Behind the brand; we meet Katya Pogudina of KidPix

B spoke to Katya, who co-founded new clothing website Kidpix, about work, family and life.

“Born in Moscow, I moved to the UK at 14 years old. After school I read Economics and Management at the Oxford, which is where I met my best friend and KidPix co-founder, Sian Evans. Upon graduation, we both moved to London and pursued careers in financial sales in the City of London. I loved working in the City but after having my first daughter Maria, I knew I couldn’t go back.

“When Maria was a baby we relocated to Ireland. I found it very frustrating that the only choice of clothing for little ones was either High Street or luxury designer labels. I have nothing against either but having grown up in London and travelled the world I knew there was so much more out there! I also found that a lot of the time an item would look lovely in a photo but in real life would be itchy, or poorly fitting or the zips didn’t work and so on. Maria was a tough critic! This inspired me to look for boutique brands that combined beautiful design with premium quality.

The idea of a children’s subscription box featuring leading independent designers popped into my head in the summer of 2017; however it took another six months to have the confidence to really go for it.

I am passionate about the designers we work with at KidPix. On the one hand, they are all very different; some specialise in babywear while others focus on creating nostalgic dresses. On the other hand, our designers are true innovators who work incredibly hard to produce unique, stylish and top quality collections that kids simply love to wear! This inspires me to work harder to make sure more parents and children get to discover them.

It’s tough for working mums but to ensure you get the best of both worlds, you have to learn to say ‘no ‘ and be OK with it.

Combining work and family life is a constant juggle, though some days are easier than others. I love what we do at KidPix, so I don’t see it as work. The fun part is that every now and again I get to include my daughters in my working life; last month both Maria and Nina Rose took part in a photoshoot for the new KidPix website. The hardest part is not being able to switch off in the evenings, as my mind is constantly racing about what’s next, though I think I am getting better at this (my husband may disagree!).

To relax and unwind, I indulge in my greatest loves, luxury holidays and hot yoga.