Mess is allowed

It all began with an improvised solution at the kitchen table. Today the brand “Little Casimir” is firmly established in the DACH region, the products are available in over 300 shops, and Josefin Ehlers and Isabella Halm-El Shikh are soon expanding into the USA. And this is how it came about: when Isabella’s twins reached weaning age, the chaos at mealtimes began. “I had thousands of bibs at home, but none of them really did the job properly,” she recalls. Life with two small children meant constant changing, washing and wiping up.

She helped herself with a simple fitted sheet, cutting holes for the arms and head – and just like that, a protective shield for clothing was born. A cute photo of it inspired Josefin with the idea for the product. “That spontaneous flash of inspiration became the founding moment of ‘Little Casimir’ in 2022,” the founders recount. The two had known each other professionally from the marketing team of a hospital group – one worked in project management, the other in marketing. What connected them was already then a friendship that had grown through their dogs and later took on a new direction through their children.

Open questions

The first product was “Boo” – a smart and sustainable pull-over bib. A product designer was brought on board and prototypes were developed. Their own children were the first to test the bibs for functionality and comfort. The path to the finished product was not entirely straightforward: a lack of experience in the textile industry, questions around material selection, production processes and pricing – all of this required a willingness to learn and perseverance. “At the start, we genuinely didn’t know: are we working with the right material?” At the same time, the duo had a clear strength on their side: making quick decisions, maintaining close contact with their own community, and the readiness to act consistently on feedback. The bib was first tested on a small scale via Etsy. The response confirmed they were on the right track: “The first 100 pieces sold out in no time.”

What followed was organic, demand-driven growth. Social media, first trade fairs and eventually retail brought greater visibility. A decisive boost came when an influencer from the Montessori community gave the product her recommendation, triggering a wave of orders in a very short time. The “help me do it myself” approach became closely linked to the brand’s philosophy. “When it comes to eating, it is especially important that children are free to explore and try things out. I didn’t want to be the mother constantly wiping away every drop with ten wet wipes,” says Isabella. “From our own experience, we also know that parents’ batteries are often running low. Particularly at weaning age, we are right in the middle of the tension between a child’s need for autonomy and a parent’s longing for a little relief in an already overfull daily life,” the two explain as the motivation behind their creative drive.

More ideas

The product range has since been expanded with purpose. Alongside the classic “Boo” model, there are now variants for different needs: water-repellent versions for particularly “adventurous” eating phases, light and quick-drying versions for on the go or restaurant visits. The range has also been complemented by accessories such as placemats that follow the Montessori philosophy, tableware and wet bags for storing damp or soiled clothing odour-free.

Little Casimir now produces in large quantities and continues to grow steadily. Production has moved away from Portugal, which could no longer keep up with the growing volumes, and is now carried out in Turkey, at several sites around Istanbul. Setbacks have happened and still do – with producers as well as in the supply chain – but confidence in their own product has never wavered. “We kept noticing that the demand was there – that has always carried us forward.” The company culture also deliberately sets itself apart from many other start-ups. Transparency and open communication are important to both of them: “We talk about figures, about setbacks, about failures and about what isn’t working.

Moment of surprise

The team now consists of ten people, and more than 15,000 packages are dispatched every month. “Even so, many people are still surprised that this is our main job and that we don’t sew and ship everything ourselves at home.” They find it sobering to be underestimated time and again: “When people then find out that we have built a multi-million euro business and are tripling our turnover every year, many are stunned.” What they find particularly rewarding in turn is the realisation that you can run a company together successfully while also maintaining a close friendship. “We’re often asked: ‘Don’t you ever argue?’ Of course there are discussions – but real disagreements, not really.”