Nutkin Story was founded in 2019 by female fashion founders (Galip and Pat), two best friends from childhood, with their love for hand embroidery.

Our affection for the little, hand-fashioned details of vintage pieces has inspired us to create special new pieces for special mums and kids. The brand focuses on the empowerment of women to thrive in the fashion industry at every step of the supply chain. From craftsmanship centered on women artisans to our management team led by women.

We believe that children’s clothes should be able to soak up cherished memories along with little scuffs and stains. That’s why we aim to offer classic, unique and bold yet fun children’s clothing that can help to embody personal feelings of family and togetherness.

Our proud and highly-skilled local seamstresses adapt our fine quality fabrics into handsewn, hand-smocked and hand-embroidered designs, so that our clothes can be valued as individual heirlooms: a souvenir of innocence. For mums who seek to give the best to their loved ones.

What inspired you to start Nutkin Story and focus on children's clothing?

First of all, we adore craftsmanship and vintage items. The key activities that we have been doing together since we were kids was going to vintage markets and hunting for rare items.

It started when I (Galip) had a baby and I struggled to find dresses for my kid that can capture the sense of motherhood and caring. We are all surrounded by fast fashion. Everything changes so fast and the consumption pattern is changed to be decided by cost. I personally do not want to create this fast environment for my child to grow up with. I want her to feel the longevity, the meticulous care and selection, the story behind her clothes to communicate with my kid that every piece of clothing has its story. Pat shares the same views and beliefs so we created Nutkin Story with the concept of the childhood memories to be cherished.

Can you tell us more about the materials you use and why they are beneficial for children's clothing?

Every line of fabric we handpick by ourselves. We mainly source from Japan and the UK. We limit our selections to only cotton and linen because they are natural and soft on kids' skin.

Can you describe the process of designing a new collection for Nutkin Story?

Every collection we have is inspired by children’s books. I am learning and get my inspiration from bedtime stories that I read for my kid every night. Animals are also a key in every collection. We pick the backgrounds from story books and choose elements from nature and have animals represent our message for each collection. Nutkin Story is full of animals in every collection.

How do you decide on the color palettes and patterns for each season?

We love pastel tones and also vivid colours! The colours that represent childhood. Children possess something that we have all lost – the quality of innocence, an ability to find joy in the simplest things, and a natural trust in the goodness around them.

What does a typical day in your life look like as the founder of Nutkin Story?

Pat - I focus more on the back office/operation part, so overall each day would be different - from checking orders both online and offline, managing inventory, accounting, handling documents, fetching and following up on production, oversee the qc and packing staff, to helping out with photography of our designs (product shots) for the sales and marketing purpose.

Galip - childcare, I also have another full time job. For Nutkin Story I respond to customers’ queries, work on new designs, fabric sourcing and managing social media platforms. Multitasking in different jobs and roles are my life core.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face when sourcing high-quality materials?

The availability and the price. Sometimes we can't always get what we want. At the moment we are waiting to order Liberty Tana Lawn ‘Danjo’ fabric in pink but we can’t find any stockist anywhere. Sometimes cost can be a challenging factor as well, but in our experience customers who understand our work are willing to pay, so the cost is the secondary challenge.

Can you share a memorable moment since starting Nutkin Story?

There have been many memorable moments throughout the years we have had. The moment we look back on most is when we started the brand. We started with very little and grew, but I can still remember the time when we made samples by ourselves, having our stock in the boots of our cars. // We see our customers grow bigger with us. Some kids have been wearing our pieces since they were babies and now they are becoming teenagers. We have seen them grow up along with Nutkin Story.

How do you incorporate children's comfort and safety into your designs?

We hear their voices. I observe my kid and other kids and we take feedback seriously from our customers and always try to adjust so they can wear our pieces with comfort. Kids of every age have different concerns. For example, when they crawl they don’t tend to wear a skirt or dress. When they turn into a toddler they don’t like elasticated armbands since they cause irritation, so we try to avoid these tiny little details to match their age. Regarding chemicals on fabric, we purchase certified fabric from trusted partners and always choose natural fibres to avoid toxicity and skin irritation.

What are some of your favorite pieces from the current Nutkin Story collection and why?

From the current selection, I (Pat) like the Linda birdie smock dress and the balloon embroidered dress. They both represent well what our brand stands for, which is classic and playful, and they capture the essence of liveliness in childhood.

(Galip) I like the Alice dress - this dress is an example of masterful hand smocking/hand embroidery. The dress has both front and back hand smocking, so the handiwork takes a few weeks to finish. The hand embroidery of the flowers around the collar is also customised to the fabric prints. We can do lilies, roses or daisies. Just a magnificent piece to keep.

How do you stay inspired and keep your designs fresh and innovative?

Communicate with kids and follow their trends. We need to study them and know the nature of the kids to be able to convey what they like and then they will come to pick us.

What is the best advice you have received as a designer and entrepreneur?

You’ll never know if you never try. There’s no harm in trying to explore new markets or merchandising. At first Nutkin Story started out as an online shop only, but once we had an offer to open a pop up shop at Central Department Store, we opted to test it out and it has become a successful opportunity. So, I guess the best advice as an entrepreneur is to get the best out of any opportunity you have because you never know how good it could turn out to be for your business if you don’t try.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a children's clothing brand?

I would suggest staying true to your brand identity and authentic design in the meantime, also always analyse what your customers like in order to adapt to the market’s needs. Start small in product designs and production first and see how it goes from there. Just have fun designing and trust your instincts and it will turn out great!

What future plans do you have for expanding Nutkin Story?

We are interested in the Middle East and European markets and would like to explore the possibility for a pop up there, as well as collaborations, especially in the UAE and the UK. As for plans for our shop, we are looking forward to our first flagship store in Bangkok and perhaps London in the future. Also we are working on possible collaborations with designers and brands that share the same direction as Nutkin Story in creating our original fabric print design and handmade goods.