How Sweet Rajito Is!

My girls are 14 and 17, nearly 18. They have their own minds on how they want to dress up. They like a lot of black lately, but then again, I went thru that phrase and up until now, I still wear a lot of the color.

I miss the days when they would just wear whatever I choose for them. If I were to go back in time, this is exactly what they would have on.

RAJITO is fast becoming the best option in children’s clothes for special occasions. From pretty party frocks to sumptuous Sunday Best dresses, RAJITO offers discerning parents (and grandparents) a designer line of unique and well made clothes for their special little ones.



Venisse Laurel-Hermano, sister of renowned fashion designer Rajo Laurel (Rajito was his childhood nickname) and General Manager of House of Laurel, found herself looking for a dress for her eldest daughter Danielle. “She was around 2 years old at the time and past her ‘onesie’ stage,” remembers Venisse. “But I couldn’t find anything suitable for her. I looked at all the available children’s clothing and I noticed everybody ends up wearing the same dress,” she says. Creative and enterprising, Venisse produced the first collection of RAJITO in 2005. “I remember the first collection clearly: simple tennis dresses in pink and mint green, and a black and white print dresses with apple green piping. “



Soon many of her friends and loyal Rajo Laurel clients—fashion conscious women themselves—were asking for dresses for their own kids. The response, Venisse says, was enthusiastic. She had found a market who wanted the hallmarks of House of Laurel fashion: feminine, luxurious but also age-appropriate special occasion clothing for their children. Venisse calls it kid couture.



New collections followed and RAJITO’s luxuriously simple aesthetic emerged: timeless silhouettes infused with modern details, for instance an A-line dress with smocking combined with a modern-looking lace or grosgrain ribbon. The Lauren Dress, one of RAJITO’s best selling dresses, is a drop waist two layer bubble dress accentuated with a ribbon. Another top seller is the Demi Dress, which is an empire cut smocked dress with a tulle overlay and scattered beadwork. The result is something childlike and wholesome but with a designer feel. “Rajo gives his input for fabric and design details,” says Venisse.



The inspiration for RAJITO definitely comes from Venisse’s own daughters, as well as the children of long-time clients. The dresses are named after the kids who have grown up with the brand. “RAJITO is constantly coming out with new designs, including more for tweens,” she says. With her eldest daughter entering the tween stage, Venisse knows how challenging it is to find something appropriate for this age. “As a mom, I really believe kids should dress like kids and not like little adults,” she says. RAJITO’s Chigger Dress combines a sweetly embellished mini bolero with a classic empire cut done in three tone cotton fabric. The finicky 8-11 age group loves the Chigger Dress.


The kids who wear RAJITO usually have fashion-forward moms who are exposed to the current fashion retail landscape. “They know what they want and what they like,” says Venisse. “I really appreciate the moms who shop with their kids: they don’t dictate and allow their kids to develop taste,” she says. “They ask the child: which one do you like?” Aside from parents, there are the doting grandmothers and generous aunts who love RAJITO as gift dresses. Several celebrity mothers are also RAJITO fans. “These are clients who appreciate the details of RAJITO,” says Venisse. These dresses—done in fabrics like taffeta, cotton pique, silk voile, and tulle, embellished with ribbons, bead work, and embroidery—are perfectly suited for that special little girl.

Now on its fifth year, RAJITO’s cult status is growing and includes expanding into other special occasion essentials for kids: hair accessories designed to match the fashion collection, footwear, and original fragrances.

RAJITO produces three collections per year: Spring/Summer, Holiday, and a Transition collection. Dresses are available in sizes 2-8. Shift dresses, sizes 8-10, are also available. RAJITO also makes Boy’s Shirts in sizes 2-8.

I love the new collection of Rajito! The world would be such a pretty place if all the girls wore these dresses.

You can shop online too!! Rajito is the kid couture line of House of Laurel.