Handmade pieces
for the inspired

ECONOMY

HERE AND NOW

Super Cool
New local boutiques, businesses and
brands you may not know — but should.

By Lynne Konstantin

G N ST E I N

JEWELRY DESIGN

www. grinsteinj ewelry. corn

162 South Old Woodward, Birmingham MI 248-647-4414

1899150

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40 September 2014 I

RD MEM

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L

ike millions of other kids,
Owen Bartman, now 12, loved
superheroes when he was
little. So when his mom, Holly, was
planning his fourth birthday party,
she thought a fun alternative to
the candy-filled goody bag would
be superhero capes. Always crafty
— and always thinking of possible
ways for kids to have creative play
— the former special-education
teacher and then stay-at-home
mom decided to make them
herself, stitching satin fabric in a
variety of colors.
"They were a huge hit," says
Bartman, with both the kids and
the moms. She slowly started
selling them, eventually offering
to customize with kids' initials and
colors of choice (with input from
her daughter, Lillian) and soon
outgrew her Farmington home
studio. By 2009, "business was
booming;' says Bartman, and she
rented office space near her home.
There, she met Justin Draplin, a
marketing and business pro with
two kids of his own, and the pair
joined forces to create Superfly
Kids.
Now operating out of an
8,000-square-foot superhero
factory in Livonia, Superfly Kids
offers custom capes in three sizes
(adults, too) 18 colors, various
emblems (or initials) and more
— an online cape-building tool

helps customers find their perfect
combination. Accessories, includ-
ing blaster cuffs, masks, custom
T-shirts, even custom tutus, are
available, as well as a Design Your
Own Cape kit, that comes replete
with cape and iron-on emblems.
And last year, the company made
the Inc. 500 list (with $2.3 million
in revenue), which highlights the
fastest-growing privately owned
companies in America.
Always looking for ways to
improve — from both a business
standpoint and customer happi-
ness (look for baby products and
pet offerings in the near future)
— the company also strives to
create an atmosphere of caring and
creativity. In addition, for every $50
order that is placed, Superfly Kids
donates a cape; they also partici-
pate in Super Run (thesuperrun.
corn), a series of superhero-themed
fun runs that raise money for vari-
ous children's charities.
"We love that we're making
something here in the United
States and that it's something that
hasn't really been offered before;'
says Bartman. "Our products allow
children and adults to engage in
imaginative play. We want to make
a difference!'

Superfly Kids products are available online
at superflykids.com; look for news of small
retailers carrying the brand soon.

1937620

www.redthreadmagazine.com