Good morning my lovely friends. Please allow me to introduce a super creative soul who has become well-known to KID independent over the past couple of years due to her deliciously whimsical styling. Mijke (pronounced Mayka) from Little Rose whips up perfectly pretty pieces that will delight and amaze…
I feel sublimely spoilt this week as I review the Little Rose Elephant Circus T-shirt and Tulle Skirt. The colours are captivating, the polka dots are precious, the tulle adds a touch of whimsy. Even my husband was impressed with this week’s creation (it’s hard to get him excited about clothing) due to the intricate detailing on the appliqued Elephant.
Mijke’s workmanship is divine, and her mix-and-match pieces make it easy to put together an outfit either with all new pieces from the range, or existing pieces in your child’s wardrobe. This Elephant on this tee is fastened with silver thread, which was a suggestion from Mijke’s daughter Rose. Mijke says, “Rose is always involved in the proces, which she loves. She sometimes sits next to me to make doll dresses or her own t-shirt with felt, glue and usually lots of glitter!”
The verdict… cheerful & bright, a pure delight!
Little Rose designer Mijke had her first daughter just after she moved to Australia from the Netherlands and was inspired to start creating. Mijke explains, “The clothing you could by in the village we lived in back then made me feel homesick for all the colourful clothing from home. I started to make clothes for Rose. I have always been a crafty sort of person and had learned sewing from my mother when I was young. I got such lovely responses from friends and neighbours about Rose’s clothes and I was full of creativity. So I decided to make dresses, bloomers and t-shirts and started selling them at markets. From then on things went really well and I started designing collections two times a year.”
Mijke chose her business name to honour the inspiration behind the label, her daughter Rose (6). She also has a little boy named Hugo (2). A true family affair, Mijke lists her mother as another major source of inspiration and was taught her trade by her mum who made her all kinds of pretty dresses when she was young.
Mijke says, “I am also greatly inspired by the photographer Tim Walker for his use of colour and amazing creations; and I am always inspired by the fashion shows of Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Miu Miu and Prada. I get my ideas from everything; seeing things outside, watching the kids play, Rose, fashion magazines and the latest fashion shows are always a good source of inspiration.”
Here’s three fun facts about Mijke (in her own words):
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I am secretly in love with Harry Potter.
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My favourite breakfast is chocolate sprinkles on white toast.
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When we moved back to the Netherlands we have built a small wooden house in our back yard all Aussie style with a porch! This is my sewing space and a bit of Australia since I still miss it a lot!
The Circus Summer collection by Little Rose is inspired by an old Playmobil circus that her kids enjoyed playing with at her parents place. Mijke was inspired by all the bright colours which she then transferred onto a mood board, drew out ideas for appliques, hunted for fabrics and ribbons and mixed everything up! You can shop the collection via Etsy, visit Mijke on Facebook (for some fabulous specials), or read her blog for inspiration.
