Lorena Canals Toys
I was running a couple of errands last week when I decided to go into Petit Bazaar on Queen’s Road Central. As per usual, product range was simply incredible and well curated, and I noticed quite a few new items. I then made my way to the basement where larger items are usually displayed. This is where I first came across Lorena Canals. Originally conceived as a sustainable and eco-rug brand, Lorena Decals has further expanded into toys. One of said toys was the below pretend play mini kitchen entirely made of fabric.
This was a first to me. There’s always been alternative soft toys, whether these are hand-knit toys made in Vietnam, or regular plush toys made in natural fibers, however, a woven kitchen was a first for me. Upon further research, I found out that the brand has several woven toys (images from the Lorena Canals website).
The collection is perfectly aligned with upper-middle class parents who are putting more emphasis on what their kids play with and how they are made, as well as how aesthetic they look next to their perfectly curated home decor. This is, first and foremost, a stylish rug and home decor company, after all, which brings me to my second point: I see no SILs on any of the toys.
It’s understandable that when non-toy companies dip their feet into the toys waters they are bound to make mistakes. We’ve seen this happen with Zara Toys, and even with some other European fashion retailers, so it comes as no surprise that Lorena Decals might have overlooked key QA requirements when launching the range. The brand probably erroneously assumed that because these items are made of mostly woven fabric, and manufactured by a home decor company, that the products wouldn’t be considered toys. Unfortunately, that is not the case! As long as kids find the product to be alluring and has a certain ludic element to it, then it will considered, in most instances, a toy. For instance, I wonder if the veggies have been deemed safe by a laboratory. After all, kids are likely to put it in their mouths at one point.
These are just assumptions, of course, especially since the entire range is not for display at Petit Bazaar. The products are cute, and aim to use more eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes, which is always a positive step in the right direction !
