Valeria Solo, founder and designer of VSolochildren, has a multicultural approach to design. She’s an Indian-born Australian mom who lived in Shanghai, India, Singapore, US and now Australia. Her tailoring is inspired by classic European children’s wear, but she gives it a playful, Asian-inspired twist. The difference is in the details. As a mom, Valeria understands what many parents and kids are looking for: clothes that are timeless but playful. Stylish but comfortable. Fine fabrics at affordable prices.
VSolochildren was born when Valeria was scouring the children’s shops and realized how hard it is to find clothes that are original, reasonably priced and crafted with care. Since that’s the winning combination every parent is looking for, Valeria wondered why it was so hard to find. That’s when she resolved to launch her own clothing design studio for children ages 1-14.
VSolochildren designs are affordable, and that’s part of the brands mission. Valeria spent almost three years visiting suppliers throughout Asia to find the finest fabrics at the best prices. Because as much as everyone wants adorable outfits for their little ones, they outgrow them just as quickly.
What is your creative background/qualifications?
I do not have a technical/professional creative background, I hold and MBA, Master of Business Administration, UTS, University of Technology, (Sydney 2015), my past experiences were in the fields of Finance/Accounting. I have always been a big fan of timeless, practical, well-made, affordable and playful clothing pieces. These are my key drivers to pursuing my passion in creating unique children's clothing pieces.
Is the business your sole income, or do you juggle multiple jobs whilst starting out?
We just moved back to Australia, at this stage, this business is my only occupation.
Tell us about your brand name, how did this come about?
VSolochildren - My initial and family name.
People often guess my country of birth incorrectly, I was born in a tiny state in the north east part of India called Mizoram. The brand name represents the truly wonderful birth place that reflects our unique pieces.
What products or services are included within your range?
Clothing for Children 1-14yr and in the process of getting shoes/sandals range too.
What inspires you creatively?
Timelessness, affordability, uniqueness, originality and most importantly practicality for everyday/ occasion wear.
Do you work from home, an office or creative workspace?
Yes, home.
Do you implement any sustainable practices within your company, if so tell us about this?
Keeping in mind the sensitive nature of children's skin, we are very selective about the quality of fabrics used and the processes involved in crafting our pieces. Our high-quality cottons, linens, cashmeres are soft and easy to wear. We vastly use hand painted/vegetable dyes for our prints. All our pieces are made with fine and natural fabrics like linen, cotton, silk and cashmere. Our aim is to continually meet our niche market's demand and want rather than focusing on big picture and also to continually get feedback from our customers how our timeless yet playful, superior quality yet affordable, comfortable yet chic pieces last younger siblings and how unique they feel in it.
Connect with VSolochildren and shop online, here.
