Primarily catering for girls aged from two to eight years old, each collection is designed with an androgynous aesthetic making it a semi-unisex brand. It is a label for the future with big ambitions that – just like its customers – would rather dictate than follow.
We don’t know about you, but we always get so excited when we discover a new brand!
Kate Sloan, the woman behind Cotton Sparrow, was happy to answer some questions for us so if you want to find out more about her and the brand, read the interview below,
Hi! Can you please introduce yourself and your brand?
My name is Kate and I am the owner and designer of niche kidswear brand Cotton Sparrow. Both the brand and I were born on the Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands.
Where does the name Cotton Sparrow originate from?
Coming from Jersey I am very limited to basic fabrics such as cotton so I always use cotton in my collections so maybe the Cotton part came from that. I added the Sparrow part as children are little like sparrows (lol) and I thought it sounded cool.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background? How did you become a kids fashion designer?
I have a BA (HONS) in Fashion Design from Southampton University. After I finished uni I had no idea what career path I wanted to follow so I went into finance. I really don’t know what I was thinking maybe I was a bit lost but anyway that only lasted for just over a year. After that I filled the gaps by working in shops and briefly as a Postman! Throughout all this I never stopped sketching or following fashion and I originally wanted to do a small womens wear brand but it didn’t feel right and looking back I don’t think I could of handle it at that stage of my life. When I was at uni I did a semester abroad at FIT, New York and whilst I was there I studied lingerie which I loved, so I started to look at doing a line of underwear but that kind of faded away. In December 2011 I had my first baby girl and when she was nearly one I started dabbling in making little nappy covers to go under her dresses. I’ve been making children’s clothes ever since but this is the first year I feel like a bone fide designer.
What are the inspirations or motivations behind your design?
I have a need to create I think. Like our bio says “inspiration comes from the new and inventive” and as I am lacking in choice of fabrics I have to use my invention to create the clothes. I enjoy taking something basic like the standard T-shirt and putting a twist on it. An example of this is the sweater in the current collection. The collections revolve around pattern cutting and structure although in the near future I would like to make my own prints.
Do you have children? How does that influence your work?
I have two amazing girlies who absolutely influence me, especially my eldest who is 3. I see her play and climb and of course she, like any other kid, she needs clothes to comfortably explore who she is and what she’s capable of. I always have an androgynous aesthetic when I design because of this.
What are some essentials that every child should have in their closet?
Apart from the obvious, mine always have black leggings or trousers and a decent sweater every season. Also anything by Cotton Sparrow!
What are the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of your job?
The challenge of making childrenswear is that children have to be comfortable, an adult might sacrifice some comfort for style but a child won’t so you have to keep that in mind. I find the whole process of making something rewarding. It makes me happy sitting behind a sewing machine and every nice Instagram or Facebook comment keeps me going.
If one of our readers is in your city, Jersey, for 24 hours. What one thing would you recommend they do?
If you ever come to Jersey make sure it’s in the Summer as there are lots of good beaches here.
Website: www.cottonsparrow.com
