Tweenage Dream

Hair accessory giant Wee Ones takes on the tween and teen markets with new line Après Les Petites.

With almost 40 years experience outfitting newborns to 10-year-olds with hair accessories, Wee Ones saw a need, and opportunity, to expand their offerings to include the tween and teen segments. “It was really a combination of a gap in the market as well as feedback from our customers saying that they really wanted us to fill this gap,” says Miles Faust, CEO of Wee Ones.

Faust and his team, who acquired the company two years ago, sought out a designer to produce quality headwear fit for tween and teen girls that could be worn after they outgrew Wee Ones giving rise to the more sophisticated collection Après Les Petites, which translates to “After Wee Ones.” The brand, targeted to girls ages 10 to 18, focuses more on fashion and style than Wee Ones. “I would describe the line as ‘buy now, wear now.’ It’s very on trend,” says brand designer Sana Shucart. Designs feature elements from rhinestones and metallics to floral and animal prints, and lots of color.

To stay on trend, the Après Les Petites team focuses on the current season, which features bright colors including yellow and hot pink as well as more traditional tones for back-to-school such as navy and brown. The line’s chiffon flower clips have also proved to be popular. Shucart’s ideas for Spring ’13 include carrying on the flower trend and experimenting with lighter fabrics. “We love the idea of chiffon, mesh and tulle, and how we’ll incorporate that into our line,” Shucart says. “And at the same time there is a sort of ‘edge’ idea too.”

While Après Les Petites may be trendier than its younger sibling, the line does carry on Wee One’s tradition of quality. “Après Les Petites is much better quality than a lot of the other products that you’re seeing in other stores,” adds Faust’s wife and partner, Gina. “Our products are high-quality, made with the finest materials. They’re pieces that will last.” And although prices may seem higher, Faust assures that the quality is worth the expense, evidenced by their bustling booths at recent trade shows. He also hopes to use the new line to expand their relationship with retailers. “Our targeted customer is still children’s specialty retail stores and I think they gain an opportunity to extend their relationship in accessories with their customers… and capitalize on other traffic in their store, [such as] mothers and big sisters.”

In the future, he hopes Après Les Petites gets the same recognition in the market as their well-known children’s brand. “We hope it develops into a brand that is as recognizable in its space as Wee Ones is for younger girls, and is a trusted resource for quality, design and a quick [turn around].”—Maria Bouselli