We were so happy to be featured in one of our favourite kids fashion publications recently, Lunamag.de The article is in German HERE, but scroll down to read in the interview in English. I talk about my inspiration for Goodordering, my first time on a bike and why it was important for me to design a kids line of bags.

The images in the article need to be credited to the wonderful @minkyphotography and @leoniefreemanphoto. Kasia from Minky Photography did the studio shots and the photos from out and about in east london are by Leonie Freeman.

How did you come up with the idea of your own brand?

In 2012 I was working at WGSN, a trend forecasting company. Here i was researching accessories brands from all over the world. With my experience designing for Puma and travelling to factories i thought it was finally time to launch my own small range. I tested the market by doing a crowd funding campaign (kickstarter) to see whether i could raise enough money for the first order. I am passionate about kids not being exposed to gender stereotypes so from the beginning i wanted the colours and styles to be unisex and not feature characters on them. I wanted to design grown up bags for kids.

Where does your passion for bicycles come from?

I was a late cycling enthusiast, where i am from in Sydney, Australia, everyone drives cars. When i moved to London in 2003 i spent 5 years catching public transport and being frustrated at how unreliable it can be. When i was working at Puma in 2006, i borrowed a bicycle from the sample room and decided to ride home. I was anxious about safety when riding in London for the first time but i made it home and then i started riding back and forth to work everyday for the next . As i have kids that i need to pick up from school and kindergarten at set times, its much more reliable to be on my bike than on public transport in London.

Do you remember your first-time riding?

I remember my first bicycle, it was a red BMX and i used to try to keep up with my brothers on it as we rode around the neighbourhood in Sydney. Our street was very quiet so we could go on adventures, but i hated riding my bicycle on grass so would also stay on the pavement. I don’t remember where i first rode to but i definitely remember the feeling that i had. It was a feeling of pure joy and freedom. For a child on a bicycle there is no more positive symbol of happiness and adventure than riding around on a bicycle with their friends.

Why was it important to you designing a children's line?

The brand is inspired by the nostaglia and memories of first riding bikes, so it made sense to design bags also for children that they might remember when they get older. Kids always remember their first bags and they love packing their toys and snacks in them. As i do have kids myself i also wanted our whole family to be able to wear our Goodordering bags.

What are your personal Key Pieces from the collection?

My favourite 2 bags in the collection right now are the mini rolltop backpack and the gadget bag. The mini rolltop backpack was designed for that awkward age where kids are not yet teenagers but they feel ‘grown up’, from about age 7-12. I was surprised when these were also popular amongst teenagers and adults as well. The gadget bag is also a bag that be worn by a wide range of ages, from little kids all the way to grown men. The idea behind our bags is that they are adaptable - for age and also for event.

What quality standards must your bags meet?

As we sell a lot of our bags to South Korea, the quality standards are super high. Its important that they pass toxicity tests as well as durability tests. Kids often drag their bags along the pavement, step on them, drop food inside them and basically treat them very badly. As a result, we select materials that are really strong for the corners of the bag and use materials that are easy to clean.

Do you have any tips on how to pack a bike bag properly?

My tips for packing bags for any kind of trip including a cycling trip are

• don’t pack it too full

• put heavy things at the bottom

• put things you need to access more often at the top

• roll up clothes so they take up less space

Which bike brands can you recommend for children?

Tokyobike do some really cute kids bikes http://www.tokyobike.de/  , Isla bike  and https://www.islabikes.co.uk/ , Eary Rider (https://earlyrider.com)  are great becuase they bikes are designed especially for children. they are lightweight and the early rider bikes come with a rubber chain. You can also get balance bikes that convert into pedal bikes so that kids can learn to ride with confidence. The worse thing you can do is to get a bike that is too heavy for the child to carry.

Which destinations can you recommend for spring with children and bicycles?

I think that in Spring its great to get out on your bike wherever you are - your local park is a great place to start. In London we have Victoria park, Haggerston park and London fields which are my favourites. We also sometimes put the bicycles on a car rack and drive to Richmond Park or Epping forest where you can ride around with deers and elks! I would recommend to pack a picnic and make a full day of it, help your children develop a passion for the outdoors and they will lead an healthy and happy life. :)