Exclusive: Claudia Li Djojonegoro on Her Luxury Kidswear Brand, Motherhood, and More
The founder of Children of Luna talks about how motherhood influenced her decision to create affordable, comfortable, and stylish luxury childrenswear.
For Claudia Li Djojonegoro, motherhood awakened way more than just maternal instincts; it also created the need for her to fill the gap in the childrenswear market for elegant and functional clothing. Thus, with her background and knowledge in fashion, Li Djojonegoro made it happen with her luxury kidswear brand Children of Luna.
“I feel like I was bound to start my own line sooner or later,” says the mother when asked about her past experience in the field. “Over my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of fashion brands and designers—from fine jewellery and couture to homeware and handbag labels. I represented luxury fashion houses during my time at Privato and worked in jewellery curation for JeweLuxe. I also helped organise the Audi Fashion Festival (Singapore Fashion Week) when I was working with the Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF) Singapore.”
So when the founder found it difficult to find affordable, comfortable, and stylish childrenswear for her daughter Cecilia when out shopping, it made perfect sense for Li Djojonegoro to utilise the culmination of her work in fashion to create a brand that does just that – making life easier for other mothers when finding the right clothing for their kids.
On top of your background in fashion, how has your experience in Business Management helped you in starting up your brand?
Being aware of both these perspectives has been really helpful. I’ve been able to foresee challenges and find a balance that helps me achieve my vision while taking care of the bottom line as well.
Knowing the business side of things—supply chain, cost, operations—has helped keep my vision grounded. I’m aware of the logistics behind setting up a brand and haven’t been caught off-guard by unexpected costs.
As for fashion, working with big industry names has given me a great sense of branding and creating a consistent aesthetic. I know the sort of marketing efforts that contribute to a brand’s success.
What was the most challenging aspect of creating Children of Luna from scratch?
Setting up the brand itself wasn’t a challenge at all. I feel like Children of Luna is a reflection of my interests and passions. The story behind it is something very personal to me, and all of it just came together very naturally.
The challenges I did face were mostly circumstantial. Starting up a business during the pandemic — when so many others were closing down — was a bold decision but I really believed in the idea and didn’t want to wait it out. I also had to figure out how to balance work and being a mother. That’s something you can’t really prepare for. You just learn to adapt with time.
How has becoming a mother influenced the way you run Children of Luna?
Becoming a mother has helped me tune in to the intricacies of creating clothes for children. I find myself considering the tiniest details because I want to make outfits that I’d be happy to dress my daughter in. Beyond my expertise and knowledge of the fashion industry, this inspires me to approach my design process with a lot more care and consideration.
A lot of my friends are also having kids right now. I get to listen to their challenges trying to find the right clothes and use that to shape and improve Children of Luna.
Being a mother has also changed the way I approach the business, in general. I’ve become a lot more conscious of having a healthy work-life balance.
What are some personal touches you’ve incorporated into Children of Luna’s designs? Were there any particular trends, fabrics, or designs, in particular, you wished to carry the brand’s creations?
The main idea behind Children of Luna was to capture the purity and innocence of childhood. Along these lines, I came up with a selection of motifs to feature across the collection.
There’s the stork, which symbolises a mother’s hope for her child. The hot air balloon represents the innate curiosity that every child is born with. It’s an ode to the freedom to dream.
Next, I use flowers to represent Mother Nature. It’s my hope that the children who wear these clothes are in touch with nature and learn from its valuable lessons.
Finally, the moon represents a mother’s strength, wisdom, serenity, and grace. Like the stork, it’s also a reflection of a mother’s hopes and dreams for her child.
What's the difference between Children of Luna and other kidswear brands in the market now?
Children of Luna uses signature prints that are unique to the brand. Along with this, our motifs were specially designed to represent the inspiration behind the collection.
With most childrenswear brands in the market, you have to compromise between style and functionality. My aim with Children of Luna was to balance both these elements and keep the outfits affordable at the same time.
I designed the collection based on the challenges which my friends and I have faced shopping for our children.
Why do you think parents should invest in good quality childrenswear, even though their kids grow out of them so quickly?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with buying lower-priced outfits, but personally, I’m a big advocate for good quality childrenswear.
Even if your child grows out of it quickly, you can store the clothes and they can be passed down over generations. The clothing helps create cherished bonds and precious memories. For example, my mum kept the clothes that my brother and I had worn when we were little. I dressed my daughter in those outfits recently and it felt so great to have that opportunity.
Also, as a parent, I want my daughter to always look the best. It brings me so much joy to see her all dressed up, and I’m sure other parents can relate. Children can have very sensitive skin too and it's important that the clothes they wear to be made of quality materials.
Does the feedback of other parents influence the way you create your designs?
Definitely. Embracing feedback has been a very important part of my design process. Parents know the most about their children’s needs and listening to them helps me make decisions about the functionality of the outfits. After all, it’s the parents who are dressing their children up in these clothes. If the process of putting the outfits on frustrates them, then it just takes away from the overall experience.
What else do you have in store for the brand in the future?
I enjoy working with people and exchanging ideas. I’m always open to collaborations and there are a few companies which I’m especially keen to work with in the near future. I’ve also been coming up with ideas for the next Children of Luna collection, and that’s something I’m very excited about.
For more information about Children of Luna, visit their website here.
