Today we’d like to introduce you to Soo Jo.
Hi Soo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Before founding Pokka Kids, I spent 10 years working as a mainstream children’s footwear designer in the New York City area. Throughout my career, I developed a deep understanding of the children’s product industry, gaining hands-on experience in design, product development, and manufacturing while traveling and doing business with partners across the United States, Asia, and Europe.
Despite my professional background and years of industry experience, becoming a mother opened my eyes to a different side of the children’s wear market. When my son struggled with eczema and sensitive skin, I was surprised by how difficult it was to find baby clothing that truly prioritized a baby’s comfort and well-being. Especially in the U.S. market, I felt there was a lack of thoughtfully designed, genuinely gentle baby essentials that put babies’ needs before mass-market demands and profit margins.
I realized that my experience as a designer gave me the knowledge to recognize the problem, while my experience as a mother gave me the purpose to address it. Pokka Kids grew out of that realization: a desire to create baby clothing with greater care, intention, and respect for both children and the planet.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been finding skilled artisans who could work with our cotton gauze. It is an incredibly delicate fabric, and sewing it properly requires a level of patience, precision, and experience that is not easy to find. I spent a great deal of time searching for people who understood the material and shared my commitment to quality. Finding the right people to bring my vision to life was much harder than I initially expected.
Sourcing authentic organic cotton was another major challenge. I didn’t want to rely on vague claims or simply choose a fabric labeled as organic. Since the quality and safety of the fabric are at the very heart of Pokka Kids, I decided to use only certified organic cotton that could be verified. For me, this was never just a marketing point. It was the foundation of the entire brand. If I was going to create clothing for babies with sensitive skin, I needed to be confident in the materials I was using.
Of course, pricing has been one of our biggest ongoing struggles. Every Pokka Kids garment is handmade in New York City, using high end materials and skilled local artisans. That makes our production costs significantly higher than those of mass-market baby clothing manufactured overseas. Competing on price alone is nearly impossible, especially when customers can find much cheaper alternatives almost everywhere. It can be difficult to communicate the value of a garment when much of its quality lies in details that aren’t immediately visible, from the certified organic cotton to the French seams and the care that goes into every stitch.
I’ve also learned that creating a thoughtful, high-quality product is only one part of building a business. Reaching the right customers, telling our story, and helping people understand why these details matter require just as much effort. As a small, independent brand, we have had to navigate these challenges with limited resources while staying true to what we believe in.
There have been times when I wondered whether it was possible to sustain a business built around such high standards in a market driven by low prices and mass production. But I always return to the reason I started Pokka Kids. As a mother, I wanted to create the kind of clothing I had struggled to find for my own child. I wanted to know exactly what was touching his skin, and I wanted to offer other parents that same peace of mind.
These challenges have reinforced my belief that we shouldn’t compromise on the very things that make Pokka Kids what it is. We may not be able to compete with mass-market brands on price or production volume, but we can stand behind the quality of our materials, the craftsmanship of our garments, and the intention behind every decision we make. For me, that is what makes this journey worthwhile.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Pokka Kids?
Pokka Kids was born from a deeply personal experience. When my husband and I saw our baby son struggling with eczema, we felt helpless. He would scratch his skin until it bled, and many nights, none of us could sleep. I began searching for baby clothing that was truly gentle on his sensitive skin, but I struggled to find anything. That experience made me realize how much a baby’s clothing matters, especially when it is in direct contact with their delicate skin all day long.
My husband and I always admired nature. After our marriage, we spent a year traveling through 13 countries, which gave us a deeper appreciation for people, nature, and the world we share. When we became parents, those values took on a new meaning. We wanted to create something that was not only safe and comfortable for babies but also kinder to the planet. That was the beginning of Pokka Kids.
I wanted to create clothing that felt like a baby’s second skin—soft, breathable, and free from unnecessary irritants. After researching different fabrics, I chose 100% organic cotton gauze. It was not a common choice for babywear, but I believed its lightweight, lint-free, and breathable texture was ideal for delicate, sensitive skin. Every material and design decision was guided by one question: Would I feel comfortable putting this directly against my own child’s skin?
Every Pokka Kids piece is individually handmade in New York City by skilled local artisans. Working with delicate gauze requires patience and precision, but I never wanted to sacrifice quality for convenience or mass production. We use dye-free organic cotton along with selected natural dye cotton. We are committed to avoiding harsh chemicals and paying attention to every detail that touches a baby’s skin.
That attention to detail extends beyond the fabric itself. We make all our baby garments with GOTS certified organic cotton. We make them with complete clean edge French seams to keep raw edge irritation away from delicate skin, nickel-free snaps, and certified organic labels and elastic. We also design with growing babies in mind, offering bodysuits in sizes up to 30 months and mittens that accommodate toddlers. Even small details matter to me, including avoiding itchy labels against a baby’s skin. That’s why we provide care instructions on hang tags and online instead.
Building Pokka Kids has taught me that creating baby clothing is about much more than making something beautiful. It is about understanding the worries parents carry, the comfort babies deserve, and the responsibility we have toward the environment. I want every Pokka Kids piece to reflect the care I wished I could find when my own child was struggling.
Pokka Kids is a small, intentional brand, handmade in New York City, where craftsmanship and purpose matter more than mass production. Every stitch represents the love that goes into caring for a child. As a mother and a founder, I know that parenting is a labor of love, and I hope our clothing can become a small but meaningful part of that journey for other families, too.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about the New York City and northern New Jersey area is its diversity and the way so many different cultures, perspectives, and ideas come together. Having spent 10 years working as a children’s footwear designer in the NYC area, I’ve always been inspired by the creative energy of this region. It’s a melting pot of people from all over the world, and I think that diversity creates opportunities for meaningful conversations, new ideas, and a deeper understanding of how we want to live and what we value.
Now that Pokka Kids is headquartered in Edgewater, I appreciate being part of a community that offers access to the energy of New York City while maintaining a more neighborhood-oriented atmosphere. I also see growing awareness among young parents about sustainability, the quality of the products they buy, and the impact their choices have on their children’s future. Many parents are beginning to look beyond convenience and price alone and recognize the value of thoughtfully made products, responsible materials, and craftsmanship.
What matters to me is that we don’t lose the human touch in a world increasingly driven by mass production and large corporations. Traditional skills and local craftsmanship are disappearing as manufacturing becomes more automated and businesses focus on producing more at lower costs. Through Pokka Kids, I hope to contribute, in my own small way, to preserving those values by working with skilled local artisans and creating baby clothing with care and intention.
What I like least is the high cost of living and doing business in this area. For a small, independent brand like ours, maintaining business locally while competing with large corporations that produce overseas is a constant challenge. However, I believe that the true value of a product goes beyond its price tag. I hope more families will continue to recognize that choosing quality, sustainability, and craftsmanship is an investment not only in their children but also in the kind of world we want to leave for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pokkakids.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pokkakids/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pokkakids
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pokkakids
