Today we’d like to introduce you to Bergen Anderson.
Bergen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been a maker. That was a really important part of my growing up. My mom and siblings are also makers. When I was pregnant with Johanna (my daughter), my nesting manifested in sewing. I couldn’t find the type of baby clothes I wanted for my daughter, so I just made them. Then, after Jo was born, I just kept making them. Friends and family suggested that I make clothes and sell them, so I opened an Etsy shop with my mom and sister. That was in 2011. My mom and I design and stitch and my sister designs and prints all of our tees and do our graphics. It’s a great team. Seriously.
In 2013, we decided to launch our own site independent from Etsy. From there the business has grown organically. We do events, we meet people, we collaborate and connect. And we’ve grown.
Now, it’s 2018 and my second child, Ren, is 18 months. Lilla Barn continues to change and grow. We’ve moved to design and producing seasonal collections for the little ones with an evolving collection for women. We’ve experimented with fabric dying, added a Gift and Homegoods section to our website, and collaborated with other artists including textile artists and a poet.
We also recently joined Earth Cadets, So Silly, and grey boy shop with collections at Half Pint Shop. Together we are Half Pint Market.
Lilla Barn means ‘little child’ in Swedish. My time spent in Sweden along with our Nordic heritage definitely inspires our designs.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Focus and balance are two of the biggest challenges I face with the business. There are so many things I COULD do, narrowing down what needs to come next is often hard. And as a mother/wife/business owner/maker/woman, sometimes, it feels like there is never balance.
Please tell us about Lilla Barn Clothing.
Lilla Barn is a family-owned clothing & accessories maker. Every piece is imagined through exploration, designed with whimsy, and crafted by hand in the USA. Our clothing embraces creativity, neutralizes gender norms, and personifies slow fashion in a quirky, functional, and unexpected manner. We offer a compelling alternative to mainstream options. Every garment is 100% handmade or handprinted in the USA by our team.
I want our clothing to inspire adventure, creativity, and confidence. I love bright colors and bold patterns. Having gender neutral options is important to me and all of our baby pants fit over cloth diapers!
Lilla Barn operates as sustainably as possible and all of our garments are ethically made (since we make them ourselves). We use as much of our fabric as we can and then scraps are donated to quilters and other makers. My email newsletter also focuses on the Slow Fashion Movement and how you can be a part of it.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I grew up in a family of makers were being creative was a part of our daily life. I remember sitting up at the counter and drawing. I remember making paper and books and marbling. I remember learning how to sew. I remember going all out to turn our Valentine’s Day shoe boxes into full-fledged art installations.
Contact Info:
- Address: Limited items available at Half Pint Shop
3756 N. Ashland
Chicago, IL - Website: www.lillabarn.com
- Email: bergen@lillabarn.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/lillabarnclothing
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lillabarnclothing
Image Credit:
Meagan Lindsay Shuptar, Tipping Point Photography, SpiderMeka Photography, Little Bear Photography
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