Pepa Gonzalez talks to us about the latest season collection & more
Congratulations on the arrival of your son! How has new motherhood been so far?
Thank you, it has been a bit of a whirlwind since Matthew arrived in July during a pandemic, but we are taking each day as it comes. I am enjoying the newborn bubble so far and each and every development. These precious moments won’t ever come back and I don’t want to miss a single bit. However, it is true that I never had a conventional maternity leave when you can put everything aside for a year and focus completely on the baby. At the same time, I think I am lucky as I find it mentally healthy to focus for a few hours per day on something that has nothing to do with the sometimes physically and mentally exhausting work of looking after a little new life.
How did you come to launch Pepa & Co?
Back in 2010, I moved to London to work in the marketing department for the Spanish Embassy, but when that contract finished and while I was looking for a new job, I worked as a nanny in London, working with British and International families in central London. It was then I realised how difficult it was to find high-quality traditional and vintage inspired clothing for children in the UK. I decided to launch Pepa & Co in 2013 and move to a new sector that I had no official training in, but I loved even more. It shows how you can start something from scratch which you have never been trained for, any time, as long as you love what you do.
How are the pieces made and what makes a Pepa & Co. garment so special?
We take great pride in the design and manufacture of our clothing. Our clothing is made in Spain and other countries nearby as the manufacturers there really care about the design detail. That we know them well and keep a good relationship with them. This also means high quality materials and that the process in producing clothing is fair. We want to source the best materials so tend to go to Peru for pima cotton, Italy for wool and fine fibres and fabrics. Portugal for other cottons… There is great attention to detail from the cut, the designs we follow, the fabrics to the buttons we use. It is a long process from start to finish but we believe our use of high-quality materials and designing with the client in mind makes us stand out from the other brands.
How important is sustainability to the brand?
Sustainable production is of huge importance to us as a brand. Our clothing is designed to last and be passed onto future generations, so we feel we are taking some steps to reduce environmental impact. We are completely the opposite of fast fashion and believe in making clothing which has longevity. We have been working during this year on improving our packaging to reduce the impact. We also work with high quality natural fibres that reduce any negative impact on the environment.
And finally, what can we expect from the new season collection?
Expect to see a collection of elegant childrenswear from limited edition hand-smocked dresses, pretty rompers, bloomers and the softest knitwear for babies alongside complementary accessories. The spring / summer 21 collection uses a colour palette of summer pastels with delicate florals alongside the traditional nautical-inspired navy, red and white. Our new collection includes many organic cotton pieces which we think our customers will love.
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