Whimsical Dreamlands of Carbon soldier
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
In 2014 YmamaY rebranded as Carbon Soldier. Founded in 2002 in Auckland New Zealand. We sit down and chat with Barbara McCamish about her brilliant and unique brand.
What was the inspiration behind Carbon Soldier?
Simply a passion for creating children’s wear
Where does the brand name come from?
Carbon Soldier is a slang term for your offspring, as in a little carbon copy of yourself
Oh I really like that. New Zealanders love a bit of slang.
What stage did you decide to take the brand international?
The northern hemisphere offers such a diverse market within a huge population. It seemed a logical step, and allows for greater creativity. Our collections are launched in line with northern hemisphere seasons, which is a bonus for Australasia at sale time!
Do you think it is a challenge for New Zealand brands to get seen internationally?
The physical distance and logistics of exhibiting internationally can prove challenging. We have been extremely fortunate with the attention we have had from the international press, twice featuring on the cover of Europe's prestigious Kid’s Wear magazine. However, for this to happen it’s important to stand out amongst the numerous incredible collections, so you must have a point of difference. We’ve found when we’re at Playtime being from New Zealand can be a point of interest because it’s so unusual.
Interesting, I've always wondered about this. Being from NZ myself.
How long have you exhibited with Playtime?
Our first show was July 2015 in Paris. Since then we have added New York and Shanghai
Was Playtime your first international show? If not how does Playtime compare to others?
Playtime was our first.
What is your favourite thing about the Playtime fairs?
Connecting with buyers, our agents, the Playtime staff, stylists, photographers, magazines and other brands. There’s nothing like showing a collection face to face, sometimes being from New Zealand we can feel a bit disconnected from the industry, and it’s nice to catch up! It really is like a supportive global family reunion and we have made great friends from every corner of the world.
What can we expect from your next range?
Our new collection is whimsical and fun, with a base of black, mushroom and blush and bold pops of green and pink. There’s a bit of a woodland/pixie theme.
Where do find the inspiration for your collections?
We take inspiration from all over but this season there was particular influence from Pop-Up Globe in Auckland. It was a world first full-scale replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and we saw many a play there-always with a New Zealand spin-and fabulous costumes.
We see you are part of the Together Today Collaboration, what has this meant for Carbon Solider?
We’re very thankful for all of the effort that went in to putting on the Together Today event. The New Zealand fashion industry is amazing and it was so heartening to see everyone come together to support each other during these unprecedented times.
