it. Even though it sold pretty well we are going to focus on kids clothing for the next few seasons. We'll definitely be back with womenswear in the future but we're taking it one step at a time.
Have you been exhibited at any Australian trade shows? If so, how was it?
We've been exhibiting at Kids in Style since our first collection. It's been great to meet retailers and to network with the fashion industry. It's always good to put your creations out there, the feedback really helps us grow and evolve.
Image Credits: @lucaprodigo_ph, www.lucaprodigo.com
