Keeping our eco-conscious standards high becomes more difficult when we have kids. Laura Roso Vidrequin, founder of Kids O’clock, shares her struggles and her victories.
There are numerous ways to buy and sell second-hand adult clothes. From our cherished vintage stores to reselling apps like Depop and Vinted or rental platforms like ByRotation and My Wardrobe HQ, buying (or renting) second-hand clothes is now just as easy as going into a shop and getting something new.
Laura Roso Vidrequin knows the fashion industry well – she was a former buyer for Moda Operandi and Net-a-Porter – but never noticed how wasteful kids’ fashion was until she had her son Albert.
Struggling to find a place where she could buy cool second-hand clothes for her child, she made it herself – and Kids O’clock was born.
We sat down with Laura Roso Vidrequin to talk about Kids O’clock, the future and life as an entrepreneur.
Can you tell us more about Kids O’clock?
Kids O’clock is a peer-to-peer marketplace for modern families and child carers, created to streamline the way parents shop by providing a circular-economy solution around children’s clothing. The platform’s goal is to allow parents a safe zone to buy and sell clothing amongst themselves, for kids from birth up to 10 years old. Kids O’clock features some strong brands such as Bonpoint, Bobo Choses, The Animal Observatory, as well as high-street pieces from Zara, Petit Bateau, Jacadi and more.
As a former buyer, I am a bit supply obsessed and it is important for me to have a true representation of what the kidswear market is really like, made of essential staples as well as occasional, stand-out pieces.
The business model is simple – you need to sign up and list your items while the community can purchase them directly from you. We also offer a Golden Kids Membership service for time-poor parents; for just £10/a month, we will arrange to pick up your pieces, photograph & upload them to your profile and manage any sales. Alongside kid’s fashion, users can also sell toys, prams and toiletries.
How did you come up with the idea for Kids O’clock?
I had been a fashion buyer for 10 years when I had my first son, Albert. I have been lucky to be part of very strong companies that would always push the retail concept a bit further (Moda Operandi, Style.com, Net a Porter). After a deep dive into the children’s clothing market, I decided to give it a go.
A baby will wear approximately 200 pieces of clothing in their first few years, yet 80% of a child’s wardrobe is only worn a few times as they go through multiple sizes. It is arguably the sector that accounts for the largest amount of clothing and textile waste, a problem I am hoping to provide a tiny sustainable solution to.
When I couldn’t find any online sites that I liked, I decided to create my own.
What piece of advice would you give to other aspiring female entrepreneurs?
I have grown to love connecting with entrepreneurs, founders and creatives, so there are so many pieces of advice I’d love to share. Being a solo founder can be terribly lonely, and the imposter syndrome is real!
One of my first pieces of advice would be to reach out to people around you (or even slightly remote to your social circle) to advise, exchange and seek help – this is one of the greatest lessons I have learnt. Pitch everyone.
Believing in your project is another very important piece of advice I once received, no one will believe in it more than you do. Then, seek for people’s feedback to assist its growth. And on the subject of feedback, be open and curious. A simple message from a customer can go a long way.
What can we hope to see from Kids O’clock in the future?
Kids O’clock is aimed to become the destination for modern families. We are also working on a rental component which we hope to launch soon, depending on the pandemic situation. We are partnering with powerful actors to build a robust supply strategy to ensure we constantly obtain the stock needed for parents to find what they are looking for.
The pre-loved ecosystem has been growing and moving rapidly over the years, but only a few players will remain. It is about being flexible, fast, and as long as Kids O’Clock is concerned, constantly questioning and perfecting our product. Another long-term plan of ours is to continue partnering with specific charities in London and Paris to help make a difference. Through market research, we realised a lot of parents didn’t know what to do with their outgrown kid’s clothing when not selling pieces, so we are hoping to create a direct hub for all of these parents, and link them to relevant charities that are close to our hearts.
