Amanda de Vaulx and Lisa Colombera, co-founders of MyTwirl, talk to Chic Little List about their irresistible dress label for girls who love to twirl
Amanda de Vaulx and Lisa Colombera, co-founders of MyTwirl
Tell us how My Twirl started?
Lisa and I were next door neighbours and had our third babies at the same time. On our long walks back from mummy and me classes we would discuss our careers, dreams and frustrations with dressing our little girls who only wanted twirly dresses. We agreed there was a gap in the market, and by chance our skills complemented each others. I spent my career in sales and marketing for fashion trend forecasting companies, my mother, Celeste, is a clothing designer with 35 years in the industry (designing kids clothes for Calvin Klein in the ‘80s) and Lisa is a lawyer with finance experience, so we took the leap and started MyTwirl at the end of 2016.
There’s a big trend towards unisex clothes at the moment but My Twirl is unashamedly (and wonderfully) girlie. What prompted you to launch the brand now?
Most little girls don’t follow trends and many would prefer to put on a synthetic princess dress every day. I was one of them! I vowed to avoid it with my own daughter, but it was inevitable. Our aim with MyTwirl was to bridge the gap between what the girls wanted to wear and what the mums and dads wanted to buy so we combined beautiful, soft fabrics, impeccable quality and classic design with a modern twist. I think we stand out among other collections for girls because we have stayed true to who we are, a brand and aesthetic for girls who want to be playful, carefree and be little girls. We are conscious to not be overly pink or frilly, and we try to offer a variety of colours and styles that truly make us a playground-to-party item. Throw on a pair of our twirl shorts and trainers with your my twirl dress, and it goes straight in the washing machine at the end of the day.
The quality is impeccable - tell us where and how they are made?
Thank you! Quality was the most important aspect in creating our dresses. All fabrics are sourced in Europe (mostly Spain, Italy, UK and France) and they are manufactured in Riga, a beautiful city on the Baltic Sea. We wanted to keep the made in Europe footprint, and work with a small and lovely talented team there who take care in constructing every dress. We are small businesses supporting a small businesses.
My girls are obsessed with the twirling! How important is it for kids to love and interact with what they are wearing?
As a mum, I love that with MyTwirl there is no longer a fight in the morning to get dressed. With a designer mother, she used to try and dress me on-trend. Unfortunately, it was a lot of trousers with stirrups and blazers with shoulder pads in the ‘80s. I would cry and wish I could just wear a pretty dress. I think it’s important for kids to feel good and confident in what they're wearing. The smiles we see when girls try on our comfy dresses and twirl for the first time is priceless. They can dance, they can play, they can run, they can sit. They can be carefree.
When we first launched, we only went up to a size 7/8, believing that girls were over twirly dresses by then. After many requests we added a size 10, and probably sell that the most. It turns out there is something magical about a twirling skirt, even the mums want them!
What sort of occasions are the dresses for?
Any and all. We say we are for girls who twirl from playground-to-party because they really are meant to be dresses to wear again and again. All are machine washable and we look for fabrics that are beautiful but stand up to kids’ active lives. My daughter has worn hers to a farm, the playground, school, cinema, parties and for Christmas! I used to save dresses for a special occasion and they were never worn. What a shame! I now let her wear them whenever she wants.
What have been your best-sellers to date?
Our jersey dresses have really become our signature items. We launched with Lily, and it sold out, so we have since reproduced it in another colour, and have used elements of that design in other styles. Because of the variety in colours, fabrics and styles we feel we can offer something to appeal to different tastes and wants, and thankfully I can say that they have all done well.
And finally, your dream destinations with kids in tow?
Lisa and I had a little laugh at this because it is ever a dream destination with three kids in tow?! But her pick would be Île de Ré in France where she just spent a wonderful week with her family exploring the island on bicycles, beaches, great food and lots to explore. Both of our families tend to shy away from resorts and opt for exploration, gorgeous scenery and great food. My favourite destinations with my children have been Scotland and Portugal.
In Scotland we started in the Trossachs, and traveled by car through the Highlands to the Isle of Skye. On the way back we visited Torridon and the Lake of Menteith. Castles, hikes, cows…even for this city girl it was absolute perfection. Portugal was a week of travel as well, starting on the coast in the Alentejo region, moving by car to medieval cities, a gorgeous vineyard and finally Lisbon which we didn’t want to leave.
My Twirl dresses are available from £52 each at my twirl.co.uk