A Moment with…Lisa Carrol, Founder of Kids Line Livly

by Ashley Baker

Last winter, Lisa Carrol set out to take her comfy-chic children’s line from Sweden to NYC’s Tribeca nabe with its first U.S. flagship. Now that the brand is officially settled in on Reade Street, Carrol gives us an update on what’s rolling out in 2017, Livly’s e-commerce expansion, and what you can expect to add to your kiddos’ wardrobes this spring.

The store recently celebrated its first anniversary on Reade Street. How’s business?
It’s such a dream come true to have a store in NYC, and we couldn’t be happier with the location. Tribeca is such a family-oriented neighborhood and Livly has grown beyond expectations this past year. We have also found that having a flagship store in New York has made our business grow as a whole in the U.S., which is fantastic!

Which categories have been performing especially well for you?
We have always been strong in the baby category, with our Pima cotton concept and in-house designed fabrics. However, what has been great in New York is that the kid’s line has also performed so well with the playful fashion designs.

What’s the theme of your Spring ’17 collection?
For Spring ’17, it’s all about dreaming and believing around the world, which were my favorite elements of my own childhood. In our Spring designs, you will see romantic buildings from Paris, hot air balloons flying over Stockholm, and elephants from Kenya. I love this collection, with its light and vibrant colors and soft fabrics.

How have your customers reacted to the brand’s focus on Pima cotton?
When I started out in Sweden 2011, Pima was something new that wasn’t available on the market. My children have very sensitive skin, and as a mom I realized that there was a need in the market for these products. In the U.S., there are some great brands using Pima cotton and I’m honored to be in this space with them. As a brand, you have to find your niche and create a need from the market you are in. I’d like to believe that we have created something different with our prints and all of our little creatures, which have come to be little SFF—softest friend forever—for babies around the world.

What kinds of in-store events are planned for the coming months?
In-store events are such a great way to meet your customers and get a feel for who they are and what they want. For Spring, we have planned a Valentine’s Day event for the kids so they can come and make necklaces, paintings, or clay figures for their loved ones. For us, it’s important to actually have the kids involved in doing something and for them to use their imagination to create something. They are our future.

How do you plan to grow the business in 2017?
In just a month or so we’re introducing our new website! I’m so excited about it, and I can’t wait for you all to see it. We also just opened a new store in Sweden, and we have our eyes set on a new store in Aventura Mall in Miami and on the Upper East Side in New York. Hopefully it will all happen before the end of the year.

Are there any plans to wholesale the collection?
We wholesale at Barneys, ABC Carpet, and some other specialty retail stores. It is so wonderful to see buyers, who are the professionals when it comes to retail and brands, pick your brand for their store. 

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