Baby Nellie in the Newborn Pod
Amy Childs & Keely Busby
Last Friday morning, the iCandy team arrived in Borough Market just as the sun was rising over London Bridge. As the iCandy van made its way through the hustle and bustle of the market, it looked at home amongst those belonging to the street food vendors, although the contents inside was very different! The unloading of a plethora of iCandy MiChairs ensued as the air filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and roasted coffee beans.
The MiChairs were destined for Fish! – a beautiful seafood restaurant in the heart of Borough Market. Starting life as a Victorian pea-shelling warehouse, the impressive glass and steel space was the first restaurant in Borough Market. With 360-degree views of the market, Southwark Cathedral and the Shard, it was the perfect spot to showcase the iCandy MiChair and to celebrate the launch of the MiChair’s new comfort packs and newborn pods.
With celebrity guests due to arrive at 10am, the iCandy and Fish! teams united to prepare the space for the epic brunch ahead. The setting of the table was the first task- a job made to look effortless by Fish!’s Charlee and Hollie, as they arranged plates and napkins amid fresh posies from a Borough Market florist. The banqueting style set up of anthracite grey tables and chairs was flecked with pops of colour in the form of the Flint, Russet, Marine and Pearl MiChairs, all set for the smallest of guests, and with children ranging from 4 months to 4 years, the MiChairs were set up in a variety of configurations from newborn pod to rocking chair. Bringing the colour palette together even further, Love Bug & Co Balloons were filled with confetti mirroring the colours of the MiChair comfort packs whilst the eco-friendly decorations brand also created a bespoke streamer backdrop which was the perfect addition to the children’s play area. This fun filled corner was a haven of toys provided by Mini Maison– a shop offering modern and playful nursery and kids’ décor to style conscious consumers. A grey jersey ball pit that was filled with balls in the event colours took centre stage alongside beautiful Scandinavian style wooden toys.
The celebratory brunch was the culmination of a four-part influencer campaign series named ‘MiChair MiStyle’, whereby iCandy set out to showcase that there is a MiChair style for every interior design style.
Home with Rose
Day with Dad
iCandy worked with four interiors influencers who are all parents and who all have very different, individual styles. Rosemary Bickers (home_with_rose) is a mother to four and has recently renovated a Victorian home which beautifully showcases her fondness for pastel pink.Warren Hoyte (daywithdad) is a stay at home dad to his two boys and undertook a huge renovation project to make way for a bright and modern home.
House Lust
Keely Busby
Keely Busby (keely_busby) is mother to three boys and her fresh and airy home reflects her relaxed bohemian style. Fashion Designer Amanda Cotton (houselust) is a self-confessed ‘maximalist’ and her eclectic home certainly showcases this.
Each influencer chose a MiChair and different coloured comfort pack to style in their unique home in their unique way and the results demonstrate so stylishly that the functional and contemporary piece of furniture that is the iCandy MiChair, complements any home. From the way Keely styled her Pearl MiChair against the exposed brick wall in her dining area to Warren’s pairing of the Russet comfort pack and newborn pod with his shaker style kitchen, the MiChair looked at home in every family setting.
The final touch to the brunch setting was an easel mounted image of the MiChair in situ in each of the four influencer’s home and the featured superstars certainly recognised themselves when they arrived!
As guests made their way into fish! they were wowed by the set up as well as the sight of Bread Ahead’s delicious pastries and decadent doughnuts. As both children and parents alike settled into their seats, it was lovely to see all the guests catching up over their shared love of the MiChair and how they have all styled their own MiChairs so differently yet so beautifully.
As the mimosas began to flow, iCandy PR Manager Naomi Williams made her way around each table to welcome everyone to the event and tell the story behind the MiChair campaign. Naomi also introduced Piccolo co-founder and infant nutritional therapist Alice who chatted to the iCandy parents to offer expert weaning and feeding advice, from the best ways to encourage self-feeding to healthy toddler snacks.
The restaurant was buzzing and to add even further delight, plates of deliciousness began to appear from the fish! kitchen, from steaming hot bowls of chorizo and squid to Instagram worthy avocado and poached eggs. Little ones enjoyed mini fish finger sandwiches whilst the tiniest of tots sampled Piccolo’s range of organic fruit and vegetable puree pouches.
As the event came to an end, each guest was given a goodie bag filled to the brim with gifts from some wonderful brands. The iCandy canvas tote bag was filled with delicious treats from Piccolo including tasty teething wafers, deliciously fruity puree pouches as well as meal pouches such as risotto and stir in pasta sauce. Good Bubble provided a gentle sulphate-free hair and body wash made with soothing cucumber and aloe vera to help cleanse and hydrate delicate baby skin. Keen to prove that giving a child the best start in life doesn’t have to mean compromising your impact on the environment, Mama Bamboo produces baby essentials from bamboo and kindly contributed bamboo fibre dinner sets, 100% biodegradable bamboo wipes and eco nappies to the iCandy goodie bags. Parenting gadget brand Bleep Bleeps generously provided a discount code for attendees to use when purchasing the ‘Suzy Snooze’- a smart nightlight, sleep soother and baby monitor.
For the iCandy team it was time to navigate the lunch-goers of Borough Market to reload the iCandy van but the challenge ahead was made easier by the fact that we were all on a high from a brilliant event.
Caroline Watson
MiChair MiStyle