Patricia: Last year something happened that could certainly be described as a life-changing experience. We had a baby. Marlena hasn’t only changed our lives, but admittedly also our interests. Suddenly we find ourselves chatting to other parents about topics that we’d never even heard of before. Within the shortest time, it feels like we have learnt more than we did during our entire time at university.
And although I know Bikini Berlin like the back of my hand, there’s one aspect that I haven’t really paid a lot of attention to until now: what the concept shopping mall has to offer for children. But now all that has changed: Stefan, Marlena and I set off on a shopping trip of Bikini Berlin on the lookout for children’s items. Today we’re presenting you with our findings.
Patricia: Since September, Bikini Berlin has been home to the ultimate store for kids. Okay, for parents a visit here might turn out to be more expensive than they planned as what I observed when I was there did indeed confirm my suspicions – children want everything in sight at the Goldfish Kinderkaufhaus. Whether the adorable kidswear or the toys – it’s plain to see that all their products have been chosen with love. Goldfish is a store with a heart, where it’s such a pleasure to shop and where you’ll even find yourself wanting to revert to childhood yourself, simply because it’s so cosy and appealing there.
If Marlena had fit into any of their sizes, we would have definitely bought her one of the gorgeous tulle skirts (which she also loved!) and the circus toys are also at the top of our shopping list. If you’re planning a children’s birthday party, it’s also worth dropping by Goldfish as they sell cute party decorations.
Stefan: We then went to Promobo right around the corner, where you’ll find unique gift ideas for young and old alike. Most of them are made by manufactories here in Germany and then stocked by Promobo. We came across some fun crocodile toothbrush holders that little ones would love, or nano-sized Lego bricks in different levels of difficulty for all ages.
And we also happened to find the perfect Christmas gift for Marlena here. We thought long and hard about whether we should buy her anything for her first Christmas. She is, after all, still too young to really know what Christmas is all about. Then we said: “Why not?”, but decided that the gift should have a personal reference to her parents. We chose a small wooden underground carriage from the Berlin underground’s U1 line to give her from Father Christmas. Patricia took the U1 to work every day during her first internship and I did the same for two and a half years. We think it’s a great keepsake and a lovely memory for us all!
Stefan: We then went up to the rooftop terrace where we found the perfect finishing touch for a stylish kid’s outfit. Premiata offers high-quality sneakers for children that are made directly in Italy and available in lots of different designs.
And then once you’ve bought all this great children’s stuff, you might find yourself asking how you are supposed to carry it all home. No problem. In its circus and Cats & Dogs collections, Reisenthel offers rucksacks and bags for your little ones. And to match, they also have a cute rain cape. I’m pretty sure we will be buying it on our next family trip to Bikini Berlin – in preparation for all those winter showers!
Patricia: From Reisenthel we headed up to the next floor for a browse of AM+, where we found cool T-shirts for kids by Wood Wood. Perfect for a mum/dad/kid partner look.
Just a few metres away, we also visited Mabba, one of my favourite stores at Bikini Berlin, where I’ve been buying my iPhone cases for a few years now. But they also have great products for Marlena, who is thankfully still a long way off owning her first smartphone! Under the label MY LITTLE MIRACLE, the wife of Mabba founder Matthias Balle, Janna, creates gorgeous dummy attachments and teething rings. We couldn’t resist! Marlena is now the proud owner of one of their lovely dummy chains, complete with golden and mint-coloured beads.
And last but not least, we also dropped by the Artek concept store, which is home to a charming shelf full of wonderful gift ideas for kids. Speaking of gifts – we were given the elephant mobile by Flensted from this store as a gift when Marlena was born. But I also got my eye on the Fingerprints colouring book and the little wooden robot. Fortunately, we know plenty of children we can give these wonderful kid’s items from Bikini Berlin to as gifts, otherwise Marlena’s room would be packed to the rafters!
