One of our favourite finds at Bubble London this year was Little Titans, a truely fantastic range of tights designed specifically with boys in mind!
With the birth of baby boy Kit, Carly Hardy found older sister Matildas stripes and spots didn’t quite fit the bill, so set about her mission to create something boyish and brilliant that would let him strut his stripey stuff, bend it like Beckham or scale the back of the sofa like the real-life action hero he is, free to crawl unhindered and stylish to boot. Thus Little Titans was born!
We give you a glimpse into the mind of Little Titans founder Carly Hardy as she looks back at her childhood and projects into the future with our Q&A this month.
Q&A…CHILDHOOD AND INSPIRATIONAL HIGHLIGHT
Q. Where did you grow up? A. All over the place! My Dad was a fighter pilot in the RAF and we moved around a lot. I attended about 10 different schools before the age of 12. I spent the majority of my time in either Germany or Suffolk, two places that are still very special to me.
Q. Do you have a nickname that you like? A. Hmm, not really. I am christened Caroline, but somehow my name morphed itself into Carly (mispronunciation by my little sister, I think). People tell me that I suit Carly much better.
Q. Describe yourself in 3 words? A. Determined, curious, excitable
Q. When you were a child what did you imagine you would be when you grew up? A. Madonna (of the music variety)
Q. Did you have a favourite item of clothing when you were a child? A. I had these red suede Pixie Boots that I used to dance around to A-ha in… They were a very treasured gift from Father Christmas.
Q. What was your first job? A. Hauling frozen Christmas turkeys from the outdoor chillers at Waitrose to waiting customers. Let’s just say it was a vegetarian Christmas lunch for me that year.
Q. How would you describe your style? A. Relaxed, bright, bold, pops of colour, utilitarian with a little bit of loveliness thrown in for good measure
Q. What are you reading? A. Mainly children’s books at the moment! Both Kit (3) and Matilda (6) choose a story each at bed time. Kit is obsessed with Bob the Man on the Moon at the moment and luckily I never tire of Simon Bartram’s brilliant illustrations. Matilda and I have just finished reading Michael Morpugo’s moving tale Homecoming.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been on my bed-side table for the last 2 weeks, but I am yet to read a page. Come bedtime, I can barely keep my eyes open.
Q. Who is cool? A. My daughter Matilda. She has her own sense of style and an unswerving sense of confidence in the decisions that she makes. She’s also so open about her worries and insecurities. To me, that’s pretty cool.
I also have a soft spot for Aaron Johnson of Kick Ass fame, which is strange because I rarely get fixated with celebs. Have you seen him in the UBerlin REM Music video, directed by his wife, Sam Taylor-Wood? Weirdly captivating!
Q. What is cool? A. So many things! I can lose myself for hours on Pinterest! I love it that everyone can create their own mood boards.
Q. What scares you? A. Narrow-mindedness and bigotry. Our hero product, tights designed with little boys in mind, has received an amazing response from so many people, but now and again we get a response that knocks me for six! For example, that putting your baby boy in tights will turn him gay. That response is so wrong on so many levels.
Q. What inspires you? A. When I have the seed of an idea, my natural instinct is to run it by as many people as possible. One thing I have discovered on my Little Titans journey thus far, is this amazing network of women running their own businesses, all so willing to help, yet expecting nothing in return. Having previously worked in a predominantly male environment, I find this incredibly refreshing and inspiring.
I also find London a very inspiring place to live and work. I love its freneticism and its pockets of calm.
Q. What is your idea of a perfect day? A. Sunny day at a cracking British Festival with our kids and friends. There’s something so wonderful about being outside all day and night. We normally do Glastonbury, but tried Wilderness this year and loved it: brilliant Kids’ Field, a magical lakeside spa and the most amazing Midnight Masked Ball. We transport the kids around in a sheepskin-lined wheel barrow when they get tired! (As some of our readers might know, we couldn’t agree more on this one! See you on a hopefully sunny, probably muddy field next summer!!)
Q. What do you think makes the brand unique? A. We design with little boys in mind, focussing on design and products that we feel are missing from the market place. But whilst our collection meets strict practicality criteria from a composition point of view, the surface designs are about fun, adventure and fantasy. Think superheroes, monsters and boy scouts with lots of bright, bold pops of colour!
Promising peace and harmony to families of little sock-taker-offers everywhere, Titans are made of highest quality combed cotton, with reinforced terry feet and non-slip soles. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!….
