If you’ve lived in Germany before or been reading NOH for a while, you probably know that it can be tricky to find cute, quality kids’ clothing at reasonable prices. It gets to be so ridiculous that we often just ask Stefan’s parents to bring clothes back with them from the US whenever they go to visit (which is every few months).
After living in Sydney, Australia for four years, Daniela and her family moved to Hannover, Germany. And shortly thereafter, she started Little Platypus. I was able to talk to Daniela little bit about her fun and lively online children’s boutique and get to know her a little better.
About Little Platypus and Daniela
Little Platypus offers popular, high-quality Australian-brand kids clothing here in Germany — something very few other companies offer. But in addition to offering something quite unique in this highly competitive market, Little Platypus is focused on giving back to the community by donating 50 cents from every sale to a charity of their choice (which changes every quarter.) The company also makes environmentally conscious decisions to use recycled and recyclable packaging materials, plus eco-friendly shipping methods.
What made you want to start your own online boutique for kids?
Here in Germany, I’m missing the colorful Australian brands like Oobi, Sosooki or Little Bubble and Tree when shopping for my daughter. The German kids clothes market is dominated by H&M and co on one side, and Scandinavian and French companies with their muted color tones of white, grey and blue on the other side. I do think that there is place for basics from H&M and love blue and white, but I also believe that kids should wear colorful clothes, which are fun and inspirational. Of course, they should be practical and machine washable too ;-).
So if you had to describe your philosophy about buying kids’ clothing, would you say you’re more about quality or quantity?
I’m not a fan of buying 20 low quality pants and dresses, especially as kids really grow fast and its impact on the nature. I prefer few, but long lasting clothes, with good quality and great colors, which can be handed down to siblings, cousins and children of friends. Clothes which emphasize that childhood is about fun, playing, running around, laughing and exploring the world. Big pockets for founded treasures, skirts wide enough to move, pants to climb up a tree. Every child is unique and in my view kids clothes should reflect that. I only buy labels which I know from my time in Sydney and where I can trust their quality. Some are 1 or 2 woman companies, some are bigger Australian labels.
As a working mom with her own online business, what sort of challenges do you encounter? And what are the perks?
Opening hours of child care here in Germany are less flexible then for example in Australia (if you’re lucky to find a place) and as my husband is from time to time on business trip, I have to schedule my work around the business hours of the KiTa. Having a webshop gives me the flexibility to work whenever I can: when my daughter is at child care, in the evening when she’s sleeping, on the weekends. Less drama when she’s sick and I want and need to take care of her. As we don’t have any relatives in Hannover, my husband and I have to handle those situations by ourselves and some flexibility is highly appreciated in those situations. And let’s not forget the motivational aspect of hearing whatever music you like while working as loud as you want ;-).
Even though you’re operating here in Germany, do you feel like you’ve still got a lot of Australian influence in your business?
A major aspect in my business is the openness and support which is so common in Australia. In the corporate and non-corporate world, people are generally friendly and helpful, which is great when starting a business and have lots of (sometimes stupid) questions. This openness also gives me the possibility to work with the companies to e.g. include more organic cotton clothes.
Finally, my shop gives me a possibility to support and promote some much needed charity organizations. Sternenbrücke in Hamburg for example is a hospice for incurable sick children which does an amazing work and supports parents and children in the most difficult situations. They need every support they can receive and I’m happy if I can help by donations and spreading the word.
The Prizes
#1) and the little dog laughed – shorts and long sleeve shirt (size 6 months)
Value EUR40
Kylie Platt, the founder and designer of “and the little dog laughed” creates “timeless pieces that evoke a sense of nostalgia” with a little wink. The shorts feature the oh so true phrase ‘as a matter of fact the world really does revolve around me’ and match nicely with the striped shirt, both made of soft cotton. Of course both items also work well with other pants and tops, and for both genders (providing you don’t insist on pink for girls ;-)).
#2) Bébé by minihaha – reversible cardigan and matching pants, size 12 months
Value EUR48.
Bébé by minihaha is one of the big players in the Australian baby clothes markets. Their color palette is, especially when compared to some other Australian brands, rather muted, but they mix it with cute designs and details. This cardigan is reversible, and made out of the softest cotton. The matching pants are seam free front and back for comfort and are also ideal to mix and match with other shirts and tops. With the cute print on one side and the classic stripe on the other, this outfit works well for both genders.
How to Enter
This giveaway will be powered by Rafflecoptor, which I hope will make life easier for everyone. If you are confused about how to enter, please read this post, leave a comment with your questions or send me an email at tiffany at noordinaryhomestead.com.
