Evolving and expanding into new product categories is a positive sign of growth. One brand that stands out for having started with a core lifestyle offer and who has, for four years now, entered into the apparel market through a natural evolution is 7AM. Started by a mother who saw a need in the winters of New York, 7AM is now co-owned by her eldest daughter who inspired the brand’s inception.

We spoke with this daughter, Chana, who is both Co-Owner and Vice President of the label, to learn more about how 7AM started and its journey of more than 20 years in the kid’s market before we discover their new collection at both Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York and The Tiny Show on Tour Los Angeles this season. Let’s dive into the cozy universe of 7AM!

7AM’s Blanket 212 Evolution

In 2002, French mother Rebecca would bundle up her child in scarves, turtlenecks, and beanies to keep her warm as they went about their new hometown of New York City in the winter. As a result, any time they’d enter a warm store she’d have to take off a few layers to keep Chana comfortable. Then, when they left, there would be a whole re-bundling process. It was stressful, seeing as babies don’t always cooperate and they were on the go. Rebecca decided she needed to create something that was like a baby’s coat. Something with a zipper that would turn this layering process into a one-and-done product.

Rebecca designed the patterns and started producing the first batch in New York City’s garment district. Chana was older when it started to pick up, so it was her younger sister who tested out the prototypes. Once the hero product was ready, Rebecca started knocking on retailers’ doors to sell the concept of a zip-up “coat” for babies that could fit universally on every stroller and car seat. This original, patented design, is still carrying through the thousands of products 7AM produces today, demonstrating Rebecca’s innovative idea and the continued relevance of their products.

Though the brand is designed for life on the go, the name 7AM celebrates those precious moments before all the chaos of school and work. At 7AM, the sun has risen, but families can take a moment to enjoy breakfast and spend time together.

As the brand has expanded from the original gear collection, 7AM Enfant, 7AM has remained the overarching name while the word following it classifies the different collections. For example, their diaper bag line is 7AM Voyage and they have apparel lines like 7AM Comfywear.

Over the years, 7AM has expanded into rainwear and apparel. These have been natural progressions for the brand, with demand growing in line with their collections. Their apparel line started as more customers were asking what they should dress their little ones in under their gear. Four years ago they launched their debut 7AM Fuzzy collection, which mixes lounge and chic styles to create something unprecedented. The Fuzzy collection filled a gap in the market, and received a great response. Buyers from apparel stores they hadn’t previously sold to said they’d never seen anything like it before.

Following the tremendous success of the Fuzzy collection, 7AM has continued with apparel collections released twice a year. Their rainwear launched just last spring and is a continuation of their support for family’s life on the go. Protecting kids from another element, their rainwear is fun while remaining sophisticated and elegant.

7AM’s Fuzzy collection

Rebecca is the DNA of the company. Drawing inspiration from both her French roots and New York surroundings, she blends an effortlessly cool sense of street style and timelessness that remains relevant season after season. With a bit of edge, their new collections don’t follow trends — they set them. They manage to always have their finger on the pulse of the latest happenings. For example, their new apparel line this season is centered around tennis. With the sport’s return to center stage with rising new talents, this line will launch during the U.S. open. It perfectly aligns with the spirit of the moment.

Sustainability is also extremely important to 7AM. Dedicated to slow fashion, once a product is launched, it’s a forever product. Each item is so thoughtfully designed, with the materials and silhouettes being carefully selected to continue to remain relevant. They even love keeping similar motifs and colorways, knowing that what they choose is strong enough to stand alone.

In line with Rebecca and Chana’s own lifestyle, the brand is, and has been since its beginning, 100% vegan. More than their brand philosophy, this is their home philosophy. It was never a question of “if” or “how” to produce with vegan materials. It has been simple for them to find ways to produce that align with their values. They work closely with their factories to consciously create each collection. Using cotton and polyester, they manipulate these materials into fantastic faux fur and products that look like they’d be feather down-filled, but aren’t. It’s non-negotiable for 7AM to produce without animal products. It’s something they’re extremely passionate about, both personally and professionally. They use the brand’s platform to partner with vegan and women’s organizations to further add to their positive impact.

Thanks to the quality of their products, they’ve seen a large amount of resale on Ebay and Facebook Marketplace. Rebecca and Chana love to see even originals from the very first collection continuing to be used and loved. The brand’s ethos of keeping babies warm continues to be passed on between families. They’ve also created a strong, organic community on social media.

Chana joined the company about 9 years ago, bringing the expertise she gained from her undergrad and graduate programs to the team. Having studied marketing and anthropology, she brings unique insights into behavior analysis.

Though she hasn’t officially been with the company her whole life, Chana has grown up surrounded by it. She remembers working trade shows with her mom from a young age, making it a seamless transition for her to join the team official as VP.

One of the major changes she and Rebecca have observed over more than 20 years has to do with trade shows. They’ve seen wholesale change a lot, because when they started in 2002, online shopping wasn’t really prevalent. Buyers had to go to the trade shows to buy. Today, there’s been a shift to more online shopping through B2B platforms. 7AM recently launched their very own B2B site that they’ve been working on, which allowed them to customize exactly to their needs.

7AM’s Chunky Collection

That being said, they still strongly believe in the importance of trade shows. They’ve been exhibiting at Playtime & Kid’s Hub since they launched their apparel line four years ago. One of the attributes they love about Playtime & Kid’s Hub is the fairness of the event. While all brands are free to customize their booth as they’d like, everyone is working with the same walls and booth structures. Having done hundreds of trade shows around the world, this approachability feels very inviting to brands exhibiting for the first time.

Having exhibited in both Paris and New York, Chana has observed that in Paris they’re able to show a bit more gear and that they can really put their winter products on display. In New York, they focus more on their apparel lines, which feels very special to the brand whose gear line is already so well established. At both shows, Chana feels like 7AM stands out for its edgier street style. They’ve been able to meet with existing customers as well as sign new accounts at each event.

This season, 7AM will also exhibit at the first edition of The Tiny Show on Tour Los Angeles. While they already have a rep in California and accounts on the West Coast of the United States, Chana is excited to attend the show to get direct feedback and see what’s happening first-hand in this market. She’s excited to meet the clients they already have face to face, and to connect with new accounts.

Thank you to Chana for sharing the story of 7AM with us! We love how it all started with Rebecca pushing her around NYC in a stroller, and has since grown to include apparel, rainwear, and Chana herself working with the brand.

We can’t wait to see 7AM in just a few days at Playtime & Kid’s Hub New York! Get your pass here to meet them at their booth (A04) July 27-29, and don’t forget to pre-register here for The Tiny Show on Tour LA August 3-5, where you’ll find Chana and 7AM at 525.

All images from 7AM