OUR STORY

Copines is a children’s knitwear brand I launched in 2024. However, it has its origins in the dark days of the pandemic. I was stuck at home with a newborn and a 2-year-old who was growing like a weed. When I wasn’t doom scrolling or breastfeeding, I presided over arts and crafts activities for my 2-year-old and her dolls. That is when I wasn’t playing princess dress up. Over and over again my oldest wanted to wear the brightest, glitteriest (read: gaudiest) items in her closet. There weren’t many, as I had inflicted my love of neutral palettes and natural fibers on her. 

When Madrid’s strict lockdown lifted, and we were finally able to go outside regularly, I struggled to get both kids out the door at the same time. My oldest hates pulling things over her (slightly larger) head, so I was drawn to V-necks or things that could be pulled over easily and speedily. My baby was either hot or cold, so layering was the best strategy for her temperature fluctuations. Over and over again, I came back to vests for both of them. But just like many women’s clothing items, the vests on the market lacked POCKETS!! (I needed my kids to hold their snotty tissues and pinecones.) They also were in the ‘sad beige’ category or they were vibrant but cheaply made.  

I decided to pull my exhausted, underachieving mom-self together and design a sweater vest that blends my kids’ wishlist ‘rainbow unicorn’ designs with my high ‘mom’ standards. My girls want something soft, sparkly, and with a bit of flare that reflects their spunky personalities. But I want a quality item made in an ethical way that’s going to last more than 3 months and get daily use. The result - our signature sweater vest!

After much research, I located a family-owned workshop outside of Madrid specializing in knitwear. Making something local to where I lived and could visit regularly to troubleshoot issues was important to me. 

A few years later, my family moved to Paris, and “mom’s project” finally got a real name - Copines. Copines, which means 'girlfriends' in French, was my youngest daughter's first word. It’s a perfect name, as it reflects the spirit behind the company: my hope for lifelong friendship between my girls and a celebration of the vital role of female friendships in my life.

Xx

Hilary, Copines Founder