A LITTLE PARIS IN DENVER: OUR SPRING COLLABORATION WITH WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS
It all started with a gift card won at a school auction. One small moment that led to a discovery, a shared love, and eventually… a meaningful collaboration. This is the story of how childhood, friendship, and imagination stitched a little piece of Paris into Denver.
Presenting the Collaboration
This partnership was born thanks to the beautiful initiative of Brittany Pillard, whose daughter Georgina we have been dressing since her first birthday, alongside her two younger brothers. Brittany is much more than a friend of our brand, she’s the incredibly kind hearted and stylish mother whose Instagram curates moments of daily life and fashion with intentional beauty and a refined, elegant aesthetic. Whether she’s sharing sweet family rituals, thoughtfully styled outfits, or little discoveries that catch her eye, Brittany’s aesthetic feels like a breath of fresh air : gentle, grounded, and full of love.
Brittany discovered Where the Sidewalk Ends through a gift card she won at a school auction. This small stroke of luck gave her the chance to walk into the boutique for the very first time this December. A few days later, she shared a reel of her visit. The boutique was beautifully dressed for Christmas : twinkling lights upon decorated trees, shelves arranged like a treasure trove of thoughtful children’s objects, plush toys and the sweetest gifs. It looked like stepping into a storybook : handcrafted puzzles, dolls, cards, shelves of tiny wonders gently lit by the glow of garlands, and the joyful warmth that makes you breathe a little slower. In that short video, you could feel the way the space invited both children and adults to imagine, play, and linger.
Then, she wrote one comment : a wish to see Charlotte sy Dimby pieces there someday. That single line, light and unassuming, instantly caught our eye and stayed with us. It felt like a gentle invitation : one we couldn’t help but answer. A simple thought: what if we brought a little Parisian flair to Denver?We read it, felt it, and decided to make it real. And what better season than spring to let a dream bloom?
For this special collaboration, we designed two exclusive dresses, created in highly limited edition : one per size only, made solely for Where the Sidewalk Ends. Pieces meant to feel rare, precious, and timeless, like childhood itself.
Princess Georgina came to pick up the yellow one at the boutique to wear it for her Spring break at Palm Beach.
The Rose Dress is the embodiment of traditional French savoir-faire. This exquisite dress is crafted in a delicate pale pink micro-vichy cotton, a fabric beloved in the Parisian children's wardrobe for generations.The bodice is entirely hand-smocked, featuring meticulously worked rows interwoven with hand-embroidered floral garlands in soft rose, sky blue and green. The rounded Peter Pan collar adds a quintessentially French touch of childhood elegance, while the puffed sleeves lend a graceful, timeless silhouette. At the back, self covered buttons and an iconic butterfly wing shaped bow at the waist completes the look with understated refinement. The full, flowing skirt fully lined with white open work petticoat falls beautifully, perfect for twirling.
The Jardin Enchanté Dress bathed in the softest butter yellow, this dress evokes the light of a French spring morning. The white cotton bodice panel serves as a canvas for a delicate hand-embroidered garden scene : a rose-covered stone archway, wildflowers in bloom, soaring birds and a gentle rabbit nestled among the flowers : each detail stitched with extraordinary precision and poetry.
Pleated ruffles in yellow frames the neckline with a playful yet refined flourish. The skirt, in crisp yellow cotton with white open work petticoat, cascades into a full silhouette, while the back mirrors the charm of the front with neat self-covered buttons and a tied sash bow. This piece captures the very essence of French childhood: poetic, crafted and utterly enchanting.
Alongside the dresses, we imagined a small world of play and poetry:
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our darling Bimbom bunny dressed in yellow to match one of the dresses,
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whimsical French pastry sets with baguette, macarons, camembert and croissant for endless imaginary tea parties,
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and the iconic Paris lifestyle book Maman & Moi by Nicole Jarecz, a love letter to Parisian motherhood and everyday beauty.
Each piece invites children to play, imagine, and dream of Parisian cobbled streets, tiny cafés, and slow afternoons filled with wonder.
Q&A with Caity, Founder of Where the Sidewalk Ends
Can you tell us the story behind Where the Sidewalk Ends? How did the boutique come to life?
Where the Sidewalk Ends came to life after my daughter entered school. I spent my career working in apparel buying, merchandising and product development in both NYC and here in Denver, and made the decision to stay at home with Chloë when she was born. That is when I discovered the beauty of well made, open ended toys. Our family travels to Europe quite a bit, and I loved discovering all of the very special toys shops each city had to offer. I always dreamed of having my own shop, and when Chloë was in school full time, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. I love brining unique, thoughtfully made toys representing all children and families from all over the world to Denver!
What does childhood mean to you, how would you define it? How do you try to honor that vision through your boutique?
Childhood to me is a time to explore and discover the world through play, with a sense of wonder and joy and with no set expectations. To enter each new experience with curiosity and to find happiness in the smallest things. I honor this vision by creating a tiny world for children where they feel welcome and free to explore. I choose toys that spark creativity and imagination. I am very intentional in offering toys that can be played with in any way a child chooses that day.
Your boutique feels like a little world of its own, what do you hope children and parents feel when they walk through your door?
I hope that children feel a sense of wonder and magic, as if they are entering a storybook world just their size, made just for them! I hope that parents feel the sense of whimsy they felt as children, and see the thought and care I put into choosing each item that is in the shop.
How do you curate brands and pieces for your shop?
I travel to Europe and New York in search of beautifully made, thoughtful toys with a story to tell. I attend markets so I can meet the makers and learn more about them and the toys they create. I love to shop in small boutiques, especially when I travel abroad and ben inspired by the unique toys they are offer.
What values guide your choices?
It is important to me that the toys are made thoughtfully of quality materials. I like to know that the toymaker considers the impact on the environment, and the lives of the people who are making the items. It is important that the toys are something that will last generations and have a classic design. The toys should also be beautiful for both the children and parents to enjoy.
If you could describe the “Where the Sidewalk Ends” child in a few words, who are they?
Where the Sidewalk Ends child is full of wonder, curiosity, creativity and imagination!
Denver has such a beautiful family community. What are your favorite spots or activities in Denver for families with children? What would a perfect day look like?
My perfect day in Denver with my Daughter would start at Lavender Coffee Boutique for a matcha. We are lucky in Denver to have some incredible museums in Denver and a museum day is our favorite day! We would start at the Denver Art Museum, have lunch at Leven Deli and then head to my very favorite the Clyfford Still Museum. We would have dinner at Joy Hill and then head to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts to see a performance of the Colorado Ballet! That would be our dream day together!!
Visit the Where the Sidewalk Ends website
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