The Interview | How Angel's Face Grew its Wings
When Angel’s Face founder Keely Deininger started designing her iconic tutu skirts, she had no idea that her kitchen table venture would blossom into a bestselling collection. “Starting with one singular product, I never imagined our range becoming so expansive,” she tells us. “We now have hundreds of items, from crystal-encrusted shoes to Elton John-style sunglasses, to make every day a fashion opportunity day!”
Like Childrensalon, Angel’s Face is very much a family business and 17 years after the brand was launched, Keely now works alongside her husband and three grown-up children. While the kitchen table has been swapped for a busy studio in the beautiful Garden of England, Kent, the brand’s guiding principle stays the same: to bring magic into children’s wardrobes. We chatted to this inspiring founder about her childhood passion for fashion and how Angel’s Face has continued to evolve and cater to every occasion in a little girl’s life.
Images by Angel's Face
1 Apr 2024
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"I know that these girls do not want to blend in. They are here to own their place in the world."
Keely Deininger, Founder of Angel's Face
The Early Days
Sometimes the future is written in the stars, or perhaps in Keely Deininger’s case, the constellation of a pin cushion. From as early as six years old, she was helping her seamstress grandmother and making dolls’ clothes, although as Keely recalls, the word ‘helping’ might be a stretch. “I vividly remember I once cut up a silk dress that she was altering for a lady. I made it into a flapper dress by shredding the skirt into ribbons so that it looked like fringing. I just remember thinking how amazing it looked. I also remember the look of shock on my grandmother's face!” These days, Keely can experiment with trims and fabrics to her heart’s content in the buzzing Angel’s Face studio — a far cry from the small business she started from home in 2007.
Party Looks
"Whenever my daughter went to any birthday party, she wore one of my tutu skirts and became known as the Tutu Girl at school.”
A Family Business
Having started Angel's Face to work around her three young children, Keely’s family has played a key role in supporting the business from early on. “The company started with my daughter Trinity as my muse. In the beginning, she modelled all my designs while I took the photos with my camera in our garden. Whenever she went to any event or birthday party, she wore one of my tutu skirts and she became known as the Tutu Girl at school,” Keely remembers fondly. Now Trinity and her siblings are all grown up, they’re still intrinsic to the success of this thriving brand. “I never envisioned all three of my children and my husband working with me but I cannot imagine doing this without them. As my children have grown up in the business, they are just as invested in it as me. Let us just say the dinner table can be lively some evenings with the differences of opinions.”
Beach Party
"I wanted to create fun-loving pieces that every girl would pick out herself and want to wear for the whole holiday!”
A Child’s Eye
Loved by children of all ages, it's clear that a huge part of Angel's Face's success lies in Keely and her team’s understanding of what their mini-customer loves. “It is always a pleasure to see little girls in Angel’s Face. I know that these girls do not want to blend in. They are here to own their place in the world, just like me at that age,” Keely says. Sticking with their much-loved classics while riffing on their recipe of pretty, playful and eye-catching has been a winning formula, and this season Keely is particularly smitten with the beautiful Loreen dress, a dreamy chiffon number with corsage detailing on the neckline, as well as their new beach collection. “I’ve really enjoyed designing the new swimwear,” she beams, “I wanted to create fun-loving pieces that every girl would pick out herself and would want to wear for the whole holiday!”
Leisure Time
“We design everything from sunglasses to party dresses now, but we will always be known and loved for our tutus.”
Clothes to Treasure and Pass On
As with many successful brands, Angel’s Face started with a singular goal: “I focused on making one product well that would be the perfect gift for any little girl. That is how the tutu skirt and its iconic hat box packaging was born,” Keely explains. “Our range has expanded so much since then. We design everything from shoes and sunglasses to party dresses now, but we will always be known and loved for our tutus. It is usually the first product that someone buys from us and is a key part to our brand’s story. I have spoken to girls recently who are the same age as my daughter who still have their tutu skirts at home sitting in their hat boxes waiting to be brought out again for the next generation.”
