A little bit extra ✔️
An exclusive interview with LACUNA CHILD founder as well as my usual brain dump.
I’ll openly admit that I don’t know where or what I’m doing with this newsletter apart from using it as a blog that I don’t have and a dumping ground of what goes on in my head. This week I’ve been hitting up loads of kids brands who are exhibiting at foreign trade fairs this month for my work and I’ve come across some brands that I just MUST share with you! Also, I’m really excited to introduce Carole Barran to you, the founder of Lacuna Child. Her brand is not only really beautiful but she uses the most gorgeous fabrics and has a really lovely image to everything she does. Read more about her below.
To everyone that gave me feedback last week on the change of format and your thoughts on it /new ideas, thank you so much! You know who you are and I appreciate you!
I LOVE
HOLMM Cashmere kids jumpers from £141
HOUSE OF PALOMA natural sisal bag £60
HAPPYMESS 100% merino wool kids jumper £50
MORLEY balloon sleeve ulla crush sky dress €130
DISANA laced woollen boot €49
SVEVA’s home ceramic plates x4 €240
INTERVIEW LACUNA CHILD
Interview with Carole Barran , founder.
Carole, tell us a bit about you:
Gosh where do I start. I’m an Essex girl, Romford actually. I’m very proud of my roots as I find Essex produces very resourceful people who are not afraid to work hard to achieve their goals. Years ago I moved to Colchester, having lived in Leigh on Sea. The housing market was seeing interest rates go to 14/15+% so we couldn’t afford to stay in the area to get a bigger property. Whilst I actually loved Leigh on Sea, I now have my life, family and friends here so it worked out fine. We, also live near to a station so my husband and I get a regular London fix, one of our favourite cities!
From having chatted to you previously, I believe your main inspiration and your muses are your grandkids. Am I right?
I have 2 wonderful daughters, the second one having just recently got married having been with her partner for 16 years even though she’s still only 29! Our eldest took a year out of University as part of a travel and tourism programme and met her American at the golf club she was waitressing at. 2 years later she got engaged to him and left for a new life in Connecticut. Regular trips there were always punctuated by saying goodbye to her trying to suppress an abundance of tears. In 2017 we became grandparents to a beautiful American redheaded baby girl and my life in particular, really changed. Having spent years in admin based roles and latterly as a Radiography manager in the local hospital, my love of clothes, combined with this new grandparent role led me to decide to have a childrenswear company. Aside from having dinner with friends, taking yoga classes and travelling, this became my real passion and formed the basis of what the brand is today. I’m also fortunate enough to be called upon regularly to do transatlantic babysitting and often travel to the States on my own, leaving my husband plenty of food and happy that he can watch hours of football uninterrupted!!
I’m now the ‘Glammy’ to 2 girls and when travelling there, my suitcase is full of Lacuna Child samples, many, many craft activities and plenty of maltesters for my daughter. I think I probably add to the chaos while I’m there as I’m certainly not the sensible grandparent. They stay with us regularly too and they know there will be home made playdough, some very dubious cakes made and of course, bubble soup (the washing up done by them involving lots of foam and water, mostly in the kitchen sink!!). Seeing them play reminds me that children need comfortable clothes but that doesn’t mean they can’t be stylish. Making them oversized and predominantly unisex is aimed at the belief that slow fashion can be applied to childrens clothes as well as adults. If you can adjust waistbands, roll up sleeves and hems and may them easily washable, the price point that British made products dictate ends up making them good value for money. Add to the fact they remain in good enough condition to pass them on without looking outdated or worn. I like to think of the pieces in my collections as ‘Modern Heritage’.
The word ‘Lacuna’ means something missing and becoming a grandparent, as I mentioned, was transformative. It cemented a desire to capture my love of clothes with a brand that would reflect the enormous love you feel for your grandchildren. That’s why the clothes had to be British made, that was a non-negotiable. I don’t think I could have chosen a harder route but perseverance is finally paying off. Every detail of my brand is considered endlessly because I feel I have a responsibility to my grand-daughters to produce my best work. My wonderful husband works from home so it means I can enjoy being with him but also able to maximise my work day to the fullest as I do not have to travel anywhere. Cashflow is always a struggle for a business especially when you manufacture. The job at the hospital ended when I was sadly bullied out by someone I had employed to stop bullying. It was a very unpleasant time but I’m in such a happy place that this experience simply adds layers to your life skills. I’m just started a part-time job to help further fund the business. I shall be driving disabled children to and from school. I will have the middle bit of the day and school holidays to run the business and I am truly excited about this new role.
Plans for Lacuna in 2024?
2024 is proving very interesting. 2023 provided very exciting opportunities but it was exhausting. I turned my phone off in November and dialled my life down to a better pace so that I could see what I’d learned and how I would go forward. This led me to resurrect some beautiful childrenswear pieces that I’d abandoned as they had been made so badly. I’m currently working with my wonderful manufacturer and his team to breathe new life into these pieces and it’s so exciting. It had been such a waste with them sitting stored away but bit by bit they are being deconstructed and rebuilt into the beautiful pieces they should be. Still continuing the theme of predominately unisex pieces, there will be opportunities to style them according to how they work for your child. The mini me ladies and child dresses will feature in February with a new colour coming to the Mabel reversable dress range. There are other childrenswear pieces that were put on the back burner that I’m bringing back and I want to develop the baby range a little. Sadly I experienced other pieces that were made badly by another past manufacturer sitting in storage. I now feel confident that they will play a part in 2024 too so feel that I can rewrite that chapter too. I am also bringing deadstock fabric out of storage and this will be used for several pieces in 2024.
That’s probably the real narrative for 2024. Re-looking at some areas and making some tweaks both in my personal and business life.
Last but not least, how on earth do you keep your hair looking so golden and straight! It is for sure your trademark and a very beautiful one at that! Tell us your haircare secrets!!!
I always say that it belongs to my wonderful hairdresser as she’s the one who truly cares for it. I do however, get through gallons of conditioner each time I wash it, and never use a very hot hairdryer
A massive favour
If even one of you can sign this petition to put cctv camera’s on school buses for SEN kids whom most aren’t able to communicate very well, then I can go to bed happy. It’s a campaign being run by one single mother called Ashley Simons to a non verbal autistic boy like Edo. She started the campaign because something happened to her son on the school bus which made him very anxious to get back on it. She has managed to get someone from every single U.K. constituency to sign it which is phenomenal but the petition is still short of abut 3000 signatures for it to be able to reach parliament.
Edo will transfer to a SEN school as soon as our local authority agree and a space becomes available (Do you want to know more about this/the process?? Let me know!) so it is something that is very close and will become even closer to our reality as a family.