The furniture, toys, products for childcare, and accessories for the newborns and children of Childhome are a mix of versatility, resistance and sustainability, with a special touch of irony. On the market for over 30 years, the Belgium brand exclusively uses wood coming from reforestations while banning the use of toxic substances. A commitment that has been recognized by various awards for innovation, as well as for design, with the capillary presence of a sales network in 45 countries including our own. “Why do we like Childhome and why do Italian stores like it? First, because it combines practicality with style – underlines Federica Borello, sales director at Buzz Italia, the official distributor of the brand in Italy -. All the furniture is practical, versatile, beautiful, and destined to last over time, changing function and accompanying children in their growth. In addition to being 100% eco-friendly, the products are tested multiple times and comply with strict European safety standards”. “Being on Pitti Connect - adds Federica Borello – allows us to connect with markets around the world. We have received satisfactory interest from local stores and realities, as well as some requests from abroad”. In the future, the offering will be even more extensive, since the collections are renewed at least four or five times a year and, as far as Italy is concerned, with an increasingly effective presence together with Buzz Italia.

For Franck&Fischer, sustainability is a question of supply chain: all suppliers must possess at least one of the following certifications: Gots, SA80002, Oeko-Tex Standard or Sedex4. A point on which Annemarie and Charlotte Fischer, founders of the brand of toys, bibs, fabric books, backpacks, and childcare items for kids under five, do not compromise on. After all, for them, Franck&Fischer is more than a collection: it’s a project conceived 15 years ago in Denmark, which has grown following precise ethical principles, with Annemarie focusing on design – also after a long career at Lego – and Charlotte in charge of the financial and administrative department. The fabric products are 100% GOTS certified organic cotton with the wood likewise coming from certified forests, while the packaging is made from recycled cardboard. “It’s an across-the-board brand, which is well suited to different markets - says Silvia Panizzi, head of Ama Giocanaturalmente, the exclusive distributor in Italy -. It has products that work well in stores for early childhood, for those offering large/bulky childcare items, pharmacies, bookstores, and clothing and accessory stores”. There are over 500 Italian stores where Franck&Fischer is present, “because Italian mothers – explains the manager – appreciate the impeccable look, high quality, functionality, respect for the environment, and last, but not least, the originality of the products, all advantages that can be found in the brand”.

Very few people in Italy are familiar with the word “swaddling”, associated with the action of wrapping babies up in cotton muslin, so they feel protected and safe. With this practice in mind, two fathers from Utah, Matt and Tod, created the Little Unicorn brand, where the family is a nest and the child is at its center. Those of Little Unicorn are quality products, with a nostalgic style that is vaguely retro: proposals in cotton muslin or deluxe bamboo muslin, especially lightweight and silky, bibs, blankets, backpacks and bags for mom and much more, all of which undergoes rigorous testing before being put out on the market. The official distributor in Italy is Buzz Italia, one of the first in Europe to believe in the brand: “The aesthetic tastes of our country – explains sales director Federica Borello – blends well with the design, finishes, and details typical of Little Unicorn”. Among the most important items in the new collection, standing out are multifunctional bags/backpacks in premium eco-leather: ergonomic, they are fitted with padded adjustable shoulder pads and a rear quilted panel, which is highly breathable and capable of protecting the back. New fantasies also enrich swaddles in cotton and bamboo.

The world of the littlest ones interpreted with tenderness and respect for their needs, but even before for their dreams: the stuffed animals, toys and accessories of Moulin Roty have been created for enveloping and protecting the purest soul of childhood. Behind the brand, a company active for almost 50 years, which reenters in the SCOP category (a participative and cooperative company), guaranteeing an ethical and respectful approach to work. The result is just waiting to be discovered in the Après la Pluie collection on Pitti Connect, in the Les Petits catalog: 100% natural rubber toys, bedding personalized by soft appliqués and surprising little stuffed animals peeping out from cup-shaped fabric pockets, items for musical and sensorial activities, and objects for decorating children’s rooms. The fabrics, soft and elastic, are in certified GOTS organic cotton and/or with an Oeko-Tex label. A special mention goes to the packaging: genuine “surprise boxes” that enchant children while bringing to mind the best childhood memories in adults. 

Sustainable Materials, Sustainable Production, and Sustainable Mind: without these three cornerstones there would be no PlanToys, synonymous with toys that allow children, especially those aged one to five, to play in complete safety while encouraging their creativity. The founding year dates back to 1981, when seven university graduates decided to give life to an eco-friendly company headed by Vitool Viraponsavan. The headquarters are located in Trang, in the southern part of Thailand, representing an epicenter of virtuous energy between the production plants and the design studio made up by a team of engineers and designers located in Bangkok. Distribution is capillary: PlanToys is sold in America, Asia, Australia and Europe, with Italy among the key markets, thanks to a presence of more than 500 stores. The exclusive distributor in Italy, just like with Franck&Fischer, is Ama Giocanaturalmente, with CEO Silvia Panizzi who observes: “Today, Italy is replying very well to the brand, also because in general we are witnessing an increase in the demand for high quality wooden toys, which respect and save the ecosystem, are safe for little ones, and are versatile in offering different possibilities of creative play. PlanToys does not ‘box up’ predictable toys, but allows the mind to wander free”.

Colored, fun, hyper-functional and friendly to the environment: Sticky Lemon backpacks, bags, wallets and fanny packs combine waterproof nylon with eco-sustainable recycled Pet materials, without leaving anything to chance in the details, from the cotton handles to the very best zips available on the market, those of Ykk. To learn more about the key figures behind the brand born in Holland in 2016, it’s enough to know their names, just like in a family: Simone, head of production and product development, the designers Dorien and Lotte, and the “Rilla girls”, Annika, Maike, Suzanne and Tiny, who are in charge of sales. All of them have made the most of previous and on-going experiences in design – for example, Simone is the owner and creative director of Kado Design, as well as the founder of Rilla go Rilla, a platform dedicated to the new products of emerging designers – to construct together a project that rapidly grew around a core business. In Sticky Lemon backpacks, there is in fact room for pencil sets, cases, sketchbooks, pins, patches, and waterproof boots and socks, so that children can be accompanied in every moment of their daily lives, from playtime to school, giving an extra touch of fantasy, practicality, and personality to their world. 

by the editorial staff