Hippototamus from NYC Gets Growing!

Hippototamus, a European-inspired children’s wear collection, has grown from its origins in company-owned brand shops in NYC to availability at other specialty retailers. For the first time, the brand is offering its unique and competitively-priced Spring 2011 apparel, for children ages newborn through six, to a broader market.

Launched in 2006, Hippototamus apparel is manufactured using luxurious fabrics for European-inspired fashions interpreted by U.S. designers. Materials are imported from around the globe, including Europe and Asia. Careful attention is paid to merchandise workmanship, quality and detail. To complement its imported fabrics and trims, the company’s Organic Collection uses 100% American Pima cotton that is grown without the use of harmful fertilizers and pesticides.

“I am excited to be growing Hippototamus, as I began this endeavor five years ago to fill a huge void in the marketplace!” says Hippototamus founder and president Tiffani Talbot. “Better quality children’s wear at a moderate price point was not, and is still not, readily available.”

Until now, the brand has only been available online through Hippotots.com and at Hippototamus stores on Madison Avenue and at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Talbot used her small retail incubators to test her clothing line in the Manhattan market. That allowed her to gauge customer reaction and to incorporate their suggestions into her designs. According to her, Hippototamus evolved out of a “real world tested” heritage that reflects consumers’ feedback. She says, “Many customers were shocked to give input and then find it incorporated into their requested style or garment and in one of the shops within a few weeks!”

Renowned for its age-appropriate clothing that is both playful and memorable, Hippototamus designs fashions which feature high-end details like adjustable cuff pants, so that children’s wardrobes grow along with them. The stylish, reasonably priced line has attracted celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Adam Sandler, Britney Spears and Ben Stiller, who outfit their tots in the fashion-forward merchandise.

The line includes tops, bottoms, one-pieces and outerwear options as well as accessories such as caps and mittens. In addition to clothing, Hippototamus offers plush hippo animals that coordinate with its Cub Collection and Bows Collection.

See about fitting a Hippototamus in your store! Grow along with this hippest of brands at www.hippotots.com. For wholesale options, contact James Talbot at 212-246-0480 or