We're growing! Introducing our newly expanded Baby Collection. We are thrilled to now offer new fabrics, colors and even prints for our cutest customers. Each piece is designed to bring softness and comfort in a color palette that is soothing and natural. In addition to soft goods, we are partnering with Oeuf, the Brooklyn-based sustainable children's lifestyle brand to offer a selection of furniture to complete the nursery. Our design team shares all the details for this pint sized collection and we guarantee new parents will want one of everything!
The Design
Why was it time to expand the Baby Collection? Have customers been asking for more options?
Amy Hoban, Chief Creative Officer:We felt it was time to add to the Baby Collection and really be there for our baby customer. Our assortment hadn't been updated in quite some time and didn't reflect the rest of the brand. When we launched baby it was mostly soft colors like light grey, white and blush and we feel like the modern nursery is moving in a new direction that is more gender neutral with richer palettes.
Meghan Knox, Director of Product Development:We want to be a one-stop shop for those trying to complete their own nursery and well as for people sharing thoughtful gifts with loved ones. This expansion allows us to offer pieces that can mix and match with quilts, sheeting, swaddles and gifts. Our customers continue to share that they love the Parachute look and want to extend that aesthetic to the nursery.
What is the most important thing to consider when designing products for baby?
Amy:Softness and safety are the two top priorities when thinking about baby products. Obviously, you want fabrics and pieces that are going to be soft on delicate skin and you want to make sure the products are meeting all of the safety requirements so that new parents feel comfortable buying.
What was the inspiration for the collection? How did you land on the prints?
Amy:We wanted to be a bit more bold with the new collection. We originally added baby to the assortment because customers wanted the same products for their nursery that we were offering for adult bedrooms. Our adult offerings have transitioned to bolder sunset colors like Terra and Ochre and we wanted to do the same for the nursery. For the prints we wanted something with a bit more "pop" but didn't want to use the usual animal characters that you typically see in baby collections. We focused on organic shapes and patterns and colored them to work with the core colors in the collections.
The Furniture
Take us through your design process at Oeuf. Where do you draw inspiration?
Sophie Demenge, Founder of Oeuf:Would you believe we designed the Sparrow Crib in 2004? Our furniture designs are based on our own family's needs, and we're so grateful they've resonated with so many other parents as well. When our kids were born, there wasn’t anything modern and well-made in the baby furniture market, so that was where we started. It goes without saying that anything we made for our own kids would be sustainable. Today, there's nothing we love more than seeing our well-loved furniture passed down from family to family.
As for our design process, my husband Michael is the anchor, and I'm the dreamer. We do lots of sketching, then model making, and then we edit, edit, edit until we've removed everything that's unnecessary.
What are some of the details on each piece that make them special to you and to customers?
Sophie:Just like Parachute, we design our products for a long lifespan. Our Sparrow 6 Drawer Dresser can be used in any room, long after the nursery is grown out of. And our Sparrow Crib can be converted to a toddler bed for more years of use.
Our furniture is GreenGuard Gold certified, which is the highest industry standard for not off-gassing harmful chemicals. We believe this is important for everyone in the family, but babies especially, and we know it's important to our customers too.
What is your favorite piece from the new collection?
Amy:The Travel Changing Pad is genius in my opinion. It is based on our Linen Quilt, which has been in the line for ages now – so classic Parachute – and it folds up so you can throw it in the diaper bag and wash it very easily. It makes a great gift!
Meghan:The Bibs were designed for the teething/drool phase with terry on the back to absorb any wetness and keep baby dry. These are a must have for all parents so the Bandana Bib Sets are a practical gift that also looks really cute! We wanted to keep them playful and have them tie back to our new fashion prints and colors in the baby bedding.
Sophie:At our house, we've been loving Parachute's linen and cloud cotton for a while. We're excited that both have more options in baby sizes now!