We take pride in creating a space for discovery and new partnerships at Playtime, which is why we were so excited to welcome the creative agency Studio Abi to Playtime Paris in January! In case you didn't get a chance to stop by their incredible booth for a chat, we have you covered with this brief interview with founder Anne-Charlotte Hartmann! Join us as we learn more about this incredible company and how they are educating children and professionals to bring about the fashion of tomorrow!

Let's dive into the magical world of Studio Abi!

Can you please introduce yourself and Studio Abi?
Yes, of course! Hi, my name is Anne-Charlotte and I am the founder of Studio Abi. We launched Studio Abi two years ago around the idea of bringing textile education to children and professionals in the fashion and design industry. Studio Abi is a way to encourage, accompany, and inspire children as they are constructing their personal identity and exploring the world. Through our articles and the fun workshops and events that we host, we seek to help children become self-confident, to enhance their imagination, and to develop a respect for our differences through the magic of fabrics. With professionals, we want to help them experiment with new solutions and explore the possibilities of upcycling while still following the aesthetic tastes of fashion today. The goal of Studio Abi is to inspire the fashion of tomorrow in the generations today.

Where did your inspiration to create Studio Abi come from?
Studio Abi was born from us asking ourselves, "How do we transmit the language of textiles to children?" We wanted to find an accessible way to teach them the grammar and poetry of clothing, so we imagined this creative agency as a tool to educate children and act as an entrance to a better world. We wanted to bring kids into a wonderland that is full of creativity, artistic references, and cultural inspiration and to explain where it all comes from. Studio Abi is about teaching children how clothes can be a way to travel, to wake up, to communicate with one another without any spoken words.

What advice can you give to brands and manufacturers in the kid's market to help them design and produce the clothes of tomorrow?
The best advice I could offer is to observe children. Watch how they move and turn in clothes, how they can use their imagination to dress up with the simplest materials, even scraps of fabric. Drawing inspiration directly from children is such a great way to then create clothing for them that allows them to express themselves and have a part in the process. I really think the best ideas come from the creativity and imagination of children.

Our theme at this edition of Playtime Paris was Wonderland. How do you imagine your Wonderland?
In fact, for me, Wonderland is what we are trying to create with Studio Abi! It is a world without borders, full of creativity and endless possibilities. In Wonderland, textile artists and women like Alice Guillier, the artist behind the Safareig installation here at Playtime Paris, are appreciated. This lively world has a place for everyone. It's really inclusive, is focused on equality, and is as creative as possible. We push the borders of imagination in Wonderland.

Were there any brands at Playtime Paris that really caught your attention?
Yes, absolutely! My crush this season is the brand in the SINGULAR space called Bleu Citron. I think their project is really amazing, it enables children to manipulate the forms, colors, and patterns to create something entirely their own. It's such a powerful thing, to allow children to imagine their own design for what they wear and to be able to change it as they develop their personal style. I find that it's a great idea. It's really simple, but often the simple ideas are the best!

Thank you so much to Anne-Charlotte for taking the time to answer our questions!
We can't wait for the next editions of Playtime Paris and Playtime & Kid's Hub New York to see what we will discover this summer!

Want to learn more?
Check out this article that dives deeper into how exactly Studio Abi works with children and professionals, explore their exchange with the upcycling brand Unie & co at Playtime Paris here, and learn more about artist Alice Guillier's artwork, Safareig, in this article.