This is a story about a girl growing up with little, but feeling like she had a lot.
Hi, I’m Paulina the owner and creator of Organic Zoo. A children’s organic baby clothing business inspired by the freedom of my childhood and the simple joy of living with less.
I was born and raised in communist Poland, the middle of 3 sisters. Daily life for my family was hard. I remember as a restless child, standing in line for hours, holding my mother’s hand, as we waited with our coupons, to buy basic supplies of bread, milk, butter and eggs. The buildings, landscape, even the sky, seemed endlessly grey and cold.
Escaping the everyday reality, meant my sisters and I were encouraged by our parents, to be creative. We would dream up wonderful worlds full of joy and colour. There were few toys available to buy so instead we would pretend, creating games, stories and places in our minds. Without access to lots of things, we turned our attention to what we did have; nature and our imaginations.
Despite the challenges of the regime, life for us kids was simple and carefree.
Summers were spent in a wooden hut by the lake. The forest was our playground, we learnt to swim in the open water and to fish with rods made of sticks. Those warm hazy days seemed endless, with sun-kissed cheeks, grubby knees and bare feet, no day went by without a picnic.
Our mum was resourceful and taught us to appreciate what was useful and meaningful. Our clothes were second-hand or handed-down. Her classic and timeless style meant we were dressed in simple, effortless clothes always ready for exploring and playing. Clothing made for adventures, and to be lived in. She raised us to see the beauty in simplicity.
It was a magical, wonderful childhood.
I grew up feeling lighter and happier with less, with a love of being creative, resourceful and connected to nature. It’s these values that are the inspiration for Organic Zoo, creating children’s clothing rooted in that same spirit of playful simplicity, inspired by the natural joy and freedom of my childhood.
I want to share my passion for a simpler, more sustainable way of living, by creating minimal, comfortable, and high-quality children's clothes that are beautiful to wear and practical for play. From my home in Brighton, England, the first Organic Zoo collection was launched over 10 years ago. A decade on and some of those designs are still bestsellers. As Organic Zoo has grown up, so to have the babies we’ve been lucky to dress. It gives me such joy to see our clothes being loved, worn, and passed on to other little ones, to siblings and friends.
I hope together we can all inspire a simpler, kinder world and way of life.
Paulina, Founder of Organic Zoo
...so now you've read our story, we wanted to share with you the story of the people who make our clothes.
