Jenny Drew, co-founder All The Babies
I am thrilled to introduce such a cool and sustainable baby clothing brand to my readers. As you know I used to run a kids online shop in Japan where I tried my best to stock stylish eco responsible products. At the time it was a very hard mission to even find brands that were interested in combining fashion and ecology. The times have changed since then, gratefully. Can you introduce yourself to the readers and tell us what you do?
Love to see that the times have changed as well, and to see that you were ahead of the curve with moving towards creating something like that in Japan! My name is Jenny Drew Garabedian and I am the Co-Founder and CEO of all the babies, a European-inspired baby clothing brand with a mission to give back to babies in need through our model, wear, grow, give.
Being able to work with your Mum is such a treat. What are the lessons you've learnt so far in managing a family run business? How do you support each other?
It’s so special working with her and seeing how our minds align so beautifully, yet also so differently in the best ways. So far, it’s been a smooth and creative journey. My mom let’s me own that at the end of the day, this company really is “my baby,” yet she adds so much value to my decisions and to the overall meaning of our brand. I think more than anything we have learned when our creative flow is (always in the morning) and that we have BIG ideas and BIG dreams for this company, but we have to move slowly and responsibly if we want to achieve them. Don’t move too fast, see what works, see what doesn’t, and always COMMUNICATE. We have supported each other so much through communication and listening to our individual opinions and how they fit together, or don’t and how to mesh our ideas to flow freely and beautifully within the overall success of our business. She gives me confidence that we are doing the right thing, and she is always there to reassure me to keep going when things get tough.
I know my interest in the kids fashion industry started the moment I became a Mum. As far as I know you are not Mummy yet. What awakened your interest in this world?
I have been a nanny since I was young enough to babysit. I have always loved kids and have had a natural motherly instinct. I always knew I wanted to do something to combine fashion and philanthropy, and since babies outgrow their clothes so quickly in their first two years of life, this felt like the perfect angle to start a brand since we take those gently used pieces and hand deliver them to babies in need. I honestly think what’s been really special throughout this whole process is that I am not a mom, so I can add a whole new outlook to this brand, yet I am working with my mom, who has so much light to constantly shed on this business. I can honestly say, just from what I have learned in bringing all the babies to life in the last year and a half is that I feel like I am going to be an even better mom than I could have ever imagined. It’s been so beautiful learning from mothers, chatting with them, hearing their stories and struggles, and so much more. It inspires me everyday to create a strong community through all the babies and to keep learning and growing everyday.
The style of your collection is really timeless making them totally wearable any time of the year. I know that launching a brand is a big task, adding sustainability to it just adds an extra column on your to-do list AND you give back. A huge congrats! What were the hurdles that were the most challenging to make this dream come true and how does your giving back work?
Thank you! Our plan from the beginning was to introduce timeless, gender-neutral, high-quality pieces made ethically and sustainably. I think the biggest hurdle is being able to be as inclusive in our prices as possible. As a business, you really can’t “do it all,” and you shouldn’t because then you quickly become over-saturated. I always had a laundry list of non-negotiables before starting and have done my best to maintain the best organic fabrics, while making my pieces as affordable as possible. Hopefully, as we grow we can continue to find solutions to be as affordable as possible while also maintaining the best quality and high standards.
In terms of our giveback, our model is wear, grow, give. Because babies outgrow their pieces so quickly in their first two years of life we wanted to create a way to make it as seamless as possible for you to send back our pieces, avoid waste, and of course, to give back. Once your baby outgrows their clothes, send them back to us (free of charge) and we hand-deliver them to babies in need in Los Angeles at the Good Shepherd center. As we grow, we aim to partner with big non-profits and give even more, and not just domestically, but internationally. We are working towards launching a subscription model to make it even “easier,” to send back your gently used pieces and receive new ones all within one go.
It’s been so beautiful learning from mothers, chatting with them, hearing their stories and struggles, and so much more. It inspires me everyday to create a strong community through all the babies and to keep learning and growing everyday.
"All the babies" image is so natural and refreshing, I want to know how you dress and how you live! haha Does simplicity reflect your lifestyle in other domains? What do you like about it?
This means so much to hear because that was the big goal of the company! Simplicity is always key, especially in my own life. I really wanted to design the collections to be pieces that I would want to wear and that I would never get tired of looking at. I am inspired by soft, earth tones with some pops of color (hence the sweat set in pine). I am a big believer in being able to go from day to night in your outfit, and feel like our pieces genuinely reflect that. I always want to be cute, comfortable, and laid back and cool –– just like our pieces. Made for any occasion, ready to wear from day-to-night. Dress them up or down. And always, always as cozy as can be.
Do you have any plans to expand the brand in sizing or into a block and mortar shop?
We definitely have plans to expand but are taking it slow. We want to “grow with your baby.” We plan to expand our sizes up to 5 years (give or take) after we have been in business for 1-2 years. We are also doing a limited edition release of matching adult sweat sets after a high demand from our customer's which is super exciting. In terms of IRL experiences, we are popping up at local artisan markets and have a lot lined up for the spring/summer, especially in states more than just California, including Texas and Oregon. At the moment, we are working towards getting investors and are hoping to put some of that money towards pop-ups and ultimately, a permanent brick and mortar store as we grow.
I'd love to know how do you keep your work-life balance and if you have any rituals or things that support you?
I am definitely a creature of habit. I love to start my day with a workout (I haven’t been as good about it lately because life has been insane), and then I brew my coffee and have my breakfast (love to have this moment without any distractions of phone or email). I find that my most creative hours are 10am-2pm, so I hustle hustle hustle for 4 hours and then do my more tedious tasks/administrative work. Every day is a bit different which really keeps me on my toes. Since I work from home, I love to be “done,” with everything around 6pm and then I spend time making the house feel fresh, organize, and separate from work. Once my boyfriend gets home from work, he cooks an amazing meal and then we cozy up and watch our favorite tv shows. I hope that as we grow as a company, and as I grow into a mother one day, I am able to keep this kind of positive balance while also doing the best for our companies’s success.
Find Jenny at @drewgarabedian and @allthebabiesco
Note from the editor:
Join Abi for her upcoming mums & kids online event making sustainability a lifestyle through wellbeing practices like yoga, breath-work and growing your own in your urban garden! Find out more here.