With their line of funky baby “necessaries,” Bella Tunno has grown to become a Dimples (and celebrity) favorite. But bright colors, cool patterns and fun features are just one aspect of this progressive company. Bella Tunno prides itself on its philanthropy and it does so with grace and humility, all in honor of owner Michelle Tunno Buellow’s late brother Matt. Here’s your Dimples “Sneak Peak” into a company loved by Hollywood and humble at the same time!
Dimples Mom (DM): When did you decide to go into the “baby business?”
Michelle Tunno Buellow (MTB): It was around 6 years ago when I had my first child. It was the right place at the right time. What we tried to do was take existing products and give it a higher level of function and design and people seemed to really like it.
DM: In what ways did you want Bella Tunno to be different than existing companies in the marketplace?
MTB: We are very much into the charitable aspect of it…We do different projects and in my mind it is all about making the world a better place.
DM: Your trademark phrase is the “necessary”. What exactly makes something a “necessary”?
MTB: Neccessories are necessary accessories. Our products are neccessories because we take the basics and improve on the function without any sacrifice on the design front. Within our line, you’ll see all the ‘must have parenting essentials’ but we put our own trendy twist on them making them fashionably functional and perfectly posh!
DM: Who is your customer (young mom, older mom, urban etc)?
MTB: Our customer is evolving daily. But she mostly falls into one of three categories:
1. Fashionista First Time Mom – she’s hip and young (27-35) and wants her baby’s style to be a reflection of her own.
2. Fashionista Friend – this customer is buying Bella Tunno as a gift. She’s giving it for a baby shower, toddler birthday or holiday gift and wants her gift to stand out from the rest.
3. Groovy Grandma – we’re seeing first time grandmas around the age of 60 that live in urban areas as a growing customer category.
DM: When did you first realize you were onto something big?
MTB: When Gap called. Being approached by some giants in the children’s industry to work together on collaborative lines was so exciting and a great launch pad for new products, innovative design and huge growth potential.
DM: Why do you think Hollywood loves your products?
MTB: A lot of this was great timing. We launched a product that filled a style gap in a growing category during the Hollywood baby boom. It all came together because our products beautifully balance fashion, function and philanthropy. There are so many options from a style standpoint, yet no detail is overlooked in the function category. Best of all, a portion of every sale goes back to making a philanthropic difference. I think the fact that our look is fresh and fun and we are trying to build a brand that is about more than the product has caught Hollywood’s attention.
DM: You were even in the Oscar gift bags, what was that like?
MTB: That was an amazing opportunity! We were approached to be in the Mom and Mom to Be SWAG bags before Bella Tunno’s first birthday. At this time, the gifting bags were not a “pay for placement” industry like they are today. It was a huge honor to be included and put our products into the hands of so many Hollywood parents. I remember getting our first celebrity thank you note – it was from Courteney Cox and she raved about our play smocks. That’s still one of the emotional highlights in the past 5 years!
DM: Where do you want to see the company in 5 years?
MTB: The first 5 years have been more than we could have ever dreamed, so I’m thrilled to see where the next 5 lead us. Growing the philanthropic portion of our company is our top priority. In order to achieve that goal, we’ll focus on innovative product development, strategic alliances and international growth. We have some exciting new releases in our pipeline – we’ll stay true to our brand, but expand the breadth of our portfolio by adding some new categories. We’d love for Bella Tunno to become the ‘go to’ gifting brand for kids accessories.
DM: What are your future philanthropic plans?
MTB: Right now, we have two main projects planned for 2011. Our goal is to infuse an entrepreneurial spirit into our projects so that we are making the absolute most out of every dollar spent or hour donated. One key project is with a Charlotte-based ministry that aims to break destructive social cycles – homelessness, abuse, addiction, to name a few. It’s a systematic program that puts a roof over a family’s head, but offers training, counseling and help to heal their hearts as well. We are developing an innovative fundraising event for them that will launch in March / April 2011. Our other key project is launching a line of products that tie directly back to specific child-related charities. This is an exciting project that has been incubating for about a year and we’re excited to launch it in late 2011.
Thank you to Michelle for taking time to speak with us!
Check out the new Beautifully Basic Diaper Bags from Bella Tunno which will begin to ship in late January 2011 and are available for pre-order now.
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