Jenny Conlon chats to Pepa & Co founder Pepa Gonzalez to find out what it’s like to have the royal seal of approval…
Why did you set up Pepa & Co?
I moved to London to work in the marketing department at the Spanish Embassy, but when that contract finished
and while I was looking for a new job, I worked as a nanny in London for about two years. It was then I realised how difficult it was to find lovely traditional and vintage-inspired clothing for babies and children at affordable prices in the UK. So I decided to launch Pepa & Co and moved to a new sector that I love even more.
What type of children’s clothes do you create?
Most of the items in the collection are timeless pieces with a classic cut that will never date. My aim is to bring back vintage-inspired collections from the last generation. In Spain, we keep the essence of timeless clothing for
youngsters and enjoy seeing our children look like children. The smocked dresses are quintessentially English and in Spain we are inspired by this particular style.
What is your inspiration behind the beautiful designs?
The classic clothing I design is inspired by the clothing from past decades that we and our parents once wore as children. I come from a large family of four brothers and my mother always dressed us in smart, traditional clothing. My brothers were often told they looked like princes so the sentiment still sticks with me today and this is part of the inspiration behind the designs.
How does it feel to see royalty wearing your clothing and to have their seal of approval?
We always enjoy seeing any of our clients pictured in our clothing, but to get the royal seal of approval has been an
honour for me. The best thing to happen out of both Prince George and Princess Charlotte wearing our clothing was to introduce Pepa & Co to new customers from around the globe. It has given us a platform to make our independent brand known worldwide. I feel very curious when we send orders to obscure places around the globe and I always try to imagine where the families are and what their daily routine is.
Your studio is in the Old Gas works building in Fulham. It must be a wonderful workspace to create your designs?
The studio in the Old Gas works is the most creative place to work. We were so lucky to find it and it meant that we could open up a showroom to allow our customers to visit us in person and browse through our collections. We are lucky to be surrounded by so many talented individuals from all backgrounds.
