Designing with Intention: BABICLO and Its Sustainable Vision for Children's Fashion

Companies worldwide are intensifying their commitments to ethical governance, emission reduction, and green innovation, with sustainability now embedded in boardroom strategy and shareholder dialogue. Amid this space, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is making strides, but still has significant room for growth.

BABICLO, an online children's wear atelier, aims to model how thoughtful design and responsible production can find a natural home in the UAE's landscape of mindful luxury. As a design-led label, it places longevity and ethics at the heart of creation.

"Our vision is to rethink children's fashion as something intentional," says BABICLO co-founder Pedro Romero Herrero. "We want to create pieces that are made to last, to be passed down between siblings, and to move effortlessly through a family's everyday life." The brand's offerings are seasonless, versatile, and refined, intended to appeal to parents who value both elevated aesthetics and thoughtful material choice. BABICLO's founding story gives that premise a personal frame.

When Pedro and his wife, Olivera Vasic, became parents, they found themselves questioning the impact of everyday decisions, especially when it came to clothing for their child. "We asked ourselves, 'What would it take to choose garments with complete confidence, knowing each purchase reflected our values?'" Pedro says. Drawing from his aviation background and love of checklists, they developed a clear framework: the clothes should be free of plastic and landfill-bound waste, crafted with care and quality, ethically produced, and made with full transparency and accountability.

This mindset became the foundation for their brand's guiding principles. "For us, sustainability is a daily practice," Pedro says. "It's about making small, honest choices that lead to a gentler wardrobe, for children and for the people who make their clothes."

BABICLO

BABICLO's manufacturing takes place in Portugal, a hub of textile innovation, masterful craftsmanship, and fair labor. The brand prioritizes working with workshops that practice fair labor, value quality, transparency, and thoughtful practices. This approach extends to material choices as well, favoring fibers selected for their biodegradability, performance, and lower environmental impact. From reengineered premium yarn for swimwear to organic cotton for children's underwear, pajamas, and socks, each garment is designed to perform well and stand the test of time.

Practical design features illustrate how the label translates values into use. Oversized shapes and adjustable details, such as movable buttons and flexible closures, are tailored to help reduce the need for repeated purchases, enabling families to keep pieces in rotation longer. Packaging is similarly treated as an opportunity for reduction and reuse, utilizing an organic cotton drawstring bag for every product shipped. Mailing solutions are chosen with compostability and reuse in mind, while delivery emissions are considered within the company's wider efforts to account for shipping impacts.

Additionally, the founders are committed to transparency in their pricing. They believe customers should understand how each product is made and what contributes to its cost, from ethical sourcing to responsible production. By keeping profit margins low, they strive to make their products more accessible without compromising on quality or values. Pedro says, "We choose to do things the right way, even when it takes more effort. Our pricing reflects that choice, because earning trust is what matters most to us."

By emphasizing product durability, functional simplicity, and an ethic of care, BABICLO aims to contribute to a growing ecosystem of businesses in the UAE exploring similar pathways, while remaining attentive to local cultural sensibilities. In a market where design and quality matter deeply, the brand seeks to make sustainability practical and desirable for families, inviting them to consider value not only in what is bought, but in how and why it is made and used.