I look back on my baby photos with a heavy heart. I was a tomboy, often in denim overalls and sneakers that flashed multicolored lights when I stomped brattily, which happened very often.

 

Kids nowadays—following the cue of Alonso Mateo, the son of California-based stylist Luisa Fernanda Espinosa, and Aila Wang, the über stylish niece of Alexander Wang—have been sporting more and more sartorial ensembles, their #OOTD (outfit of the day) photographs often displayed on Instagram and social media by their doting parents.

 

I envy the kids of 2014, with all these children’s brands opening here and there. Gingersnaps, a proudly homegrown brand, is making waves here and abroad with its strong grasp of quality, product innovation and market needs, which translates to highly sellable threads for kids.

 

Gingersnaps marks its 20th anniversary this month by holding its first Gingersnaps Model Search, and launching concept stores. Founder Sabrina Uy talks about how she is continuously developing the hit homegrown brand:

 

What changes has Gingersnaps undergone since it started selling abroad?

 

Selling in the global arena has definitely changed the way we do things in Gingersnaps. As far as the creative aspect is concerned, it is now important to come out with products that

transcend all borders, products that have a global appeal. At Gingersnaps, we are conscious of the fact that what we do is so important because whatever people see in our stores is a reflection of our country. How we do business also reflects on the Philippines. It is quite a responsibility, but also a source of pride that we are able to represent our country in our own little way.

 

You weren’t a mother yet when you set up Gingersnaps. How has motherhood changed the way you run your business?

 

Motherhood brought out the best in me. I’ve developed a huge amount of respect for parents. I am able to see through the eyes of a mother. One thing all parents have in common is that we all want the best for our children. That thought has driven us to come up with better products.

 

The model search is an example of the brand embracing modernity and social media. How else is Gingersnaps adjusting to the new market behavior?

 

Aside from social media, we’ve had to adjust to changes in retail as well; what worked back then won’t work now. We are constantly reinventing ourselves. It is amusing to note that one of the big changes we discovered is that more children are choosing their own clothing.

 

What’s in store for Gingersnaps? What can the fans of your brand look forward to?

 

Our range of products will dramatically expand in the next few months. We will be building more exciting stores and even better merchandise. There is so much exciting work to be done.

 

Visit GingersnapsModelSearch.com for more details about the competition.