Mom Creates Hip Children’s Clothing Line and Fights Juvenile Diabetes
mom • my world • moms making a difference
Jessica Wiswall doesn't even know how to sew.
This is amazing considering she created My Vintage Baby - a line of children's clothing she says are, "a piece of yesterday designed for the hip child of today."
A former marketing manager for Coca-Cola, Jessica chose to stay home with her children when she and her husband started a family. But in 2003, Jessica's creativity began to overflow. She found herself designing one of a kind pieces of clothing for her daughter, Jaiden. She would envision what she wanted and then ask a friend to help her actually create the piece. She used chenille, hankies, aprons and and tablecloths to embellish the clothing. Eventually, she couldn't take her daughter out in the clothes without being stopped by admirers.
So, with the help of a few crafty and talented neighbors, her vision of beautiful, vintage clothing for kids became a reality. Working from her own dining room and a neighbor's garage, the designs Jessica pictured in her mind became a reality one piece at a time.
In the beginning, this creative mom of three had two goals: "to get in Neiman Marcus - we did it! and to be on Oprah - we are still trying!"
Her incredible tipping point occurred one day as she and her daughter were walking through Nordstroms. Naturally, her daughter Jaiden was wearing one of her designs. The children's apparel manager came rushing over, asking where she had bought Jaiden's outfit - saying that the store simply MUST begin to carry them. In a matter of days, Jessica was on a flight to Chicago to meet with the Nordstrom's buyer. And the rest, my friends, is history.
My Vintage Baby is now in almost 600 stores nationwide. And Jessica is starting to shake things up a bit. The company has a new business model: My Vintage Baby Direct - which will allow the women who adore this line of clothing to sell it directly to anyone who is interested. This means lower prices, one-to-one interaction and, the people doing the selling will know everything there is to know about the brand and designs - definitely a personal touch.
My Vintage Baby Direct - still in its trial stage, will also allow Jessica to invest professionally in a charity close to her heart - the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Three members of her family - her husband, her oldest son, Jackson and her daughter, Jaiden all live with Juvenile Diabetes. The family has been active with the charity in the past - including participating in the JDRF's annual walk.
In addition to this, the company also supports Angel's Attic in Grapevine, Texas with clothing donations whenever they can.
My Vintage Baby carries girls clothing size 0M-10, boys clothing 0M- 10, maternity tees, diaper bags and blankets.
About the Author: Danielle Smith is a mommy to two smart and sassy small people, as well as the founder and primary author of ExtraordinaryMommy.com. You can catch her hosting a brand new live show, The Spin Cycle, on MomTV.com every Wednesday at 9pmEST. She also hosts a show on Blog Talk Radio and contributes to WhyMomsMatter. Danielle is thrilled to be contributing to MomItForward as ‘giving back’ has always been an important part of who she is and what she hopes to teach her children.
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