dear friends*

after much consideration, i have decided to close speesees. the shop will be open for the next month while i *clean shop* & clear out a decade's worth of gems. thank you for your loyal support; it has been so nice getting to know you & your beautiful little ones over all these years. if you might, please indulge me while we take a mini trip down the speesees memory lane...::

ten years ago, i sat down & drew out my ideas for the organic cotton baby clothing line i was inspired to create; i named it “speesees”, a playful take on how a baby might spell species (if a baby could spell), & my first designs were a line of oatmeal onesies featuring illustrations & phonetically-spelled animal species (‘chik, ‘kid, je-'raf). organic cotton clothing was an anomaly at the time (organic produce was just becoming popular!), & it became my mission to create a fun, fair, & organic baby clothing company that produced high-quality, sustainably-manufactured, organic cotton garments. starting such an unusual company would be risky, but at the very least, my friends' children would have something wonderful to wear.

the next thing i knew, i landed in india. here i met an amazing group of people -- my manufacturers. i was able to see, first hand, how a garment comes to life--from the cotton fields to the cotton gin to the knitting, dying, printing, sewing & finishing. i witnessed each garment being made with such love; it was as though each piece was a work of art. & not only was the manufacturing process sustainable & working conditions beautiful, but it was amazing to see how much pride each person took in their work. the first year i visited i believe there were maybe 20 employees. the last year i visited, there were at least 500. when i look at this picture of the cotton farmers' children waving goodbye to us, i still get a lump in my throat.

flash forward ten years: today, i look around & can happily report that my mission has been fulfilled; *organic* products are practically ubiquitous, & i have had the joy being part of speesees’ growth & metamorphosis during an important movement of our decade. & after 10 years of manufacturing, i'm ready to shift gears; i've set up my easel, sharpened my pencils & am back at the drawing board (literally!). this time, i am focusing on children's books, amongst other creative endeavors. i also have a real live little human speesees (aidan gage. 14 mos); he is my inspiration & i have the incredible honor of being his mommy.

& so, the speesees chapter is closing. thank you for the love, photos, & stories you've shared over the years--i am forever grateful. i am also indebted to my fabulous staff who breathed life & creativity into the brand & help me keep things moving as long as we did. i’ve always said that if we were to have one big party, all of us, it would be pretty fabulous. thanks again for making speesees so much fun.

& while i’m closing this chapter, this isn’t bye-bye forever. i am always happy to hear from you while i'm cooking up new projects. in the meantime, please stock up on all the speesees you need (think future. think holidays!)-- it’s the very last super-duper sale & everything is priced to go, including classics & samples! stay tuned & see you soon.

xo*
rachel pearson
founder & designer ps. time to cash in those gift certificates!