Designs on kids’ clothes

By Sarah Schwager
A NARRE Warren mother was inspired by her young children to design a range of personalised and colourful children’s wear.
Silvia Sieber started designing clothes when her children, SallyAnn and Geoff, were infants.
The interest grew into a clothing business, called Ipsey Whipsey.
Ms Sieber said Ipsey Whipsey had now become a family business with SallyAnn, now 16, helping her choose materials.
“It’s great to get a teen’s perspective on what’s out there,” Ms Sieber said.
“It’s exciting to see what they get excited about.”
Ms Sieber has been working fulltime designing clothes and running the business for the last five years.
She works from home and has a showroom at the back.
Ms Sieber said the children’s wear, designed for babies to sixyearolds, aimed to reflect the personality of the child.
She said she was sick of buying clothes for her children that didn’t fit properly and made of unsuitable material.
She also wanted to see bright colours that reflected the child’s personality.
A common aspect of the business, she said, was a party viewing where she goes to the client’s house and custom makes the clothes to fit the individual child.
“It’s fantastic because it’s different,” Ms Sieber said.
“Other good common feedback from our customers is that it lasts and they can pass the clothes down between children.
“I’m an eczema sufferer and it’s in the family. Therefore, it’s important that I use good, quality fabric that breathes, such as cotton.”
She said she did everything in the business herself and when she needed help with accounts and stocks, her sister Evelyn would help.
She said her sister’s three children were her permanent test subjects to see if the clothes were durable.
“She (Evelyn) hasn’t had to buy clothes for the last four years and her oldest is four,” she said.
“She loves it. And it helps me try out new fabric and see how it washes and wears.”
Ms Sieber said she also did some fundraising for kindergartens, such as setting up store at the local kindergarten.
Her summer collection will be on display at an open day on October 22 from 9am to 3pm.
Her clothes are also on display at various markets around Melbourne such as the Gisborne, Flemington and Mornington markets.
For more information on Ipsey Whipsey, or to attend the open day, call 9704 1614.