Planning for a new baby is lame. Don't get me wrong—the baby part is awesome (cue The Lion King's “Circle of Life”), but the amassing of stuff to accommodate said infant is overwhelming, expensive and downright weird. Hello, breast pumps (a.k.a. tit juicers) and snot suckers. The things I must do for this tiny human—I'm so going to chaperone her prom one day as my reward.
It's not all bad, though. Thanks in part to the rise of celebrity motherhood (congrats, Snooki!), gear for new moms is getting progressively cuter. Gone are the days when women were stuck with quilted teddy-bear prints, branding them with a scarlet “M.” Now, there's a massive industry dedicated to making child-rearing more stylish, an industry that many moms especially appreciate when covered in boogers and spit-up.
Here in OC, there's Costa Mesa-based Ju-Ju-Be, a company that has transformed the utilitarian diaper bag into something of a coveted accessory. Its latest offering: a sweet collaboration with Tokidoki, the Italian purveyor of punk-pop adorableness. Launching this week, the collection features the top-selling “Be All” bag (spotted on famous mamas such as Britney Spears, Samantha Harris, Ali Landry and Marissa Janet Winokur) and other styles paired with Tokidoki's signature loud, urban prints. Coated in Teflon to repel stains and reduce odors, the machine-washable bags come with comfy straps, memory-foam changing pads, tons of compartments, and insulated pockets to keep bottles cool or warm.
“Diaper bags on the market were a little bit sleepy and boring,” says Joe Croft, who co-founded Ju-Ju-Be with Kristin Hunziker after the two worked together at Oakley in Foothill Ranch. “They weren't taking advantage of the great technology that was out there. We're bringing the Southern California lifestyle to the industry and putting the fun into function.”
The collection's pieces—which includes backpacks, wristlets, totes and messenger bags—are priced from $18 to $188 and will be available at department and specialty stores, as well as at www.ju-ju-be.com and www.tokidoki.it.
Lugging around necessities for your loveable, poopy creatures has never looked better.
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This column appeared in print as “Diaper Bags for Hip Moms.”
