Vonbon Apparel Review + a $150 Giveaway!

When I was pregnant with Lil J, and because my hubby and I wanted a delivery surprise, I remember searching endlessly online and in stores for gender neutral clothing, blankets and baby accessories.  Sure I found some cute yellow and green {and sometimes cream and white} pieces but none of them were, well, swank enough.  If only Vonbon had existed five years ago!

Vonbon was created by a sister team, Jennifer and Kristin, after they found a gap in the market for sophisticated baby items in gender neutral colours.  Since their online launch on May 1, 2013, not only has Vonbon captured the eyes and hearts of the cutest babies {and their moms!}, but they've also managed to created a buzz of excitement in and around the online baby community.  And how the name Vonbon came about is even cuter {see interview with Jennifer below}!

{Company Info}

Jennifer and Kristin, stylish sisters and thoughtful gift givers, were sick of buying traditional baby wears for the many expectant mothers in their lives. Lovers of fashion, design and above all, quality, they saw a need for premium, eco-friendly goods that represented their modern tastes for both mother and child. Inspired by the sophistication of neutral palettes that work to transition among all elements of their lives, Vonbon designs are appropriate for either gender, any age and all homes.

Handmade and carefully crafted in their inspiring, sun-filled studio in beautiful Vancouver, BC, each product has been mindfully created for trendy babies and their even trendier parents. Certified organic, using only water-based inks and made in small batches, each pattern is purposefully designed to mix and match and make the style uniquely yours.

You can find their line of premium organic apparel online at www.vonbon.ca.

Now go get your Vonbon on!!

Images courtesy of Vonbon

From the minute my Vonbon package arrived in the mail, I knew there was something special about this company.  Not only had Jennifer added some special touches, such as sewing together the bag and including a thoughtful "thank you" note, but she also personally addressed my package complete with our SwankMama logo!  Little things like this definitely bring a smile to a mama's face!

How cute is our hand-drawn logo?!

As if all of the above wasn't exciting enough, as soon as my hands touched the blanket and bandana/bib, I couldn't stop touching it!  The 100% organic cotton material is almost silky soft to the touch with just the right amount of thickness to ensure a quality product.  And who wouldn't want this silky soft goodness against their baby's skin?!

All of Vonbon's patterns are designed in-house and unique to Vonbon's brand.  I love knowing that when I buy a Vonbon exclusively designed product, everyone will know I'm my kids are getting their Vonbon on!

And here are my kids in all their Vonbon glory:

We were given the grey chevron blanket which also doubles as a swaddling blanket for newborn babies.  I'm really in love with the generous size of the blanket because it gives mommies the option of using it well into toddlerhood {picture the perfect stroller blanket!}.  I also use it to cover the car seat or stroller when Baby Z is sleeping - I'm so excited because it's the perfect lightweight, breathable blanket for summer!  No more worrying if Baby Z is too hot in her blanket-covered stroller while she's sleeping!

Along with the blanket, Lil J is seen rockin' the toddler bandana in the grey antler pattern and Baby Z has a matching pink bib bandana.  I tried to capture a picture of them both smiling at the same time but Baby Z just wasn't having it:

She really does love her Vonbon...really!

In addition to blankets, toddler bandanas and bib bandanas, Vonbon also carries a collection of adorable knotted hats and multi-use cloths in the same gender-neutral patterns that they're famous for:

Image courtesy of Vonbon

{Interview with Jennifer Wilson, Creater and Designer of Vonbon}

Q:  When I'm searching for new baby products, I love finding brands with memorable names that stand out.  Vonbon does that for me.  How did you decide on the name Vonbon and where does your main inspiration for your brand come from?

A:  Although I don't have any children yet, my husband and I like to throw around potential baby names. I came across the name Vaughn and thought it was perfect for either a boy or a girl. We both fell in love with the name and thought we could call our future babe "von bon", as a cute nick name. I had been toying with the idea of starting my own baby line and thought that the name would be super cute for a children's apparel label. Short and sweet, gender neutral ( like the majority of our fabrics/prints), easy to remember and it didn't categorize our brand to just "baby" items, if in the future we expanded to other products or demographics. It's hard to grow your brand if your name limits you. 

The main inspiration for the brand came from searching for many baby gifts in the past couple years. With a history of sewing throughout my life, I knew I could not only create and sew the items, but add a style and sophistication that our market was lacking. Vonbon's prints are designed by me and exclusive to our collection. Our prints and neutral colour scheme is inspired by current trends in fashion, design and home decor - all things that I love and follow closely.

Q:  Vonbon seems to already have a loyal following via social media and is in demand around the world, including Australia.  What's your secret behind Vonbon's early success?

A:  We were thrilled to start off with a bang and love our followers on all our social media outlets. I knew that social media played a large role in the success of all businesses, but I had no idea to what extent. Instagram has played a major role in our success to date. I like to think that part of that has to do with the fact that we created a strong brand and are making a premium product that is filling a gap in the market. I think people, moms and especially moms-to-be, recognize that our brand is not like everything else out there. 

When I created this line, I was my muse - "The Gift Giver".  But since we have launched, I have quickly realized that our muse has changed.  It's actually moms and soon-to-be moms buying for their own babies because they are so familiar with the products that are already on the market. When they discover Vonbon, they realize that this is something they haven't seen before.

Image courtesy of Vonbon

Q:  You recently launched Vonbon's online site on May 1st.  Do you have any plans to have Vonbon products on the shelves of local and/or international children's boutiques?

A:  Currently, we have three stockist in BC:  Meadow Gifts and Apparel, Lofty Living and The Urban Nest Home. We have had many requests to sell at boutique retailers in the US, but we want to make sure that we are taking the right steps to grow our business. Money isn't everything and we want to be able to provide our customers with a premium handmade product. That takes time, and right now we are focused on filling our online and local wholesale orders.  As our business grows, we will be able to accommodate for increased production and grow Vonbon internationally.

Q:  Where do you see Vonbon five years from now?

A:  I see Vonbon as a strong, successful brand that sells premium handmade products that are also eco-friendly and style conscious. I like to think that in five years, our Vonbon team will have grown from two to 10, and we will have expanded our line to children's apparel, as well as a home division. Exciting things are in the works and only time will tell!

{Win It!}

Vonbon is generously offering one of our lucky readers a chance to win a $150 gift certificate towards their next online purchase at vonbon.ca!  To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open worldwide until Monday, June 17, 2013 at 9pm PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions or views of Vonbon.  We received product and monetary compensation from Vonbon in order to conduct this review.  Note that SwankMama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.  Winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise, a new winner will be chosen at random.