The name of the clothing line is Two Little Boys, and it’s run by two little CEOs. With Mom’s help, of course.
Regina Adams launched the business in 2017 alongside her fraternal twins, Channing and Kingston. Together, they make screen-printed, pint-size T-shirts and accessories. The kids clothing designs they come up with are artful and edgy. A ’90s-themed backpack is covered with boom boxes and graffiti. Checkered socks feature a bear they dubbed “Laweezeyana.”
Shirts are just as likely to have squiggle patterns or camo prints as they are to feature photos of French fries or clouds. These designs are coming from the imaginations of 8-year-olds, after all.
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Asked where the twins get their inspiration, Kingston tilts his head thoughtfully. “The different days make different styles for us,” he says.
He’s right: It all started with animal-print T-shirts they made to wear on a field trip to the zoo. They handpainted a golden lion, finished with googly eyes. Soon, everyone on the school bus wanted their own painted shirts.
So Adams and the twins made more. They began doing pop-ups at a friend’s shop, WINK Your Eyes, which was then in the Mall of Louisiana. It was just the exposure the brand needed. Adams started screenprinting the shirts. The process enabled her to sell in larger quantities. Through the brand’s Instagram and e-commerce shop, it now reaches customers all over the country.
But the whole creative process starts and ends with the twins. They help conceptualize, edit and green-light the designs.
“They’ll say, ‘Mama, I had an idea,’ or ‘Mama, I don’t really like that,’” Adams says. “Kingston’s style is more R&B, and Channing’s is hip-hop.”
And they wear the clothes with pride. Channing and Kingston have been modeling for Mom’s iPhone shots since before they could walk. In photos for the brand’s Instagram, they show off jackets, hats and duffel bags.
At the end of each business day, Adams shares the latest sales with her sons. They talk about which items the customers purchased, and they evaluate money and savings. The boys get paid for their work (and for regular household chores). Adams has even helped them invest in stocks.
Despite the pandemic, 2020 was the brand’s strongest year yet. Adams is excited about what’s on the horizon, with spring launches planned for shoes, swim trunks and girls clothes.
But running the business together is about even more than that. It has made their mother-son bond stronger than ever.
“Talking about the designs has helped our communication,” Adams says. “They are not scared to tell me anything.” twolittleboys.shop
Locally owned children’s shops
From toys to clothes, here are the shops readers nominated for this year’s Best of 225 Awards. What other local spots do you like to shop for kids’ clothes? Tell us at [email protected].
Blaand Children’s Boutique
Carpenter & Co
Giggles Toys & Candy
Lulu & Bean
Mini Macarons – A Children’s Boutique
Oh Baby!
Olly-Olly
The Bee’s Knees
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The Hope Shop
Victoria’s Toy Station
This article was originally published in the April 2021 issue of 225 magazine.