And my favorite sales are to adults who are buying for themselves.

I always say I design for little people, and the little people inside of big people–and I am most proud when an adult comes into my tent at an art show and lingers, examining my work with a smile, and maybe even an occasional squeal of excitement. My art is all about creating joy for both children and adults. I want big people to know that childhood doesn’t have to end just because they’ve grown up–these are the ideas that fuel my designs. I want to be kind to the earth and use what already exists. I want kiddos to experience the magic of rainbows, make-believe and sweet dreams. Over time it has also evolved to include new organic and other fabrics produced in a more environmentally responsible manner, but thrifted, secondhand clothing still form the heart of my designs.Ĭan you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work. When he was a baby, I took him to the thrift store with me and it was then I started seeing the clothes differently–the racks of brightly striped tees became a rainbow of fat little bunnies, the yellow wool sweater was a chicken plushie, a wool tweed jacket was a toad …and that’s how Beeper Bebe began. I was inspired and wanted to make beautiful and unique toys for him. It took the birth of my son to bring it back out into the light. I’ve been designing and creating things with what I had around me for longer than I can remember, but at some point, I decided that doing something arts-based with my life was impractical and probably impossible. Hi Holly, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business? We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Keller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

The Hat by Holly Keller