This spring and summer we have some lovely new designs launching and there is so much excitement in the office. We thought we would share our excitement with you and give you a ‘behind the scenes’ look at how we go about designing Dotty Fish shoes and slippers.
Ideas and Inspiration
With anything new it all starts with an idea. When Helen started this business 13 years ago, she had a simple idea – create quality baby shoes that parents could afford. She started with a few drawings on a piece of paper and went from there. Years later Dotty Fish has grown and we ship shoes worldwide but the idea hasn’t changed much. How we go about designing Dotty Fish baby shoes is still pretty much the same too. We start with a piece of paper and sketch a picture. All our shoes are designed here in the UK by our talented team.
A scarf seen while out shopping could start us thinking about colours we would like to see in a pair of shoes. It might be that we have been to the park and noticed all the flowers and decided that we need a yellow daisy shoe. Inspiration comes from all over but is driven by what children and parents want. Oh and in case you didn’t notice we love a bit of colour on our shoes!
Colour pallets and trends are closely watched so that Dotty Fish shoes stay relevant and the shoes we design match the clothes that babies and toddlers are wearing. We love hearing from our customers who regularly tell us what designs they would like. No idea is too silly in our office!
Girls vs Boys
13 years may not seem like that long ago, but lots has changed in that time. When my little girl was a baby, I was constantly accused of dressing her in ‘boys’ clothing. Fast forward 13 years and clothes for children are far more gender neutral than ever before. At Dotty Fish our website is set out with a Girls and Boys section for ease of use but our shoes are suitable for either. A colourful rainbow is neither a girl’s shoe nor a boy’s shoe, so you will find it in both categories.
Samples
Finished Products
Once we are happy with the sample testing and the design, they need to be slotted into the order schedule. It can take months from the original idea until they finally arrive in the office ready for us to share with you all on social media. No matter how many shoes we make, or how many designs we have, it is always very exciting when that first box arrives. At Dotty Fish we have a totally open plan office and warehouse. Everyone is involved along the way in the design and creation of our shoes. This means that everyone is waiting to see what they look like and we all have an opinion on them.
Everyone has their firm favourites, the ones that we buy ourselves when friends and family are having a baby! All shoes are quality tested by us to make sure that they meet our standards and then we wait to see if you love them as much as we do. The first order is always a reason to celebrate. No matter how many shoes we sell it is still exciting sending the first few pairs of a new design out.
Social Media
All our designs and new shoes are launched on our social media pages first. Often we have a little sneak peek and run competitions for these new designs. As much as we love sharing photos of them we love seeing photos of your little ones wearing them even more!
Use the #dottyfish to tag us in any photos you do share. We are on Instagram and on Facebook. You can also find us on Twitter and Pinterest. Our newsletter is also a great place to hear about all our upcoming designs and get notified of any free postage offers or discount codes, you can sign up here.
That is a little insight into how all Dotty Fish shoes are designed and made. We look forward to seeing all your lovely photos on social media.
