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It's new, it's exciting, it's fun and it's wearable! Lori
Botha has opened the very first Keedo Clothing store in America,
and it's located in Alexandria.
Finally there's something totally unique. "Keedo comes
from South Africa," she explains, "and it really offers
something new for American consumers."
The first things you notice about Keedo are the colors and
patterns. They are bright, bold, and remind you of all the excitement
of the African continent. Lime greens, hot pinks, deep blues,
jungle animals, flowers, dinosaurs, stars and moons are the stock
and trade of Keedo, as are the innovative styles. They offer
shirts, bell bottoms, tops, sets, dresses, and accessories for
babies, boys, girls and women that are utterly delightful!
And there are some specialty items I've never seen before, like
the one-piece romper outfit that has an attached bib. You can
remove the bib after your child has eaten and the outfit is still
lovely. I was talking to Lori about these outfits, wondering
out loud to her where they were when my child was tiny. It would
have been wonderful to keep the outfit nice looking, even though
there was a real live child inside it. This is the perfect answer.
The clothing is hand-made, 100 percent cotton, and extremely
durable. Even though the colors are vibrant, the fabric resists
fading. And it's machine washable and dryable. You simply couldn't
ask for more!
Keedo specializes in year-round clothing from infant sizes
through ladies. Adult sizes come in small, medium, large and
extra large. The prices are reasonable too! And there's also
a sales corner where you can find items at half-price.
Lori is also selling some other items in her store. "One
huge seller has been the quilts," she says. These add a
colorful spirit to anyone's bedroom. And like all the items she
sells, they are bright, durable and washable.
To round out her stock, she also features a beautiful line of
stuffed animals and educational toys. The animals, which are
stunning, are from the North American Bear Company. And the toys
come from Alex and Funny Friends. They are educational and like
everything else in the shop, stick with the nature theme. One
I particularly liked was a collection of stuffed fish that hang
from the ceiling.
Lori is no newcomer to Keedo. Her store may be the first Keedo
store in this country, but she's been selling the brand for one
year at home shows. She married a South African and they lived
in Cape Town for seven years, where both of their daughters were
born. Last year the family moved to the United States, but she
wanted to maintain her ties to South Africa.
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"My husband and I were looking for businesses that would
marry interests in the two countries," she explained. "South
Africa imports so many American things that it would have been
hard to find a niche in that market, so we looked in the other
direction. We asked ourselves what is it that South Africa has
that the United States would want. My husband and I had always
been sold on the Keedo clothing line, so we approached the company
about branching out."
Keedo has been in operation in South Africa for about six
years. Nelia Schutte of Cape Town started making children's clothes
for her twins, actually dying the fabric in a pot in the kitchen.
Her friends loved the clothing and she started making items for
them. Finally she opened her first store in 1993. Now there are
sixteen in South Africa. It's really taken off.
She laughs, "You get addicted to these clothes."
The next step was to open a store for the Keedo line. And that's
exactly what she has done -- the first in this country!
It's a beautiful store, decorated in the style of the clothing
line. The walls are lime green and hot pink, and are decorated
with posters of Keedo Home Show hostesses and their children
dressed in Keedo clothing. In other words, they show real people
wearing real clothing. Lively clothing you can live with!
Another interesting item is the "Art Box." It's a wooden
frame about 1-1/2 inches deep. You can put the kids pictures
from school inside it for a quick display. Just drop them in
the top and it looks like the frame was made especially for them.
The Art Box can hold up to 75 pictures.
Make sure you check out Keedo when you are thinking about
gift items. They have diaper bags that also serve as overnight
bags, adorable pajamas with star and moon designs that are like
long underwear, and all sorts of interesting gift sets. One that
is really cute is an egg carton of baby socks -- twelve pairs
of socks already wrapped up in the carton and ready for giving.
Just add a bow on top and you're ready to present it to the new
baby. There are slippers, headbands, purses, backpacks, hats,
cargo pants. I could go on and on... but this is one of those
places you just have to visit!
And bring the little ones with you when you shop. Keedo has
a play area for the children with wonderful toys to keep them
occupied while you do your shopping. Neither of you will want
to leave!
Keedo Clothing is conveniently located at 1600 Belle View
Blvd., in the Belle View Shopping Center in Alexandria. Or call
703-768-9100.
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