What started out as a small collection made up of 12 products quickly became an international brand built by a community of Newbie Lovers. Today on the blog, we speak to Brand & Assortment Manager Anne-Charlotte Lindquist about her work with Newbie and keeping the brand’s values at the core of everything they do.
Tell us a little about yourself?
Tell us a little about yourself?
I am the Brand and Assortment Manager for Newbie. This means that I am totally responsible for the brand and its development. I live in Sweden with my husband Pehtr and we have two kids, a daughter who is soon to be fifteen and a son who is just twelve. Now that the children are bigger I make sure to treat myself to doing something that is just for me. Every Monday I sing in the Håkan choir. There are roughly 100 of us who meet and sing Håkan Hellström songs. It's so much fun and a good start to the week!
What background do you have?
I grew up in a family that always worked in fashion and textiles but in many different ways - my grandfather owned a textile factory that sewed and sold suits, my father run stores throughout my upbringing and it was through his contacts that I got the opportunity to take a step into the industry myself, starting a summer job at a KappAhl store. After that, I knew I wanted to be involved in and influence the range that the customers bought. I moved to the purchasing and design department at KappAhl and I have worked with Newbie since 2012.
What is the essence of Newbie?
Timelessness, nostalgia and sustainability are very much at the core of Newbie and the decisions we make as a brand, from the sourcing of materials to the timeless design process, all take our philosophies into account. We spend a lot of time and care on the details, ensuring any Newbie product has a look and feel that lasts over time.
"The design team is very much inspired by old photos, wallpapers, porcelain, fairy tales… Our collections are always themed, that is, we build a small story around a collection, where we create a colour scale, patterns, and decide which garments to include and what details they should have."
How do you start the design process?
We update our ‘Newbie color map’ each season, always ensuring there is a focus on harmonising with the previous seasons - colours are often calm, muted and relaxed. A large part of our identity is our beautiful prints, hand-drawn by the wonderful design team here at Newbie - we put a lot of time and thought into making them as magical as they can be.
What is your vision for Newbie?
We receive daily inquiries from customers all over the world about Newbie and of course we want to grow in more markets but it is important to do this in a considered way, so that we are well equipped to take the next step. I also want us to continue to help our customers make sustainable, exciting and educational choices.
“The dream and the vision is that we will continue to listen to our customers. In the future we hope the Newbie garments worn today will become special pieces handed down through generations.”
Newbie turns ten this year!
Working on Newbie is by far the most fun I have had during my professional career. We started with a collection of only 12 garments in newborn sizes and have grown over the last 10 years into a brand with a much larger size and collection range. Today we celebrate being a lifestyle brand, with clothes, accessories, and interiors for little one’s rooms, including wallpaper through our collaboration with Boråstapeter.
How has the journey been?
It has been 10 years of hard work, a lot of passion and a lot of laughter. Of course, a large part of Newbie's success is owed to our customers. We have always had a relationship with them through social media, Instagram and groups on Facebook etc. Our customers - our newbielovers - dreamed of larger collections, more sizes and we have always listened to them and tried to deliver what they need. Myself and the team behind the scenes and our customers have a big thing in common, we love Newbie!
What should we keep an eye on during the anniversary year?
We released our first interior collection, Newbie Room, in February. Check it outhere
We will also release several special collections including tribute products to our archive of designs exclusively online.What are you most proud of?
Of course my team! The whole Newbie team who in different roles curate and care for this brand, they are absolutely fantastic - professional and passionate. Before each new season I always find myself saying, "wow you did it again, you created magic". And of course our customers, without them, there would be no Newbie.
What does a regular day look like for you?
My work with Newbie is extremely varied and always exciting! A day can usually consist of many meetings, many of which are when the various Newbie teams come together to plan. It could be a collection meeting, where we discuss development, or marketing when we discuss how to visualize and merchandise our collections to create the ultimate Newbie feel! Every day at work is fun, I never have any Sunday anxiety.
What is your life philosophy?
I have the attitude that the glass is half full - not half empty. May sound worn and clumsy but it works for me. If I do things that give me pleasure, the dedication and drive will come automatically.What inspires you?
As a person and as a leader, my dad is my inspiration. Throughout my upbringing and even now that he is retired, people who have worked with him or had him as a manager still contact him and stay in touch. It is important that you mean something to each other when you work together and that what you create means something. My dad often talked about team effort in the workplace, which I have brought with me.
What are your hopes and dreams at this time?
Well...that one day the Håkan choir will be allowed to sing along with Håkan himself sometime ... but apart from that, I currently mostly hope that every weekend will have at least one meal when the whole family is home at the same time.