Behind
Dandy Star is the laidback Cornish duo Charlotte Day and Rose Bamford who met while doing their MA's at the Royal College and Chelsea School of Art respectively. They produced their first collection of LOVE t-shirts for kids in the summer of 2004.
I remember seeing kids wearing these LOVE T-shirts at the Big Chill Festival and thinking 'Ah, when I have kids how lovely those T-shirts would be.' Fast-forward to 2008 after my son was born and I was full of glee to find a few
Dandy Star T's for my gorgeous boy. And then 2 years later when my sister and I were planning our online boutique of course
Dandy Star was top of the list.
Dandy Star first appeared at the Cross in Holland Park, London - one of the first London lifestyle boutiques. The Cross was a boutique I remember discovering with lots of 'Ooohs and Ahhs' at the inspiring designs.
Dandy Star is a British label we have always admired. The designs mix typography with handprinted illustrations. They have a 60's and 70's retro charm along with what they call 'dandification.' These are T-shirts that are less about fashion and more about fun, wearable works of art.
Dandy Star say that their mission is
'To bring more optimism, sparkle and glam rock into you and your children's homes.' Their motto is:
'Life is way more FUN if your clothes are Dandy.'
Carla & I are passionate about children's clothing being imaginative and individual; clothes that allow a child to express him/herself.
Dandy Star's colours, images and words are a celebration of the joy of being a child. There's greens, pinks, blues and yellows. With words LOVE, MAGIC, DAZZLE, LUCKY, BEST and one of our recent favorites SAVE THE WHALE.
I love the
Dandy Star pieces in my boys wardrobe and they mix well with denim jeans and shirts (
Little Duckling being another one of my favourite designers for boys). His favourite has become the long-sleeved dark pink T with the fantastic elephant design. It is one of those T-shirts that will be around for a long time and is a 'saver.' I think what makes my son pick out the Dandy T's from his drawer is that they are made of such soft cotton. They feel so good on the skin - you can't beat that feeling of putting on a T-shirt after a bath, a shower or a swim on the beach, and how the soft warm cotton caresses the skin. That's what gives them 'favourite T-shirt' status.
The
Dandy Star duo say:
Our design aesthetic goes back to a time of sandy shoes on the backstep, Portobello junk in the living room, Marc Bolan in the bedroom and definitely too much blue eyeliner in the bathroom. Vibrant yet muted our shades contrast with bold typography and line. The natural fading achieved through our production process, with some added sparkle and dandification. All that works with the way you like to live and your kids like to play.
We certainly get that vibe
- Dandy Star clothing is like a warm, familiar smile
with a bit of a nod and a whoop for days of fun, freedom and innocence
.
Dandy Star has collaborated with style icons such as Marc Jacobs and Luella, with bespoke collections for Tate Modern, Maggie’s and more recently Cath Kidston. We get excited each season to see what new designs they will bring.
Charlotte and Rose have a magic mix of elements in their
Dandy Star designs that make them wearable and timeless with a 'keep them forever' feel. They add some fun and charm to the Sisters Guild Boutique and we are happy knowing we can add a bit of Dandy to people's lives!
This is part of our series of blog posts about the
Story Behind our Collections - why we've chosen the designers that are in the boutique.
To see what Sisters Guild is all about take a look at the
A-Z of Sisters Guild here.
