Three central Ohio women find success making, selling unique children's clothes
Allison Ward The Columbus Dispatch
Jul 12, 2019 at 11:22 AM Jul 12, 2019 at 11:22 AM
These three work-from-home moms represent of small group of central Ohio entrepreneurs taking the shop-small mantra to the tiniest of fashionistas.
Kyoko Seki's living room on the North Side features a small photo studio fit for the most pint-sized of models, while vision boards rest on shelves and racks of clothes stand nearby.
Similarly, the guest bedroom in Aly Hill's Mount Gilead home has been taken over by lockers housing colorful fabrics and a desk containing fancy shipping supplies. Along a wall in the room sits a sewing machine — above it a sign containing goals for 2019.
Sara Leary has set up shop in her Lewis Center basement with her serger and iron — never mind the toddler who is usually at her feet as she churns out frilly rompers and pinafores.
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"Luckily, I'm one of those people who requires little sleep," said Leary, who in addition to a full-time marketing job and raising her 2-year-old daughter, Olivia Dismuke, runs Little Half Moon Co., a children's clothing line.
Seki laughed as her two daughters — Yui, 11, and Rin, 6 — and a niece and nephew ran through her living-room workspace on a recent morning: "My shipping station is upstairs. I've taken over this house with mrly," she said of her gender-neutral kids brand.
These three work-from-home moms (Hill has two young girls) represent of small group of central Ohio entrepreneurs taking the shop-small mantra to the tiniest of fashionistas.
But they also think globally, shipping their wares worldwide and connecting with parents via social media.
"I never thought it would get this far," Hill said of Hello Harper Co., "that people wanted to buy my clothes."
>> Photos: Local kids clothing brands
Here is a look at three local children's clothing brands:
mrly
In the midst of leaving a managerial design job at Abercrombie & Fitch to stretch her creative talents, Seki struggled to settle on the type of product or service her own business might offer.
That's when she made some baby booties for a coworker whose wife was expecting.
"He opened the present at his desk and everyone was like, 'Oh my gosh, those are so freaking amazing. Where did you get them?' " said Seki, a 36-year-old Columbus College of Art & Design graduate who was born in Japan but moved to Columbus at age 15.
"The emotion in that room — people are so emotional about baby things."
Children's clothing seemed a logical choice. That same coworker, Trevor Potulski, helped her found mrly (pronounced 'Marley' and formed by the initials of their children) in late 2016; he has since handed over control to Seki.
The goal from the beginning was to provide timeless basics, that in most cases are gender neutral (besides dresses).
"What's saturating the market is louder patterns and embellishments," Seki said. "Those are fine and I think they're cute, too, but you're always going to need a good basic."
And comfort is key: She sources her all-natural fabrics from her native Japan.
"These are all about being able to run around and be a kid," she said.
Seki designs each piece and sample, but the clothing is manufactured in Virginia. She still makes the booties and bows, however, and hand embroiders names or small designs (rainbows, cats, trucks) for people wanting a customized touch.
Initially, mrly had some success online, but Seki said that many of her customers now come from local farmers markets and events, at which she might sell 60 to 70 pieces.
"I want to become the brand that when you become pregnant or a friend becomes pregnant, you think, 'Oh, I need to get a piece of mrly.' "
Hello Harper Co.
Though both of Hill's children are named after fashion icons (Harper Hill, 5, after "Harper's Bazaar" and Halston Gabler, 1, after the American designer), she never thought her passion would become a career.
However, last summer she was able to quit her job as a lactation consultant to focus on the brand full time.
"It's nice to not have to come home from work and sew all night," said Hill, 27. "I set business hours for myself and try not to work as many nights or weekends."
An occasional tea party in the play kitchen next to her workspace might interrupt company time — but she is always willing to take a break for that.
The girls, after all, are her motivation for the brand: The first piece she ever made was a kimono for Harper.
Hill's clothing is inspired by the retro silhouettes of the 1970s and '80s, and she loves bright colors and mix-and-match pieces. She regularly employs prints — palm leaves or bumblebees — and has recently taken to salvaging vintage sheets to use as fabric.
She hand sews everything herself. Her boyfriend, Brandon Gabler — Halston's dad — chips in with marketing and helped launch a new website this month.
On Instagram, she has amassed roughly 10,000 followers and 40 brand reps (moms whose kids wear and promote the clothes), allowing her to reach a larger audience.
"It's probably one of the coolest things to see all these kids all over the world wear your clothes," said Hill, adding that there is a popular resale Facebook page dedicated to the brand.
In between big spring and fall releases, she plans mini-drops with themes such as "Fresh Picked" or "S'more to Love." She is looking forward to launching a boys' line soon.
"With a small shop, everything is unique," Hill said. "You go to Old Navy, OshKosh or Carter's and it's all the same stuff."
Little Half Moon Co.
Leary received a sewing machine for her 11th birthday, but she was "so upset" because she was much more into sports than home economics.
Now, at 23, she has since thanked her grandmother, who gave her the gift, for all the opportunities the appliance has brought her.
When Olivia was born, Leary cringed at the price tags of baby outfits she saw online but splurged on a $60 romper for her daughter's first birthday.
"It was not anything special and it was too tight, too … so I went out on a limb and made her one myself," Leary said of the purple floral piece with lace.
She posted a photo on social media of Olivia wearing the homemade romper on her big day in December 2017, and it prompted a slew of requests for similar outfits from friends and family.
Initially, she made a few for free. But she soon realized there was demand for her ruffled rompers, and she began selling them on Instagram, Etsy and at local markets.
"They have a cross strap in the back so they don't fall off the shoulders, plus buttons at the top to secure it and also in the crotch to make for easy diaper changes," she said.
Leary also began making pinafore dresses for children up to size 6, as well as other items. A few stores in Arizona sell her line and she would like to do wholesale but doesn't have the time.
"I have such loyal customers and followers that I feel bad when I don't have enough for them," Leary said.
Since January — about a year after she launched the brand — she has sold more than 600 of her signature rompers, 200 dresses and several hundred other pieces to families as close by as Lewis Center and as far away as Texas and California.
"People really like to support a local mom since it's buying dance lessons … not going to another CEO's Jaguar."
award@dispatch.com
@AllisonAWard