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Photo by Marisa Albrecht
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As most great designers know, less is often more. And looking at everything from interior design to weddings these days, it seems people are really embracing the current trend towards minimalism. Such is also the case with local children’s clothier Tortoise and the Hare, a line based on “simple, classic, and versatile” pieces meant to be timeless while coordinating with one another. The line also values a sustainable, naturally-made approach to each item.
Combining a love for classical children’s literature with an Amish heritage, the collections created by Rosina Lapp for Tortoise and the Hare are quite idyllic with bucolic overtones. As a child, Lapp had a grandfather who lived next door and would often tell stories “it was an eclectic mix of Beatrix Potter, Aesop’s Fables, and his own tall tales,” she says. “So I have a bit of a soft spot for classic children’s literature in particular and have found inspiration for some of our most popular designs from vintage story illustrations.”
Raised on a 30-acre flower farm, Lapp found herself “digging in the dirt, dressing up the chickens in doll clothes, and building forts” as a kid. Then, after her daughter was born in 2013, she found herself shopping at thrift shops and noticed that the vintage pieces were more durable than some of the newer clothing, which she knew was often made under “terrible conditions.” Knowing how she played as a kid combined with the sewing experience she shared with her mother (who she calls an “expert pattern maker”), she knew she could make something really special for children in a much more environmentally friendly way.
Using certain aspects from her Amish background, like the “practical way of dressing” and the influence of simple silhouettes, Lapp began with a few ideas and started coming up with designs. Now she and her husband own a small “cut and sew” manufacturing business located next door to their home, where everything is made. “We actually sew every single order right here on my family’s farm,” she says.
Aside from each item actually being sewed nearby, the clothes are also made with natural, fair-trade or “locally foraged” dyes. Some of the plants used for the dyes are indigo (creating a blue color), logwood (violet), goldenrod (yellow), and madder root (reds). Lapp takes her sustainability one step further by using a cistern to collect rainwater for the baths. Then the “leftover dye stuffs are composted, and the old dye baths are used on neighboring farms as fertilizer for crops,” she explains.
Ideas for her color collections often come from the “landscape of the countryside, the colors of the field and sky, and the local pastoral landscape,” says Lapp. But not just her colors are all natural; her fabrics are too, with durable fiber choices like high-quality European linen, cotton, hemp, and wool. “Natural flax linen has a natural taupe color, completely dye-free, and is a customer favorite,” she says. These fiber choices allow Lapp to maintain her commitment to sustainability, as well as her thinking that clothing should be “comfortable, allow for movement, and last a long time.”
Since the line launched in 2015, business has been growing organically, just as Lapp wants it to, relying on word of mouth and many repeat buyers.
Instead of trendy designs marked with current popular characters and emoticons, the line features solid-colored pieces or the occasional stripe for children walking in the garden, playing with wooden blocks, or simply being kids. Dresses feature buttons, pleats, and puffy sleeves in colors of indigo, walnut, and undyed organic cotton. Items like “task aprons,” “chore jackets,” and “town coats” are mixed with naturally-colored dungarees or bloomers. The simplicity of the designs reflects the effortless fun of childhood.
Currently, Tortoise and the Hare offers tops, dresses, shorts, sun bonnets, wool beanies, aprons, bloomers, bottoms, popular rabbit capes and caps, plus some finds like shoes and dolls. For the doll, Lapp worked in a partnership with another designer, Merrilee Liddiard, who she says, “makes the sweetest dolls, and it seemed an obvious match—to collaborate with a talented maker by creating matching outfits for children and their dolls.” The result is William the Bunny, who wears an outfit that can be matched in bigger kids’ sizes. William is made of linen with some lavender inside and a hand-painted face. Lapp hopes more collaborations with makers and artisans are possible in the future.