Margherita Missoni to design collection for Pottery Barn Kids

Pottery Barn Kids will be serving up some Italian flavor come January when Margherita Maccapani Missoni Amos becomes the latest young designer to lend her talents to the Williams-Sonoma Inc.-owned retailer. The Margherita Missoni for Pottery Barn Kids collection comprises over 50 pieces for the nursery, bedroom and playroom, and is her first foray into children’s home furnishings. Amos, who has two young sons with her race car driver husband Eugenio Amos, launched her children’s clothing line Margherita Kids in March 2015.

Here, she talks about her latest design endeavor.

What were your inspirations for this collection?

Margherita Maccapani Missoni Amos: With Margherita Kids, I seek to design children’s wear that encourages self-expression and allows children to explore their individuality. When the brand launched last year, I already had a whole world for children in mind — not just clothing, but lifestyle products, too. I dreamed of creating everything from accessories to bedding to furniture, but it takes time to expand into new categories. When Pottery Barn Kids approached me to create this collection, I thought, “It’s such a natural progression.” I want this collection to inspire kids to imagine, create and play. It’s sophisticated but whimsical, colorful and cheerful.

What learning experiences did you take from Margherita Kids and bring to Pottery Barn Kids?

It’s been fun to use my experiences both as a mother and as a designer, from the conception of this project to the final products. As with the Margherita Kids collection, the items in this collaboration are meant to be mixed and matched. There’s a lot of mixing of colors, patterns and textures. It’s quite playful.

What are some of your favorite pieces in the collection?

I absolutely love the graphic black-and-white pop-color striped rug and the color-blocked rug. Then there’s a wicker pendant lamp which I adore. There’s also a lot of precious embroidery in the collection, which I think both parents and children will love. The lullaby-embroidered bedding and nursery pouches are my favorite.

What’s next for Margherita Kids?

We’ll be launching some new categories in the near future and this spring, the collection will be carried at John Lewis, Lane Crawford, Lord & Taylor, and several new retailers including Harvey Nichols, Nordstrom, Next and Macy’s. I hope to continue developing new categories and increasing the brand’s presence globally. I’ll also continue working on a number of collaborations; there’s always new and exciting projects in the works.