Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasey Blue Hodge.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My love for kids clothing started shortly after I became a wardrobe stylist in my early 20’s. I worked for a lot of kids clothing brands and did countless advertising shoots that always ranged in talent from young to old. There was always something about dressing the kids that gave me an overwhelming sense of happiness. I loved putting together mismatched patterns and always tried to enhance and bring out the beauty that these tiny little loves exude. The innocence, playfulness and color these kids brought to set were inspiring.
I collected vintage kids clothing and had bits of it even before I had my own two little ones. I would go traveling and come home with a suitcase full of kids treasures I would find that inspired me, not knowing that one day that would all lead me to make my own line. With two little ones of my own that inspire me every day I set out to create a line that is unique in style, playful, durable, comfortable, conscious and something that adults can get excited about too.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I just launched on Valentine’s Day of this year (2018) and the challenges of getting to the actual finish line of having and creating my own line was mainly the learning curve. For me, it was a big one. Being a wardrobe stylist for the last 20 years gave me the confidence and eye for style but not coming from a fashion designer background I had to teach myself and with the help of a lot amazing people and priceless advice I got through the technical part of making clothes and the manufacturing part of it all.
I am still working on the growing and selling part but again it is all just part of the process and with each piece and each obstacle it gets easier. It is also a challenge cause on top of being a very involved mom of two little ones four and under, I still take styling jobs, so juggling all of that I think will forever be a challenge but a welcoming one cause I love it all.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kasey Blue – what should we know?
I have a children’s clothing line for girls ages 2-6. I specialize in making clothes that are playful, stylish, sustainable, washable and mom/ child-friendly. All my pieces are designed based on comfort for the kids, ease for the parents to dress and undress their kids without a fuss and I am striving to encourage parents and loved ones to help their children find their own style and personality through unique pieces and alternatives to everyday basics.
I also make all my clothes in LA from deadstock fabric. Which means that not only are we not creating waste by making more fabric we are saving beautiful repurposed fabrics from big companies that do very large volume runs and using them for our small line to make unique pieces that once they are sold out and gone you will not be able to get them again. It not only restricts us from making a large number of the same piece, so every piece only has limited quantities, it also means we are not contributing to more waste, more pollution and more toxic chemicals by making fabric.
20% of the world’s industrial water pollution is caused by the fashion industry. More than 8000 toxic chemicals are used worldwide to turn raw materials into the textiles we end up wearing. And in America alone, we send over 11 million tons of textiles to landfills each year. As a mom of two, we can not only have our kids be stylish alongside us we are also helping to make a difference in their futures.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I had so many people help me and got so much great advice but it was really a collective collaboration and not just one person I had by my side. The one person that does deserve some credit is my little sister. She is a very talented costume designer and works for Cirque in Vegas and she helped all my visions come to life by doing all my sketches and help me pick and test the fabrics and trims I wanted to use that would be of high quality and durable. She is very talented.
My husband is also my biggest supporter since he had to pick up a lot of slack with the kids and everyday life and adjust to all the changes and time that come along with starting a new business.
Contact Info:
- Website: KaseyBlue.com
- Email: kasey@kaseyblue.com
- Instagram: @kaseybluekdis
- Facebook: Kasey Blue Kids
Image Credit:
Don Diaz Photography
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