Style Profile: Lauren Greenwood, Seven Lantern Lane

I’ve written quite a bit about finding quality childrenswear (here’s part 2!) because I really believe that a love for quality design and craftsmanship starts young. As I started to think about upgrading my daughter’s wardrobe several years ago, one of the first childrenswear designers/business owners I connected with on Instagram was Lauren Greenwood of Seven Lantern Lane.

Lauren's designs are fun, adorable, and affordable. I've enjoyed getting to know her and seeing her business evolve over the past few years. If you have little ones in your life (either yours or baby showers to attend!), check out Seven Lantern Lane's website and follow the shop on Instagram. So many of my favorite pictures and holiday memories with my daughter include Lauren’s designs, and I’m so happy to be welcoming her as today’s Style Profile guest!

Tell us about your background in the fashion world.

Lauren: I was fortunate enough to be exposed to the fashion industry at a young age. I grew up in Connecticut about 45 minutes outside of NYC. My mom was an executive in the fashion industry. I would get to travel into the city to visit her at her office, play around with the designers and tour factories with her, back when the USA still had many factories. I majored in fashion design and marketing in college. I interned for a womenswear company in London and helped them with London Fashion Week. After graduation, I worked retail for a year before I joined a gift company as a design assistant. I quickly worked my way up to the director of product design. After 10 years with the same company, I was ready for a change. I briefly helped my husband open a medical office, but the design bug couldn’t be stopped. I decided to start my own children's clothing company since I have always loved working in childrenswear. In my previous position, I had experience with sourcing, buying, importing, dealing with factories and designing the line, so I thought it was a task I was capable of undertaking.

It’s been exciting to watch your account grow over the past several years. How have you found your niche as a business owner within the childrenswear market?

Lauren: I like to think SLL offers clothing that is special and has a lot of details. It’s fun and happy outfits that make people smile. My girl outfits always have ruffles and bows and I try to add cute details to my boys clothes like petite pockets. I work really hard at developing new, fun, colorful prints with my artist, Katherine Herrell. Hopefully Seven Lantern Lane’s clothes are ones that you open up at a baby shower and everyone “oohs and aahs” over as they pass them around to get a closer look at the details.

What is your design philosophy and what inspires you to create your collections?

Lauren: I design clothes that are fun, happy and child friendly. Easy to throw in the washer and dryer. Comfortable for a baby to wear but still special and a tad over the top. I like to design clothes that make children look like children. I get my design inspiration everywhere. I’ll be reading my children a bedtime story, and something from the books illustration will spark an idea or I will be in a home decor store and find inspiration. I love to run, and on my runs is when I can really focus on work. There are no distractions, just me, my brain and my ideas.

What’s the most rewarding part of designing clothes for children?

Lauren: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the children wearing the clothes and seeing how excited the parents are to see their children in their new outfits. It’s incredible to see memories being made in outfits I created. I hope many of the clothes I create get passed down to younger generations.

If you could travel anywhere for one week, where would you go?

Lauren: The mountains. I love the mountains and snow. I’ve never been to Canadian Rockies, I would love to go there.