RYLEE & CRU
SO I'M FINALLY STARTING to document Harrison on my blog a little bit more, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I've been very much interested in children's brands since having one myself, and I've been so excited to work with Kelli Murray of Rylee & Cru. Their clothes are so soft and beautiful but still practical. I also love that the label was created by a mom. Everything I received is perfect for the warm California spring and summer, with sweet fruit patterns and warm pastel colors. There are still a few things I'm planning on purchasing for Harrison, so it's great that I have a discount code to share with you, along with an amazing giveaway on Instagram. Find out more information about the shop credit giveaway on my Instagram feed @melissasonico!
Harrison is wearing the Snow Cone Romper, Apple Seed Romper, and Banana Sweat Short. Use the code MELISSA15 for 15% off in the shop at checkout. Read below to find out about Kelli's process and more about the brand!
1. How did you get your start?
Rylee & Cru is somewhat merging all of my past work experience and passions all into one dream job :) I worked as a graphic designer and merchandiser for a clothing company for about 5 years before deciding to focus on my illustration work and take the leap into freelance. When I had my daughter in 2011, I had such a hard time finding baby clothes, graphics in particular, that spoke to me. I remember thinking that 'one day' I would create a line of my own. Fast forward 2 years and I launched my first collection the week after I gave birth to my son Cru in late 2014. NOT the best timing, but it's honestly been a dream come true and hopefully something I can work on for years to come.
2. What are your sources of inspiration for the current collection?
I am always a year ahead in the design cycle. So right now I am wrapping up my Spring 2017 collection. But our current collection that is out now, SS16, was inspired by all the foods nostalgic to summer (for me anyway). It's full of fruit patterns like pineapples, strawberries and watermelon. And summertime treats like ice cream cones and snow cones. I feel like I am able to find inspiration almost anywhere. I am definitely inspired by nature and travel, by my kids and other creative friends and business owners.
3. What is the mission statement for Rylee & Cru? Where does the name come from?
Rylee and Cru are the names of my own kids, so there's no secret where that came from :)
Art is really the backbone of our brand. Rylee & Cru offers unique and artistic clothing for the modern child. The collection consists of quality basics that are each hand garment dyed, giving them a soft vintage feel right out of the box. The shapes are comfortable and the fabrics are soft, making dressing easy for baby and mom.
4. Describe a day off.
We live a just few minutes from the coast, so on our days off we usually try to head to the beach. Our kids love it there and it always gives me new energy. We just try to get outdoors in general, since most of my work days are spent staring at a computer screen. I'm also a bit of a DIY freak, so we've always got a new project going on. Weather it's something fun that involves the kids or an update for our home, there's usually something crafty in the works.
5. What's next for your line?
I am really excited to be growing the collection and expanding it into new categories! It's hard when starting out to be everything you hope to be as a brand. It's always one step at a time...which has been a good test of patience for me! But I am looking forward to introducing a broader range of items like accessories, outerwear and even swimwear (eek!) as we move into 2017.
