Name:
Stacey Effman and Amy Koenigsberger
How your clients refer to you:
12|12
Company:
12|12 Get Give, LLC
Contact Info:
Email: Stacey@1212getgive.com, Amy@1212getgive.com, Website: www.1212getgive.com
How many years have you been in business in NYC?
We launched on December 12, 2015, but have been in development for some time before then.
How did you get your start and what was your initial inspiration?
Amy Koenigsberger | Founder:
Amy began her career in the fashion industry immediately following college. Several years later, Amy became pregnant with her first son. By the time he was three years old, he had developed a severe allergic reaction to tree nuts. In fact, Amy and her husband would soon learn that both of their children suffered from multiple food and skin allergies. Thus began Amy's desire for clothing that was organic and gentle on the boys' skin, would wash and wear well, and also reflected her modern and clean aesthetic. Everything on the market fell short of her expectations. Amy's extensive experience in the fashion world provided the groundwork needed to fill this void. And so, in partnership with her friend Stacey, the concept of 12|12 was born.
Stacey Effman | Founder:
Stacey began her career in marketing and eventually found her passion in graphic design. Like Amy, Stacey had an interest in fashion, and she used her graphic abilities to design a line of hand-silkscreened, charitable t-shirts which she sold successfully online. She became obsessed with finding the best fabric to print her designs on; and through research, she discovered pima cotton with its unparalleled quality and softness. When Stacey and her husband learned that she was expecting their first child, she turned to Amy for advice on everything baby. Much of their conversation centered around their common interest and struggle to find organic, clean, and modern children's clothing.
Together, Amy and Stacey merged their strengths to create a brand that truly reflects their dreams.
What do you feel differentiates you from others in your field?
There are a few things, but our quality is probably the biggest differentiator. From our super soft organic fabric to our fit, we have upgraded the traditional layette. We also donate an item to a baby in need with every purchase through Baby2Baby.
What do you feel gives you longevity in this big city with so many options?
Our styles are timeless. They are classics, but with an eye towards a modern aesthetic. We are not fast fashion, and don’t intend to be. These styles will still be the perfect staples 10 years from now.
How do you positively impact your clientele?
We provide quality, safe clothing for infants and toddlers. We want to make it easy for moms to dress their kids in clothing they love, that’s easy to wear, play in, and wash. We also want them to feel good about their purchase and the impact it has on the environment, on their children, and on children in need.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The response we get from customers when they use and feel our products. The feedback we have gotten has been tremendously positive, and we are elated every time we hear that we’ve accomplished what we set out to create.
What is your favorite secret NYC spot?
They’re not very secret but we love the High Line, ABC Kitchen, and Fred’s at Barneys.
How do you benefit mamas?
We provide easy, modern, quality clothing items for their kids, and enable our customers to give back to babies in need with every purchase.
What is the most memorable feedback a client has given you?
We’ve repeatedly heard that “12|12 is the best clothing in their child’s wardrobe” and that they “hate when it’s in the wash and they have to put something else on them”!
Pay it forward and name your top colleagues in the same field or related field:
We love TheTot.com, goop.com, Tata Harper Skincare, COOLA Suncare, Eberjey, Cuyana, Sissy & Marley, Stance Socks, Emily & Meritt’s The Great, Patagonia, Sprout San Francisco, Lollaland, and State Bags.
What is the best advice anyone's ever given you? Or what is your "mantra" / words to live by?
I love the quote, “the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
As moms, the day can escape us, what is your best time-saving trick?
Easy, simple clothing, for them and US! We wear the same type of clothing we sell – minimalist, comfortable, quality pieces that go with everything. It saves so much time in the morning!