From France to Canada: A Designer’s Path
Christine’s eye was shaped by Europe’s love of timeless silhouettes and vintage knitwear—pieces that feel at once elegant and familiar. Moving from France to the West Coast of Canada, she brought that sensibility to children’s clothing: soft textures, gentle seams, and shapes that move with little bodies. Her goal wasn’t to chase trends, but to make garments that parents would treasure and children could truly live in.
Why She Started Miou
When Christine Dubin first decided to start a children’s clothing company, she knew that it was critical that she stay true to her own beliefs. Those beliefs remain Miou’s compass today: create beautiful products that cause no harm—not to the children who wear them, the women who make them, or the environment that sustains us.
Conventional cotton relies on toxic pesticides that damage soil and endanger workers; Miou chooses organic cotton and baby alpaca wool, fibers that are gentle on skin and kinder to the planet. Christine’s belief in slow fashion means each collection takes time—months of careful sampling, refinement, and hand-knitting. This process results in fewer pieces, but each one is crafted to last, setting Miou apart from fast-fashion turnover.
Every decision comes back to her vision: clothing should feel good on a child, do good for families, and tread lightly on the world.
European-Inspired, Made for Play
Christine designs with season-agnostic elegance—silhouettes that age gracefully instead of expiring with trends. Comfort is non-negotiable: nothing scratchy or fussy, only pieces children can wear from morning adventures to bedtime stories.
Details are chosen to endure—ribbing that recovers, buttons that stay, edges that keep their shape—so a sweater can enjoy a second childhood. The result is clothing that looks special without ever getting in a child’s way.
The Design Lens
At Miou, every piece must strike a balance: beautiful enough to be cherished, practical enough for everyday play, and durable enough to last beyond one childhood. Only when those standards are met does a design become part of our collection.
Design Meets Craft: Our Partnership in Peru
Miou’s knitwear is handmade by talented women in rural Peru, where knitting is a tradition passed from mother to daughter. By choosing fair wages and flexible, at-home work, Christine’s design vision supports families directly—helping mothers provide food, clothing, healthcare, and education while preserving a heritage craft.
“Every piece of Miou clothing has been handmade for your child with love by one of these women.”
Materials That Respect Children and the Planet
Christine selects fibers with both comfort and stewardship in mind. Baby alpaca wool—once called “the fiber of the gods”—is naturally warm, breathable, and resilient; alpacas graze lightly, leaving ecosystems largely undisturbed. Organic cotton is grown without toxic pesticides, protecting soil health, farmers, and sensitive skin.
“We do not use harsh dyes in our products, and use only environmentally friendly wool like baby alpaca and organic cotton.” Many pieces are also colored with eco-conscious processes that respect waterways and the little bodies that wear them. The intention is simple: fibers that feel wonderful now and endure beautifully over time.
From Sketch to Stitch (The Journey of a Garment)
Miou’s line of eco-friendly children’s clothing is designed by Christine Dubin with a simple test: Will this be beautiful, practical, and enduring for everyday life? Patterns become samples; yarn is prepared; and a Miou knitter brings the piece to life—stitch by stitch, hour by hour.
When knitting is complete, the garment is washed, blocked, and carefully finished by hand. Buttons are secured, edges set, measurements checked. Only when it meets Miou’s standards for beauty, comfort, and longevity does it travel to your family.
What Guides Us Forward
Christine’s compass hasn’t changed: design less, design better, and keep the promise to cause no harm. For her, fashion is a way to teach by example.
“We believe strongly in setting a great example for the people who matter the most: our children.”
That means honoring people with fair work and family-first flexibility, respecting the planet with thoughtful materials and dye choices, and creating garments that last—so families can buy thoughtfully and pass beloved pieces on. Good design, in Christine’s view, is measured not only by how it looks, but by the good it does.