June 2006 - The Parklander Magazine

my3heartsMichelle and Dean Sperilli startedtheir business out of their home almosttwo years ago. “I was just playingaround with appliqués for my three girlsand myself,” says Michelle. She enjoyeddesigning and making clothes for her kidsand even had a few customersbut hadn’t really thoughtseriously of a business enterpriseuntil two of her clients startedpushing her. Her husband Dean,a chiropractor, made a deal with her.“You sell it,” he told her. “AndI’ll get it made.”So that they can maintain quality, allmy 3 hearts items are made locally,either out of Miami or Pompano Beach.The name, obviously, comes from thecouple’s inspiration—their daughters.Alex is 11, Bella is nine and Frankie is sixand they often model the fashions their mom makes.What makes Michelle’s designs so unique is that in an erawhen much of the clothing being sold for little girls makesthem look like miniature adults, hers convey a sweeterimage. The line includes hooded shirts, cargo and karatepants, ruffled tees, skorts, shorts, capris and dresses.“My clothing is wearable,” she says. “Youenjoy looking at your girls because it’s not racyor avant-garde. This is what I explain toclothing buyers and boutique reps.”And my 3 hearts may be one of the few fashion linesfor young girls that recognize and implement featuresthat both parents and kids want.“Sturdiness, durability, safety and comfort are themost important factors,” says Dean. “We don’t dobuttons or drawstrings because they could be chokinghazards. We started with some drawstringsmakinga girl'sheartsmilein pants but switchedto roll-down.”As for sturdinessand durability,what Michellelooks at first is thefabric, i.e. how it washes, ifit’s colorfast and whether or notit’s itchy on a child’s tenderskin. “And once the garment isconstructed, we have to make sure thedecorations won’t come off,” she adds.“Clothing must be comfortable,”Dean puts in. “Kids really commandwhat they want, and it doesn’t matter if the garmentis among the most expensive you can buy.If the child doesn’t like it she won’t wear it.”Favorites of my 3 hearts fans are hearts,denims, appliqués and the color pink. “Ourtie-dyes have also done well,” Michellesays. “They’re good mix-and-match items,and denims remain popular with bothgirls and their moms.”Trends we should expect to see thissummer in styles for little girls includeskorts, tank tops, pedal pushers andskirts with lots of hearts and stars. Forfall, Michelle has done palazzo pants injersey fabrics (a good weight forFlorida) and in velour; and she tellsus that her denim jackets have been well received.“Next school year, we’ll see miniskirts with leggings for Floridamiddle school girls.”Currently, my 3 hearts fashions are sold in about 200 boutiquesin 15 different states. “We’re looking into possibilities withdepartment stores,” Dean says. “But we have no problem stayingwith boutiques as a specialty item. It allows us to build, pack anddo customer service properly.”94 94the PARKLANDER