“I was an adventurous and deeply imaginative child.” – Becca Niles
Inspired by her childhood in Argentina as well as her need to let her creative spirit shine, Becca Niles decided to put all her eggs in one fashionable basket; Wild Honey Apparel. Now she’s talking to us about leaving the typical and diving into the fantastical world of children’s clothing with her own clothing line.
Kendra: When did your love of fashion and design come into play and when did you decide to take it to the next level and start Wild Honey Apparel?
Becca Niles: I was in the corporate world and desperately needed a creative outlet. I started working with a friend making custom onesies and t-shirts for fun and after finally leaving my job, decided to go all-in and create Wild Honey Apparel. It was my love of art and poetry that steered me in the direction it did.
Kendra: You’ve noted how you were inspired by your childhood in Argentina, playing outdoors and being a regular kid. So when it came time to design your kids clothing line what two or three aspects of your childhood did you think back to and want to implement?
Becca Niles: I learned to swim in rivers, started writing poetry when I was four, had a pet chicken and rabbit (who did not get along). More than anything, I wanted to capture the feeling of it—the sense of wonder, imagination, and possibility from a childhood filled with outdoor fun and unbounded creativity.
Kendra: We hear all the time how kids today are more keen on playing indoors with their tech products than being outside. Other than fashion, how do you feel parents can teach their kids the importance of a childhood filled with nature and adventure?
Becca Niles: Take them outside! My mom would wake me up early in the morning before anyone else was awake and we would read together under a tree in the backyard. It was a small thing, but I think it’s the little things that stay with us as we get older.
Kendra: Wild Honey Apparel definitely seems like younger, more hip parents are buying it for their kids. A lot of kids clothing has gotten more fashionable than that of the ’80s and ’90s. Do you feel as if perhaps designers who grew up then are making “cooler” clothes as a pushback to all the embarrassing things they once wore to then shield their children from embarrassment when they get older and look at their pictures from when they were younger?
Becca Niles: I think it’s actually today’s parents who are pushing for more fashionable styles. Social media is a big part of it—children are an extension of us, and so parents naturally use fashion as a way to express their sense of creativity.
Kendra: You’re also all about utilizing ethical and sustainable materials for your designs. Is that something that has always been a must-have of the company?
Becca Niles: Absolutely. Even our packaging is made from GOTS-certified organic cotton! We feel strongly about providing ethical and sustainable products that are safe on children’s sensitive skin and show respect to the environment.
Kendra: Are there any new designs you’re working on right now for 2019? And do you have plans to be in stores at all?
Becca Niles: Yes! Our summer collection “Sunkissed” just dropped July 16th. We recently started offering wholesale and will soon be available in five stores!
