The founder of Cinnamon Baby, the Australian children’s clothing brand, talks about learning to build a business, trusting her vision, and creating a company that transformed her life.

There is something Racquel Ferraro still finds extraordinary: seeing Cinnamon Baby become part of someone else’s life. The founder of the Australian children’s clothing brand might spot a child wearing one of her pieces and, almost instinctively, point it out to her family. What began as an idea for dressing her first baby now accompanies children in different parts of the world; even after nearly six years at the helm of the business, those encounters still surprise her.

The Impulse That Intimidated Her

Cinnamon Baby began with a very personal search. During her first pregnancy, Racquel envisioned comfortable clothing with relaxed silhouettes and an aesthetic that wasn’t defined by gender. She couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for among the small Australian brands she explored, so her partner suggested she create her own. The idea was intimidating: she had no experience in fashion or formal business training, but something mattered more than her doubts. She wanted to build a life that would allow her to be close to her son, and she decided to begin.

What followed was a constant learning process. Racquel developed her collections while discovering how to run a business, listening to her customers, and learning to trust her own decisions. Today, Cinnamon Baby is part of family life far beyond Australia, and its designs remain true to the principles that inspired the brand: comfortable, functional clothing made to accompany children through their early years. With Cinnamon Baby Reborn, that philosophy extends beyond the first owner, offering a new life to pieces that still have so much to give.

In an exclusive interview with Topics That Transform, Racquel reflects on her evolution as a founder, the decisions that have shaped Cinnamon Baby, and what it means to build a business without losing sight of the life she wanted for herself.

Comfort, Without a Formula

TTT: When you started Cinnamon Baby, you had no experience in fashion or business. What have you discovered about yourself through learning to run your own company?

Racquel Ferraro: I’ve learned to trust myself so much more. In the beginning, I doubted my abilities because I didn’t have any experience, but I’ve had to learn as I went, face challenges, and make decisions that would once have intimidated me. I’ve also made mistakes, and each one has taught me something; over time, I’ve learned to trust my vision and my instincts more. Cinnamon Baby has shown me that I’m capable of doing things I once thought were beyond me.

TTT: Cinnamon Baby has a recognizable aesthetic. What principles have remained unchanged in your designs since the very first collection?

Racquel Ferraro: Comfort has always been the most important thing. I want kids to look like kids, to be able to play, move around, and get messy without their clothes holding them back. I love creating beautiful pieces, but they also have to work in real life. Quality is just as important; I want our pieces to last, to be worn again and again, and then passed down from one sibling to another. My children have grown up alongside Cinnamon Baby, and every stage of motherhood has influenced the collections. Designing from that experience helps me keep families’ needs in mind.

Beyond Early Childhood

TTT: Beyond being the founder, you’re also a customer of your own brand. How has that personal connection to the product influenced the trust other mothers place in Cinnamon Baby?

Racquel Ferraro: I dress my own children in Cinnamon Baby, so whenever we design something, I always ask myself whether I’d put it on Noah, Navy, or Daisy. I think that experience helps me understand what other mothers are looking for, and it means so much to me that they trust us. Seeing them return to the brand, especially when they have another baby, is really special. Knowing that our pieces accompany their children through different stages is something I never take for granted.

TTT: Cinnamon Baby has found an audience beyond Australia. What does it mean to you to see such a personal idea connect with families in other countries?

Racquel Ferraro: Sometimes I’m so focused on the day-to-day work that I don’t stop to think about it. Then I receive photos of children wearing Cinnamon Baby in different parts of the world, and I’m reminded of how far we’ve come. It’s incredible to think that something I started because I wanted to stay home with my baby is now part of other families’ memories. I think there are feelings all parents share, no matter where we live: we want our children to be comfortable, to enjoy being kids, and, at the same time, we wish we could hold on to each stage just a little longer. Clothes hold those memories, too; sometimes all it takes is seeing a particular piece to remember an entire chapter of your child’s life.

TTT: With Cinnamon Baby Reborn, your pieces can find a new family. What inspired you to make that second life part of the brand?

Racquel Ferraro: I’ve always believed that good children’s clothing should have more than one life. Kids grow so quickly, and they often outgrow pieces that are still in excellent condition. With Reborn, we wanted to give those clothes the opportunity to find another home, make them more accessible to other families, and reduce waste. I love the thought that a piece that accompanied one child through a special stage can go on to become part of another child’s story.

What Time Taught Her

TTT: Your children have grown up alongside Cinnamon Baby, and now you have a newborn in your arms again. How is this new chapter influencing the way you design?

Racquel Ferraro: Daisy has reminded me just how quickly everything goes by. Noah is almost six and Navy is three and a half; I look back and can’t believe how quickly they’ve grown. Some stages can be exhausting when you’re in the middle of them, but they’re often the very ones you miss afterward. I’m trying to enjoy them more now. With Daisy, I’ve been using our Growsuits and Lounge Suits so much again, especially during winter. It’s also made me reflect on how much I’ve changed as a woman and a mother; Cinnamon Baby has grown with me, and I can see different stages of our lives reflected in the collections.

TTT: If you could speak to the woman you were before creating Cinnamon Baby, what would you want her to know?

Racquel Ferraro: I’d tell her that she’s so much more capable than she thinks. I’ve learned that not knowing what you’re doing doesn’t mean you’re not capable of doing it; you can learn along the way. Cinnamon Baby gave me a purpose I didn’t know I was looking for, but becoming a mother gave me the courage to actually pursue it. I think that version of me would be so proud of the woman, mother, and business owner I’ve become.

A Business Built Around Her Family

TTT: You started Cinnamon Baby because you wanted to be close to your first child. How has the business transformed the life you share as a family?

Racquel Ferraro: Cinnamon Baby has allowed me to become the mother I wanted to be. My partner now works in the business too, and he can be present with our children. That’s changed our family life, but the business has also transformed me personally. It’s given me independence and taught me to face situations that would once have intimidated me.