Hey, Baby, Looking Good

If your baby could choose his own clothes, do you think his wardrobe would scream "I really love trucks!" or "I appreciate cashmere?" Jenny Belushi and Heather Whitney Ashforth are betting on the latter. The two fashionistas-turned-mommies are stocking their new Brentwood Country Mart boutique, with only the kinds of clothes they'd put on their own children. No black, no rhinestones, no Pussycat Dolls-esque nonsense, and more options for boys than T-shirts with tractors on them.

Belushi and Ashforth, who shared the same social scene for years before going into business together, have long dreamt of a children's store that stocked only the best of their favorite kids' designers: Barbour, Flora and Henri, Hunter Boots, Lacoste, Oeuf, Vilebrequin, and Kule. In addition, Lucy Sykes and Christina Lehr will create exclusive lines for Poppy Store, and Hable Construction and HT Designs will produce totes, carryalls, headboards, and bed linens. By carefully editing the clothes lines, Belushi and Ashforth can offer gear that's comfortable and stylish without being inappropriate or precious--two things they say are hard to avoid in kids' stores.

In the weeks leading up to Poppy Store's February opening, Belushi says she raced around town looking in vain for the perfect gift for a girlfriend's baby shower. "It was frustrating for me, trying to find something I wanted to buy," she recalls. Whatever items the well-traveled mommies can't find they'll produce themselves, under the brand name Poppy Luxe. Expect a lot of luxuriously soft materials; when Ashforth's oldest son, seven-year-old Finley, was born, she was so disappointed by boys' duds that she started designing tiny cashmere sweaters. Now her choosey brood (which now includes son Truman, two) notices when Mom tries to dress them in a less-than-snuggly fabric. "They'll say, 'Mom, this isn't cashmere,'" she says with a laugh.

While Ashforth has the design experience, Belushi (wife of actor Jim and mother-stylist of daughter Jamison, eight, and son Jared, six) brings an extensive background in retail. After managing several high-end stores, Belushi longed to open one of her own that would cater to her favorite customers: kids 12 and under. A mutual friend knew of both women's interests and figured their similar aesthetic and easygoing personalities would make them a good business match. But she waited three years before pairing them up. "She wanted to be sure she wouldn't lose either of us as friends," Ashforth explains.

So far, it looks like a wise move. The two have easily agreed on everything from the store's name to its uncluttered design. And they both seem to approach this adventure with more than just business acumen and style; they speak of the store with the same excitement and a sense of wonder, as one would a new baby. "You don't realize all the stuff that goes into it, but it's been a great process for us," Belushi says. "It's been one of the greatest things ever."

-Mayrav Sarr

LA Confidential Magazine 2008