Toy robots by Daft Punk

Sweatshirt by Rodarte

Starting March 15th bid your hearts out for the children of Haiti. Participate in the online auction Crafts for A Cause, an initiative by Binki Shapiro (a la Little Joy) who has 'rallied a bunch of artists' (humble understatement as the line-up includes Daft Punk, Spike Jonze, and Liv Tyler) each offering custom work in efforts to support Artists for Peace and Justice. All proceeds go to the amazing Haiti-based humanitarian organization dedicated to "providing an education, hot meals, clean drinking water and regular medical treatments to the children living in the slums."

Illustration by Spike Jonze

Illustrated skateboard by Kevin Long

Making of a Tote bag by Liv Tyler, Frankie Rayder, Dallas Clayton & Sunny Bebop

SEE YOU THERE!!

Image from Planet Awesome Kid

Image from Planet Awesome Kid

Image from Planet Awesome Kid

Planet Awesome Kid creator Julia Samersova and family I adore the blog Planet Awesome Kid , an exuberant celebration of children's style, and draw inspiration from it daily.  So do a lot of others. The blog has received a ton of well-deserved press and praise for good reason. This interview  with the HIP creator Julia Samersova feels cool and connected, a sense of community even though we've never met face to face! A big timin' casting director for the fashion industry, Julia is using her keen scouting powers to shine attention on all the awesome kids worldwide. Together Team Awesome (including Julia's husband, Andrew, responsible for a lot of the photography) is on a mission documenting children's style and character and simultaneously working to support local and global children-based charities.

Hw/Ks:  You're a busy lady - Casting Director extraordinaire and you and your husband are new parents to a lovely  Ms Violet!  When did Planet Awesome Kid come into the mix and what was the inspiration?  

Julia: Violet is the light and joy of our lives.  She is also our constant inspiration!   I was walking her through the park in Brooklyn one fall afternoon, in October, and BOOM, it just hit me.  There were so many amazingly cool kids all around us, and we had to document it!  My husband is a photographer, so we just went out on the streets of NYC and looked (and found) the most awesome kids!

Hw/Ks: Global Action for Children, an amazing organization, is the newest partner for Planet Awesome Kid. How do you 'find' partners, or how do they find you?  

Julia: A lot of the events occurring around Planet Awesome Kid have been incredibly serendipitous.   Global Action for Children actually found us and contacted us!  My partner Christiana Tran and I were looking for the right charity to link up with and just as we were doing the research GAC contacted us!   One of the young ladies who works at GAC is a street-style hound, and found us on the internet and thought we would be a great match!   They came to NYC from D.C. to meet us, and it just CLICKED.  We are very excited about the benefit we are throwing for GAC in March in NYC.  It will be awesome and 100% of the proceeds we raise will go directly to GAC!

Hw/Ks: Planet Awesome Kid has been described at the Sartorialist of children's fashion, this is très cool but I feel like you have a such unique ingredient, spirit! How do you spot your subjects, what makes them stand out?

Julia: Being an "Awesome Kid"  can literally mean anything.  A child who just shines in a crowd, a child with a unique look, or a cool hobby.  Its not only about fashion to me. It is about the SPIRIT and ENERGY of a child.  A smile, a cool skateboard, a way a child thrown together a rad outfit, a talent.  It could be anything.  It goes without saying that I feel ALL CHILDREN are awesome. 

Hw/Ks: What’s your take on top designers doing collaborations and/or in-house lines for kids wear? (Stella, Comme, Marc...)  

Julia: GIVE US MORE, but please, can it be a bit more affordable? I think it speaks to the strength of the children's market.  In the midst of a great recession, the children's market remained extremely strong.  I think this is a very smart move for a designer to incorporate a kid's line.    I know that for me, personally, even though we had a bit of a rough year financially, I still could not resist buying my daughter items that truly stole my heart.

HwKs: Can you reccomend.....

A neighborhood - Windsor Terrace is a gem.  Its on the Southwest side of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and we love it!

A restaurant or cafe -  Miriam's in Park Slope for brunch!   HEAVEN!  

Music you might not listen to around kids-  Biggie Smalls, Tupac, and Lady Gaga

A favorite shop- Zakka in Dumbo  

A website -  Stroller Traffic, Mamaista, Weelicious, Cool Mom Picks, and everything that is blog rolled on Planet Awesome Kid.  

A book - Happiest Toddler on The Block......GENIUS!  

A recreational activity (w/or w/o kids) -  We live in NYC, so museums, zoos, parks, restaurants, beach, trips! We go everywhere with Violet!  I believe strongly in exposing your children to EVERYTHING.  

A publication - Vogue Paris is my style bible.  I worship Carine Roitfeld.

A toy - We love books.  For the 1st year we could not live without the Whoozit.

Something that every parent should own - Baby Bjorn Soft Plastic Bib and Beaba BabyCook

JULIA THANK YOU!

Photo YBP / Alicia Vega

The 'Official' YBP kid's tee

The Indie Rock Coloring Book ($10) is the newest addition to the Yellow Bird Project (YBP) - a Montreal-based non-profit that collaborates with a TON of different indie musicians to design fun swag (t-shirts are their main gig) to raise awareness and "the prettiest of pretty profits" for charities of the artists' choice. C O O L. The picture pages of the Indie Rock Coloring Book are the handy work of illustrator Andy J. Miller. Hours of entertainment and lessons a-plenty while you color outside the lines of Bon Iver's enchanted water supply and get giddy about the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah carnival. Other page dedications include musicians and YBP pals Iron & Wine, The National, Devendra Banhart and MGMT. >>>GET INTO IT<<<