Voices
Brand success stories: Serendipity Organics 
20 years ago, Serendipity Organics was born after the discovery of an old factory in Sweden that was said to make the best velour. When the founder, Sofie, saw that this velour was made with organic cotton, she fell in love with it.
Having been creative all her life, Sofie had always been interested in a career that involved art and design. At this point in her life, she was rediscovering this dream after having obtained an MBA in economics. Sofie had already been toying with the idea of starting a brand, but the discovery of the organic cotton velour proved the kind of brand she wanted to launch was possible. This Swedish manufacturer was a real turning point for her. It was very powerful to see an actual product made the way she wanted it to be done. Immediately after this, Sofie contacted the little knitting place to make production plans.
Autumn-Winter 2023-2024
The aim was to create collections with pure, natural fibers that have a soft touch for children’s sensitive skin. Serendipity Organics wanted to offer parents an option to dress their babies in garments that were comfortable and that they could trust were good for their little ones. Sofie herself has sensitive skin, as does her daughter. With very few brands offering soft products available 20 years ago, and none within the organic niche, starting this brand was a very personal decision. Using designs based on their Scandinavian roots, the Serendipity Organics team aimed to make simple, comfortable clothing for children that they could live and play in. For their first collection, the garments were in blue and light colors in soft rib and velour. They added accents of undyed cotton in soft brown, green, and ecru to celebrate the fabric’s natural beauty.
Serendipity showroomSince this first collection, Serendipity Organics has turned to nature for inspiration. Watching nature, simply being in it, and spending time near the sea come naturally to the whole team. The colors they select are primarily in soft tones. They accent the collections with splashes of brights that really make them pop. Their timeless soft rib basics are designed to be combined with any of their collections. These pieces are seasonless, with all of their products being based around softness and texture. Both wovens and knits have joined the organic cotton velour that started it all. Conscious of avoiding overproduction, Serendipity Organics is thoughtful about what they bring into the kid’s market.
Sustainability has been at the heart of Serendipity Organics since the beginning. They firmly believe children should be dressed in natural and organic clothing. The human skin, as one big organ, absorbs the pollution and chemicals that it comes into contact with. This is why it’s so important to be conscious and considerate of the clothes we dress our kids in. 20 years ago, climate discussions weren’t on everyone’s mind like they are today. But at Serendipity Organics, they were already thinking of the effects production has on the environment. This also included their workers. They wanted everyone involved in making their clothes to be treated well and not exposed to harmful chemicals. The reuse of water was also a factor they considered to create a good production process and value chain.
From these values, Serendipity Organics produces their clothing exclusively using natural fibers. Organic cotton is the staple of their collections. Serendipity Organics is a GOTS certified company, as are all of their suppliers (excluding the Alpaca wool). By being GOTS certified and using suppliers that are as well, they ensure that no harmful chemicals are used in their production process, that nature is respected, and that the people working within the supply chain are treated well, too. Their cotton is handpicked so that the fields can naturally regenerate. In their winter collections, Serendipity Organics adds 100% soft baby alpaca knits. Whether hand knitted or created from the traditional old knitting machines, each collection is high quality. By guaranteeing the quality of their garments, Serendipity Organics ensures they can be passed on for generations. To make the cycle even more virtuous, Serendipity Organics offers a repair service as well.
Autumn-Winter 2023-2024Currently in its early stages, Serendipity Organics’ repair program will continue to grow in the coming months. Customers are already able to write or call the Serendipity studio to have tears or snags fixed. They began this program to help customers keep their garments wearable for longer, and learn to repair them themselves. This repair service also helps their clothes pass on from family to family for generations, as was done in the past. A talented seamstress the team has worked with for years comes into the studio once a week to help customers with repairs they can’t fix themselves. By offering this program, Serendipity Organics has created a sense of community built on trust that what they are selling is intended to be meaningful. The repair service underlines the value of their clothes and the strength of their beliefs.
Acknowledged as a pioneer in the sustainable niche of the kids’ fashion and lifestyle industry, Serendipity Organics is happy to see that this is a sector that is continuing to increase in value. They are proud to see that the broader public is moving towards a more natural and eco-friendly mindset. As the kid’s market welcomes more brands that share their values, Serendipity Organics is proud to have been doing this since the beginning.
From the start, Serendipity Organics wanted to expand into as many geographical markets as possible to bring their sustainable clothing to the world. Spanning the globe, many of these clients have remained loyal over the years. Serendipity Organics can be found in many retailers in their homeland of Denmark, with Purebaby, Luksubaby, and Soeurs being just a few. Available throughout Europe, they can be found in Hallo Sonnenschein, Freistil, and Lila Lämmchen in Germany; Molemin and Nepomuk Kinderladen in Switzerland; Hadas in Spain; Feines in Italy; and Petit in Iceland. MamaOwl and Cambridge Baby carry Serendipity Organics to the United Kingdom as well.
Asia and the United States are no stranger to Serendipity Organics either. In Japan, Lili et Nene and Harmonature are two retailers one can find them in, while Little Nordic Baby in China brings them to the market there. In the United States, Sprout, Pinwheels, Ethel+Row, Fluff Alpaca, and Wheat are just a few of the stores in which customers can find Serendipity Organics. Having their products available around the world has been important to the team from the start. They wanted to bring something different, high quality, and natural to the global kid’s market. Serendipity Organics has always loved meeting their clients face to face at trade shows, too. Seeing them as an opportunity to share news and learn about what is going on for their clients, these in person moments have always been special.
Seeking to take their sustainable collections to the international market, they saw Playtime as the show to be at to meet with buyers and professionals from around the world. They’ve happily met with loyal clients and discovered new ones at Playtime Paris for more than 10 years. Having also exhibited at Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York, this winter will mark their first time back following the global pandemic. The team is so excited to head back to the United States to meet with their clients there again! At both Playtime Paris and Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York, Serendipity Organics has been able to meet with their longtime customers and meet new ones. Seeing it as the perfect show for them in terms of clientele and values, they feel their organic products are truly appreciated there.
Autumn-Winter 2023-2024During the past 20 years, Serendipity Organics has also expanded into womenswear. They wanted to offer equally lovely garments to women as well, though their baby and kid’s collections remain the bestsellers. For their current Autumn-Winter 2023-2024 collection, Serendipity Organics wanted to move away from their earthy colors to a collection that was brighter. Sensing that now was the perfect moment to introduce this color scheme, they wanted to try something more classical.
To combat the chaos of the current global stage, Serendipity Organics developed a line of garment dyed cotton. Both soft and heavy, they used a process that saves more water than standard dyeing. The design team is endlessly searching for new, better ways to produce their collections. For the past and current season, Serendipity Organics has added 100% merino wool pieces to the offer that are also GOTS certified. The staples of the season are the organic cotton seersucker stripe, garment dyed pieces, and the soft velour and sweats. They also released a special collection to celebrate their 20th birthday. This Jubilee collection has introduced the color aqua to their basic styles. As the color of their logo and the first color introduced to their collections, this shade holds plenty of special meanings for Serendipity Organics.
The Jubilee collectionWhen the brand started, the Serendipity Organics team had little knowledge of the textile industry. The first two years were centered around learning and developing their products and business strategy. With this 20 year milestone, they feel reaffirmed in their original ideas. Over the next 20 years, Serendipity Organics wants to maintain their focus on high quality and soft outfits. They want to continue earning and deserving the trust of parents everywhere in search of garments that are organic and respectful of nature. They want to make their supply chain transparent to see everything clearly. For every step, they want to know where they are producing.
Serendipity Organics also wants to continue gathering data on their GHG emissions. This way, they can keep improving and communicating honestly on their emissions. They also want to strengthen and expand their repair service. By doing so, they will help educate consumers on how to prolong the lives of all their garments.
The Serendipity Organics teamSerendipity Organics is truly a success story. From the spark of inspiration in an old knitting factory discovered on vacation with a friend to being in stores around the world, this brand has brought organic, eco-friendly values to the international kid’s market. Playtime is honored to have been part of this incredible journey! We can’t wait to see what’s in store for another 20 years together.
We are so excited to discover their new Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 collection at the Winter 2024 editions of both Playtime Paris January 27-29 and Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York February 11-13. Starting today, buyers and professionals can officially get their pass to meet them there!
