Dana Bach Johnson founded Baby Star, a popular line of soft, soft blankets,brightly patterned bibs, and modern baby fashions, after the birth of her oldest son, 3.5 years ago. Today, Baby Star is a good-sized business (employing six, including her husband), and Dana is mom to three sons. NW Kids asked Dana about inspiration, design, and play. We discovered a company, and a mama, that’s pure Portland.
How did you start Baby Star?
When my first son was born five years ago, I got this big, big itch to find a creative outlet. I had worked in creative environments (Wieden Kennedy, BPN) and I missed that energy. I also recognized that the stuff for babies, especially baby boys, wasn’t all that cute. A lot has changed in the past five years, but at that time, it was still mostly teddy bears and baseballs.
What was your first design?
I got some cute fabric at Daisy Kingdom and made some burp cloths for a friend. That rolled into blankets, which got the attention of Regan (D’Onofrio) at Meringue. She started carrying them in her shop and it just grew from there.
You design your own fabrics and prints. What is your inspiration?
Creatively, I look to home textiles. I have tons and tons of home magazines that I’ve collected over the years. Wallpaper is a big inspiration. I love bold colors and designs. I’ll play around with something simple like circles and add elements around the edges for example. Baby Star is still very much “baby” – the pink and blue – but with a modern twist.
Tell me more about your fabrics.
Once I started getting into wholesale, I would see other designers using the same fabrics. I wanted to be unique so I started designing and custom printing my own. This way, I could be unique and guarantee that the pieces were formaldehyde-free from the foundation on up. When our local manufacturer shut down, we faced a tough decision – move to L.A. or start production overseas. We love Portland too much to move, so we now do our production at an ICTI-accredited factory in China. We pay a premium to ensure fair labor and safety in the production process.
Where do you like to shop for your little boys?
I’d love to spend a day just shopping the market! I think Polliwog does a great job and has a unique, distinct personality. I think Black Wagon is amazing. Of course, Meringue. And I just love Baby Wit (local t-shirt designer). There are some really cool women in this town doing great stuff.
When out and about, Dana is a frequent visitor to the Hillside Community Center playground and Jamison Square. She lives in SW Portland.
