Balancing motherhood and a career isn’t just a dream when it comes to Lil ‘O’ Blossom founder and Chief Executive Lorie Collins. The Newport Beach-based luxury baby and women’s care products company, which was founded a little over a year ago, is now the preferred brand of several hospitals, including a well-regarded one in Newport Beach.
Collins declined to disclose the hospital’s name, noting that the industry is dominated by players like Johnson & Johnson—with a market cap of approximately $330 billion and $1.9 billion in global baby product sales last year.
She said she started the company because of her children’s need for products made for sensitive skin. She has two daughters, Ava and Ivy, ages 11 and 7.
“The market was in need of a luxury brand, and by luxury I don’t necessarily mean [price] but quality, fine ingredients and integrity,” Collins said.
The company is self-funded with about $500,000 to date, “like a guerilla independent film budget,” she joked, a reference to her education in film production.
From the onset, Collins’ market strategy was different. Instead of going direct-to-consumer, she opted for the “OB/GYN hospital route.” Her reasoning: “Product safety is important to me as a mother.”
Its baby bath and body care products received recognition from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, the nursing healthcare authority for women and newborns.
There are about a dozen products, including bath and hair items, body lotion and diaper cream, balm and wipes. Its baby-care formulas contain patented oleosome technology and moringa oil, which the company said has over 46 protective antioxidants and is rich in vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids that hydrate and soften the skin.
Collins said that while she’s unrelenting when it comes to ingredient quality, her products aren’t organic because of shelf-life concerns. “Products can turn rancid or become contaminated with bacteria,” she said.
The name Lil ‘O’ Blossom stems from Collins’ belief that all children are precious “little blossoms” that grow and flourish with each passing day; as for the cherry blossom tree on the packaging, that’s her favorite flower.
This year, it plans to expand its distribution, hospital and pediatric office network, and move into the luxury spa space. Collins will also grow its “Mama & Me” category of products that can be used by mothers and babies, introducing more women’s care products.
Prices range from $16 to $22 per bottle, and gifts sets are available. It’s sold online and at pediatric offices and select boutiques.
—Sherry Hsieh
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Apparel designer Lisa Hsieh didn’t care for the frilly and sometimes obnoxiously patterned outfits of coordinating mother-and-children clothing lines, so she launched Mien Studios Inc. last year in Long Beach.
The clothing label features dresses, jumpsuits and bottoms in earthy colors that come in matching styles for moms, babies, girls and boys.
After closing a successful Kickstarter campaign last month that took in a little over the $12,500 goal, she’ll roll out additional colors and a new jumpsuit design in August. She said her decision to crowdfund the next production round resulted from customers’ requests for more colors.
“If I didn’t run Kickstarter, I would probably offer four colors at most,” Hsieh said. “My best-selling Lakeside jumpsuit [now] has eight color choices.”
Prices start at $34 for a child’s jumpsuit and go up to $148 for a wrap dress. It’s sold online and at pop-up markets and fairs, such as the Patchwork Show in Long Beach and longtime contemporary craft fair Renegade.
The designer invested more than $50,000 in the startup. She initially intended to launch a men and women’s apparel brand in 2015 but changed her strategy after her son, Greysen, was born.
“It was hard to find minimally designed clothing,” she said. “And a lot of the pretty stuff was high-maintenance and needed dry-cleaning, which just didn’t fit my lifestyle.”
Hsieh admits that her fashion background gave her an advantage. She’s been a denim and apparel designer for more than 13 years, working for Los Angeles-based designer Sue Wong, who’s known for her intricate dresses; Los Angeles-based premium denim company Denim of Virtue; and private label firms.
“A lot of people want to start a fashion line, but if you have no experience it’s very hard to find a factory who will work with you because they don’t have time to hold your hand. You need to know the process and be able to speak their language.”
Hsieh said she uses premium fabrics, including GOTS-certified organic cotton sourced from L.A., and her dye, cut and sewing houses are in Vernon.
She added that as a new brand it was important to keep the process, from design to production, simple.
“The first years for a startup are the hardest, and I’m in the midst of it right now, but I see growth,” she said. “I just have to keep on going.”
—Subrina Hudson
TIF
SitchAi won the LaunchPad SBDC pitch competition at OCTANe’s 13th annual Technology Innovation Forum on June 1 at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel.
The Huntington Beach-based software company, which develops artificial intelligence-enabled gunshot detection, indoor location tracking, and automated analytics used to improve public safety, received $100,000. It’s seeking to raise $2 million in a series A round.
Eight companies presented.
—Sherry Hsieh
