When expecting your first child, making sure you have all the clothing you might need for your new little one can be overwhelming. As a result, more often than not, you end up buying way too much and before you know it, they have outgrown the outfits you bought them, and some haven’t even been worn at all. It was this concern about waste that inspired Jax Power-Champion to look for an alternative way when she was pregnant with her first child – something that would work for growing babies and toddlers. She set out to design and create clothing that would grow with your baby, using high quality fabric that would last the distance. Moosey Moose specialises in sustainable, long-lasting, expandable apparel for your little ones that is stylish and comfortable, and encourages parents to consider the environment and avoid wasteful purchases. Here, Jax talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Moosey Moose and her business journey so far.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
While pregnant with our first baby, I was overwhelmed with the amount of STUFF the world said we needed for a new baby. Buying little adorable clothes seemed so fun at first but the daunting worry of wasting items he wouldn’t wear or fit set in every time I shopped. “Will this be too hot, too cold, too large, too small…do I need 100 onesies?”. When he was around 5 months old, I emptied his closet and saw how many items he had already grown out of and how many pieces he hadn’t even worn! This experience served as a signal: childrenswear today fails to recognise the dynamic and rapidly changing size of babies and toddlers.
That is when I thought “there must be a better way!”. After hours of searching for baby clothes that grow, adjust, or expand came up short, I dove into creating a solution.
Inspired by my maternity clothing which “grew with me” I started to conceptualise items that could work for growing babies and toddlers and The Grow Romper was born.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
The process of launching Moosey Moose has taken nearly 2 years of research and development, trialling, testing, failing, trying again and finally perfecting the first style. Due to its innovative nature, there was no ready to go formula and I really became obsessed with quality, fabrics, manufacturing techniques and the longevity of the pieces. When trying to design clothes that fit for 2+ years, I knew they needed to be manufactured in a high quality way with the best fabric choices to ensure they still looked fabulous after 2 years. Moosey Moose clothes are made in Australia by our amazing team in Sydney. Whilst also supporting local industry and local businesses, manufacturing in Australia lowers our contribution to fossil fuels.
Moosey Moose officially launched December 2020, so it all still feels very fresh and new. It is so exciting to finally have my business baby out there for the world to see.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The biggest breakthrough for Moosey Moose was simply seeing that the innovative concept and designs worked! Working with a local pattern maker for many months, hoping for a comfortable, durable, and adorable final product that grew 5 sizes was quite a challenge. To see the finished sample modelled on my son when he was 18 months and a neighbour’s daughter who was a fresh baby, wearing the same size with different adjustments all working together was such a huge moment.
