Papo d' Anjo..........for discerning mothers everywhere

I love a good retail story. And this is a really, really good one. One about children's fashions, the precious kind that you want to keep and pass down for generations to come. The old fashioned way. Before I begin, the literal translation of  Papo d' Anjo is "tummy of an angel", the name given to a very special cake whose recipe dates back to 13th century Portugal. Now.........back to that good story.

There is a bit of romance behind the beginings of  Papo d' Anjo. An American woman meets a Portuquese man, falls in love, marries him, moves to Lisbon, Portugal and has two daughters. The American is Catherine Monteiro de Barios and as the founder of Papa d' Anjo she realized fifteen years ago that there might be an American market for the high-quality European childrens fashions that are manufactured the old-fashioned way. By old fashioned way I mean literally made-by-hand, the artisan hands of the Portuguese seamstresses using the finest of fabrics imported from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and England. The softest of cotton, prints from Liberty of  London, madras, and cashmere. In a sense, the founder also honoured an old-fashioned and time-honoured way of growing her business here in North America. Twice a year, in over 100 US cities, Papo d' Anjo holds Trunk Shows at homes and shops where discerning mothers can meet with dedicated and knowledgeable hostesses over a three day period to pre-order clothing for their little angels. This past March, the New York Trunk Show was at the Carlye Hotel, where you might have rubbed cashmere shoulders with the Trumps.

Located in the heart of Lisbon, the design and production planning offices of  Papa d' Anjo are still located on the top floor of an 18th century building overlooking the Tagus river and six of Lisbons storied hills. These days, the exclusive children's line is also sold in Papo stores in Europe (Lisbon and Madrid), now in the United States and on their website. In-store boutiques are located in Harrods , London and stateside in New York at Bergdorf Goodman. As a gift source, the website will ship anywhere in the world which is why I thought to share this story and source. Due to popular request, Papo d' Anjo recently added baby Gift Baskets, which are available in three sizes and range from $99.00 to $399.00. Filled with a variety of  exquisite nursery gifts and their plush Rabbit, the pique-lined basket is one of their most popular keepsake and presented in their signature Italian-made gift box as shown above. How's that for presentation when you have a baby gift to send to someone special across the world? Or here in North America.

Some may consider it a rarified world of childrens fashion, they even have a Bespoke Collection where you can custom order clothing suitable for special occasions such as a Baptism or the upcoming Flower Girl. The collection gently oozes of innocence and classic quality for those that want to send a very special gift. Like the simple but gorgeous Hippie Dress shown above (79.00). The grandchild in Germany, the niece in Italy, the nephew in New York........all the innocent angels everywhere. Sometimes one classic and beautifully-made item is a rare and wonderful thing.

Papo d' Anjor website (click here) Papo Blog (click here) and US Toll Free Number is 888-660-6111 Europe Toll Free Number is 00800-6606-1111. A catalogue is available through the website. So is the recipe for those divine little cakes.

All photos used with permission of Papo d' Anjo