I am honoured to have collaborated with boy+girl this season to celebrate their lovely line of sustainable clothing for girls and boys. boy+girl asked me to capture photos of the children “in their element.” I interpreted this to be when the children are most themselves, most happy, most enjoying life. Some children are in their element when they are in the kitchen baking treats for their family, when they are curled up on the sofa with a book, or when they are building Lego masterpieces. Well, my children seem to be the happiest, the most free and creative, full of zest for life and adventure, and thirsty with curiosity when they are out in the elements. Our recent visit to the Montreal Botanical Gardens  proved to be an ideal place to capture them in their element: in the elements – at least earth, water and wind.

I love hearing people’s stories and what inspires them, so I’m pleased to share an interview with Christine, the designer of boy+girl.  In the interview, Christine talks about her family, cultural and work background, as well as her sources of inspiration for clothing design, the ethics of boy+girl production and what’s new for next season. I hope you are inspired by her ideas and perspective.  { Gallery of images below }

Tell me a little bit about yourself, the person behind boy+girl. What is your background?

I grew up in Northern California in a very tight knit family. My mom was/is the ultimate artist/creative, she made everything from scratch from all our meals to curtains to clothes. She encouraged and inspired me to be creative from the time I was little, so I was always drawing or painting, cooking and baking, lots of hours at the dance studio… that is how I grew up so I always very drawn to a creative path.

How would you describe boy+girl in 5 words?

free-spirited. minimalist. pure. clean. california.

boy+girl, the brand name, is simple and yet intriguing. Why did you choose this name for your brand? What does it mean to you?

It came very naturally to me. I wanted something simple and understated and classic. I think it means a lot of things but I like how it describes very purely what we all are.

How did you get started designing clothing?

I started 4 years ago when I started boy+girl. I had never designed before, but I knew what I liked and I love materials.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

My dream was to be a dancer or a designer.

What are your sources of inspiration for the line?

For the boy, I am definitely drawn to my West Coast roots, that skater surfer California little guy. For her, I like things a little more bohemian, simple yet fresh and always feminine. For both I am drawn to styles that are really comfortable, natural, free.

Craftsmanship and sustainability are important to you. How do you translate these into your designs and their production?

We put a lot of effort into the craftsmanship. I am really proud to work with amazingly skilled people – from our fabric mills, to our dyers, to our cutters and sewers. They are the true experts and I don’t pretend to know more than they do. I am very hands on in the process. In terms of sustainability we try to do a lot of different things. I think for companies and individuals it’s about examining everyday decisions with an environmental point of view. Our hangtags are printed on recycled paper with soy based ink. We source organic cotton. We produce locally. There are little things and big things that you can do to increase the sustainability of your business.

boy+girl clothing is sewn in LA. Why did you choose to work with a local factory/sewers? What is your relationship with them?

Two reasons: one is sustainability, you create less carbon footprint when you work locally. And, secondly, I grew up in a very community-focused culture – you want to be connected and contribute to the area in which you live. Working locally provides jobs to amazing artisans in our area. Our sewers are true artists, I ask them a ton of questions and rely heavily on their work for a beautiful product. I pop in all the time, pretty much every single day when we are in production. I look at samples, and we go over what’s working and what isn’t. And they know I love to eat so they always try to feed me!

What has made you the most proud of what you’re doing?

The line is so personal, the work is so personal. It has been really nice just to have people react positively and have beautiful stores and lovely customers support what you do. I appreciate that every day.

So far, you have only designed one piece for women. Have you designed clothing for yourself?

I haven’t but at some point I’d like to!

Do you plan to expand the line?  What’s next for boy+girl?

Fall is the launch of our baby line. A lot of people have been asking for baby styles since we start at age 2, so that was really fun and exciting to do. There are so endless projects and things I’d like to do so I’m just going where the wind blows.

When you are all caught up on work, what do you love to do?

I love cooking, going to the beach, walking flea markets. Being with the people you care about in the California sunshine is always nice. And I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit this year which has been really amazing. Hopefully there will be more travel in my future, I love going to new places and taking in the culture!

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Spoiler: Keep scrolling, you might find a discount code…

boy+girl has generously offered my readers a discount code worth 15% off all new arrivals. Use ‘HIPPIE15’ for purchases through their online shop.

Find boy+girl on Instagram @byboyandgirl

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