New shop for kids opens in Zagreb.
You know how it goes with children’s clothing. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue. A baby toy for a girl, a car for a boy… Well, Manuela Šola and Nikola Žinić, with their successful careers in marketing agencies, do not agree. After becoming the parents of daughter Tija, they decided to (once again) do something innovative and useful. For themselves, their daughter and Zagreb. Since there was no shop which offered eco-friendly and modern clothes for babies and children, they decided to change that by opening the Ne.Ne.Ne. multibrand store at Zagreb’s Deželićeva Street.
Located in the city center, in a building built in the 1890s, the store represents a synergy of the city’s history and the modern Zagreb urban atmosphere. The Brigada agency designed the shop which is first of all safe for children but offers a pleasant shopping experience for adults as well. Simple wooden furnishings, gray carpets, and a metal construction have been embedded in a shop which kept the original doors and ceilings from the 1890s. Aesthetic elements of brutalism are mixed with the historical elegance, which creates an impression of a fashion store which is accessible to everyone. Or, as somehow humorously said, it is a high fashion store for people under 130 cm of height.
The central position in the store belongs to an actual tree, surrounded by an area for playing and drawing, to keep children busy while the parents are shopping. “No” is the most often used word by the children, and they usually repeat it three times. said Manuela, explaining the name of the store which interprets the idea of having an attitude and wishing for something different. “We do not want clichés and are against polluting the environment and toxic methods in textile production. We say ‘no’ to the ordinary and bring something extraordinary! We have selected the brands which are produced in a sustainable way, use acceptable materials and make a step outside the fast fashion system.”
One of such brands is Nununu World from Israel, characterized by alternative skull patterns, which has been a favorite among celebrities around the world for years, such as Gwen Stefani and Pink. Play Up is a Portuguese brand focused on the beauty of simplicity, nature and timeless fashion. The use of organic cotton and the avoidance of harmful chemicals makes this clothes safe for children’s skin and responsible towards the environment.
Little Man Happy from Berlin, with production facilities located in Greece, is unisex, organic and designed straight from the heart of Yvonna Budimir, a Split native who now lives in Berlin. Patterns such as love bombs and love spots are a favorite among the little ones, as well as parents looking for something different. The Icelandic brand Moi, produced in Portugal, uses cotton of organic origin and creates true Scandinavian forms of high fashion.
Mini Melissa is a shoe label known for its world-renowned fashion designers and the Ne.Ne.Ne. store offers a collection designed by Vivienne Westwood. The shoes are made of special Melfelx rubber, which is extremely comfortable, flexible and has a beautiful smell that changes depending on the temperature – warmer it is, more intensely it smells.
“These are brands which care about nature and body and create a new approach to children’s fashion: unisex clothing, thoughtful fashion forms, playing with unusual and unexpected patterns. Finally, we wanted to create a space where parents do not always have to say: ‘No. No. No.’ After all, everything is said by the store slogan: Small People with Great Attitude. This is a place where having a great attitude is not a disadvantage, but an opportunity!” Šola explained.
The store also offers pajamas and nightgowns with cheerful and unusual patterns made by the Snurk brand from Amsterdam and produced in Portugal, as well as T-shirts and swimming suits Hamac Paris, with UV protection. Youngest children, under six months of age, are taken care of by the Dutch brand Snooze Baby. In addition to newborn baby clothes, the shop also offers accessories such as towels and soft toys. The textile used remembers the smell of the human body, so after the baby is hugged, the scent of moms and dads stays on the clothing and tends to calm the baby later.
The beautiful Ilado pregnancy necklaces come straight from Paris and are made according to the legend of the ancient Maya, and have a rattle which hangs to the height of the navel and produces the sound which calms the unborn baby. When the baby is born, the mother keeps wearing the necklace, and the baby connects that sound with the mother’s womb.
You can also buy didactic toys Plan Toys, made from recycled trees which no longer produce rubber. They are painted with organic dyes and develop the intelligence and motor skills of babies but are also extremely entertaining. For the drawing, there are Jaq Jaq Bird chalks which do not produce dust and can simply be wiped with a wet cloth from all surfaces. The brand comes from the United States and also offers fun notebooks and colouring books.
This is a dream store for moms, babies, and children, but not a place just for shopping. Children draw, learn and socialize, and there are also interesting events for the parents as well. In June, the store hosted dermatologist Anamarija Jović who talked with parents about the harmful effects of the sun and how to protect parents’ and children’s skin. A workshop on aromatherapy was hosted by Anamarija Pažan Morović.
Photos by Domagoj Kunić
