What the A-Alist Love at Zibalee, New York City

From tulle dresses to Princess Leia tees, this eclectic East Village boutique offers a bright and bold mix for the city’s trendiest tots.

By Samantha Sciarrotta

Adam Kirszner often had a front row seat when it came to learning about the hottest trends in kidswear. Thanks to his two tween daughters and a wife that works in fashion, Kirszner accrued a ton of firsthand knowledge through the years. So after leaving the corporate world in 2009, he decided to put what he had learned to good use, opening Zibalee in the fall of 2010. “I wanted to be my own boss,” he recalls. “I was interested in retail, and it seemed like a good idea to focus on something that I was familiar with.” He chose Manhattan’s East Village because it fit the “funky, scruffy” vibe he wanted his store to embody.

The boutique initially catered to older kids, but Zibalee eventually expanded to include baby brands when customers started asking Kirszner for infant and toddler apparel. And while his clothing and accessories range in size, they do have one thing in common: They all reflect the cool, city-kid style that New York City youngsters love. “We think there’s a difference between the way kids dress in Manhattan and Brooklyn and the way they dress in the suburbs,” he notes. “That’s not to knock Old Navy and The Children’s Place and even tween brands, but it’s just a different set of choices here. We think city kids are the coolest.”

To back that up, Zibalee carries celeb-favored brands like Appaman, Splendid and Nununu. Tea Collection, Pop Kids and Charlie Rocket are also top sellers, while locally-made favorites like Winter Water Factory and PHJ Mini are always popular. Kirszner says he carries around 20 different brands at a time. “Every season, we’ll cycle out one or two just to keep things fresh and interesting,” he adds. “We look for stuff that no one else is carrying.”

Locally-made favorite Winter Water Factory is popular in the shop and with celeb moms like Alyson Hannigan, who outfits her kids in the brand’s colorful prints.

Halle Berry and her daughter Nahla love Beatrix’s lunch bags, available at Zibalee.

Gwen Stefani’s son Kingston is often spotted rocking Appaman threads. The brand is one of the store’s top sellers.