A ‘Wild Child’ for moms, tots
There’s a harmonic convergence for them right in the small
but spiffy heart of the Santa Ynez shopping district: The Wild Child.
This is a spacious children’s boutique at 3563 Numancia Street. The store is operated by two
fashion-conscious cousins who started small and now are continuing to expand
their business.
Shani Gianis and Lila Ormond have stocked their chic two-room
boutique with little kids’ clothes that are adorable, and smart, unusual things
for older girls and boys.
While Gianis held her son Luke,
a strapping seven-and-a-half-month-old, Lila pointed out one corner that holds
haut-chic maternity clothes. “Moms need to shop, too,” she said with a laugh.
But the main focus in the big front room of the shop is
little kids’ clothing that won’t be found in any department store. A tee shirt with the legend “My Mom Rocks.” A pair of soft silver baby shoes.
And the tutus, of course.
“They’re kind of our trademark,” Ormond said. Each tutu consists
of a jammed, flared cluster of tulle-like fabric that forms a pastel ball
attached to a tiny stretch top. Ormond promised that somewhere in that flare of
net were two holes for little-girl legs. Wild Child’s tutus come in rose, light
pink, black, white, a whole palette of balletic colors.
It’s hard to imagine a little girl who wouldn’t adore one.
Both women grew up in Los Angeles, but when it came to
picking a location for their store, it was Santa Ynez. “We started in Solvang
with a small place, then moved over here, and we’re
still expanding,” Ormond said.
As for such wildly off-beat styles in such a rustic
setting, Ormond explained, “There was nothing unusual for kids up here.”
The store opened in 2004, and has a dedicated coterie of
customers. Gerda McDonough and her daughter, Eliza,
11, were shopping on Tuesday afternoon. The McDonoughs
have houses in Santa Ynez and Los Angeles, and have been patronizing Wild Child
since it opened, Gerda McDonough said.
Eliza was more specific: “They have very cute pieces of
clothes that you can accessorize.” The pre-teen said she had just purchased “a
bunch of tee shirts.”
Gianis
and Ormond both were born in the Los Angeles area, but theyh
have strong ties to the Santa Ynez Valley.
Their families are Chumash.
They visit the Los Angeles garment district to buy their
stock, and Ormond said they have representatives there who look out for unusual
items for their store.
For instance, Gianis’s baby boy
wore a pair of sneakers that have a nifty feature. “They squeak,” said Gianis. “It helps them learn to walk. When they step down,
the shoe squeaks. They like that.”
As Gianis nodded in agreement,
Ormond pointed out a corner nook where little ones can find toys to play with
while their elders shop.
“Kids love to come here,” Ormond said. “They know to head
straight for the toys.”