Kelly's doing her bit for the planet and children's skin at the same time

9:10am Thursday 4th December 2008

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SALE mum-of-two Kelly Mitchell is doing her bit for the planet – and children's skin – by launching her own collection of eco-friendly bamboo fabric baby clothes.

Kelly, of Derwent Drive, first discovered bamboo fabric when she was looking for natural fabric to make a blanket for her youngest daughter Isabella, 20 months, who suffers from eczema.

She discovered that not only was bamboo eco-friendly and silky-soft, it is thermo-regulating, keeping body temperature steady even when it’s warm and humid.

Bamboo fabric absorbs four times more excess moisture than cotton, and is naturally hypo-allergenic and anti-bacterial.

Kelly, along with her friend Victoria Clarke, who lives in Central Manchester, have now launched Ickle Eco, a new brand of luxurious babywear manufactured from brilliant bamboo fabric Kelly said: “I suffered with infantile eczema as a child, as did both my eldest daughter Charlotte and Isabella. It was awful for them, and I tried to be as careful as possible with their diet, skincare products and keeping their rooms cool at night. But with Isabella, nothing was working so I wondered if her bedding was irritating her skin.

“I decided to search the internet for natural fabrics to make an alternative blanket for her and stumbled across bamboo fabric. I was amazed by what it could do and could see how effective it would be for clothing - the rest, as they say, is history!”

Launching Ickle Eco’s first range has been hard work for Kelly who is still juggling a full-time job as a buyer. But designing a whole new range of clothing, dealing with Ickle Eco’s UK manufacturer and setting up a smart and user-friendly website has been a labour of love for her.