Brittany Peltz Buerstedde, Lisa Carrol
There’s no shortage of luxury brands scrambling to enter the children’s wear market, but few are creating well-made basics at gentle price points with quite the style quotient of Livly, a new retail concept from Lisa Carrol, founder and designer, and Brittany Peltz Buerstedde, co-creative director. The brand, which originated in Sweden, has opened its first American flagship on Reade Street in Tribeca, and its opening brought out chicsters like host Joanna Hillman, Leslie Fremar, Georgina Chapman, Ayanat Ksenbai, and Nicola Peltz, one of Buerstedde’s seven siblings. Carrol and Buerstedde explain the concept.
How did you meet?
Brittany: Lisa and I have been family friends for almost 10 years now. I can’t believe how time flies! I come from a big hockey family of six brothers and one sister, who all played at some point, and they always loved getting on the ice with her husband Darius.
Why did you decide to get involved with the brand?
Brittany: I’ve always been interested in fashion with my mom’s background as a model and have always admired what Lisa has created with Livly—a fun, fresh, and beautiful line. When I became pregnant with my daughter, Eva, it was the perfect time to get involved. Becoming a mother is by far the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
How do you plan to further grow the brand in the US?
Brittany: We are so excited to introduce Livly to the US with our first flagship in Tribeca but definitely have plans for expansion in the near future. Right now we have our eyes set on Miami as our next location.
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- Yasmine Almachnouk, Brittany Peltz Buerstedde, Joanna Hillman, Lisa Carrol
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- Georgina Chapman, Nicola Peltz
What makes Pima cotton so great for babies’ skin?
Lisa: Livly’s foundation is built on Pima cotton. I first got in touch with this exceptional cotton after I had given birth to my twin daughters, Liv and Lilly. They were premature and allergic to almost everything. I was advised to dress them in clothing made out of Pima cotton because the fibers are much longer, the durability is remarkable, and it’s great for newborns and children with allergies or sensitive skin. I ended up buying 10 kilograms of organic Pima cotton from Peru and made my own layette line. I fell in love with the fabric at once, and boom, there was my business idea! I took my production team with me to pick the cotton a couple of years back and they were all amazed by the remarkable harvest. Since the cotton is handpicked, it reduces the carbon footprint and comes out very pure, without all the dirt that’s left when using the regular industrial harvesting process. You have to touch this pure cotton to appreciate its softness!
What are some of the brand’s aesthetic signatures?
Lisa: At Livly, we believe in dressing children in soft materials and loose silhouettes so they can move, explore, and play freely. We like to think outside of the box and design special pieces that both parents and children will fall in love with. The Kai leather jacket and the Eggit Mary dress are collection pieces, while the Sleeping Cutie series is more laid-back and playful.
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- Brittany Peltz Buerstedde, Franz Buerstedde
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- Henriette Scherer, Anna Maria Sandegren, Mila Rabij
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- Ayanat Ksenbai
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- Leslie Fremar. Joanna Hillman
