I have been a Consultant to Hippychick for a number of years and relish every moment of working with this small, dynamic team. Being a consultant, rather than on the pay roll, can be challenging as you never know quite how you’re going to fit in. But Hippychick have always been an enduring favourite – making me feel endlessly welcome and valued, as well as an integral member of the team.
I was delighted when Julia, Hippychick’s founder invited me to write a blog post about their new feeding pillows, manufactured in India. As Julia knows, aside from my passion for working with Hippychick, my other is India.
It’s hardly surprising, given that India is in my blood. My father was born and raised in Mumbai (formerly Bombay, as he knew it). Sadly, he passed away recently but while we were children, we were lucky enough to be taken by him on frequent occasions to this amazing city which buzzes and bustles 24/7 and assaults your senses the minute you step off the plane with smells that wouldn’t under normal circumstances, score top of the leader board but which I have come to love through the power of positive association. Mostly I recall my sister and mother remaining in the hotel, eating the bland buffet-style food, while my father and I would slip out to a local roadside restaurant to eat curry and rice with our fingers, with chapatis on the side and banana leaves for plates.
India is a land of contrasts. From Goa in the South with its sweeping beaches dotted with gently swaying palm trees, the odd cow and fisherman with their traditional brightly coloured coracles and the occasional sea eagle soaring overhead. On the other hand, Goa, despite its hippy label, also boasts the chic-est of restaurants and eye wateringly expensive, uber-stylish hotels often frequented, so I’ve read, by a stellar cast including the likes of Kate Moss, Brad Pitt and Mick Jagger. Then there’s Delhi in the North, a huge, noisy, crowded and sprawling Metropolis with roads jammed nose to tail with cars, tuk tuks, cows and mopeds with families of five clinging precariously on at all angles, but nevertheless a tremendously, diverse and progressive city literally overflowing with life. And it is in this exciting part of the country that the factory, commissioned by Hippychick to manufacture their latest feeding pillow designs is located.
Hippychick’s Indian maker is a small, women-owned business, with 13 employees specialising in the creation of fabrics Including dying and screen printing, cutting and sewing as well as packing and delivery. Manager of the factory, says:
Passion is the word that best captures out business and our fascination and obsession with innovative, high-quality designs. We pride ourselves on being an open minded business and one which has the ability to collaborate with a wide range of customers to develop and manufacture product ranges to their particular specification.
Hippychick has always been a business that values ethics over price and this little factory in India ticks all the boxes in this category. The company is strongly opposed to the use of child labour and greatly encourages diversity in the work force. They are also keen to work wherever they can with artisan craftspeople to support small businesses and maintain local traditions.
The new Hippychick feeding pillows are superbly designed, boasting three different hand-printed fabric designs, including my personal favourite – a gorgeous animal print fabric in a muted grey and white. I have no doubt that small children will delight in picking up the beautiful illustrations of Indian elephants, sloth bears, rabbits and dogs.
Despite being a work of art, visually, these feeding pillows have to be functional too. And Julia’s attention to detail is what really makes the Hippychick brand so revered in this competitive industry. But rising to the challenge, Hippychick’s Indian factory have delivered on this front too with a cushioned inner that is firm but flexible, fabrics that withstand machine washing (essential for baby products) and secure attachable ties for tying around the waste, or onto the buggy handles.
All in all, Hippychick is delighted with India’s delivery of the feeding pillows and they are looking forward to further collaborations into 2022.
If Julia needs a member of the team to head on out to Delhi and Its environs to source some fabrics for the next round of feeding pillow designs, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. Just give me the nod. Hippychick’s new design feeding pillows are now available to purchase from the website, click here!
