We can't believe it's been 5 years! It can feel like just yesterday that July, the founder of Belan.J, was standing in her driveway, looking at a stack of cardboard boxes filled with the first bamboo pieces of her new brand. Today, looking around at the busy Belan.J warehouse, the entire team is filled with gratitude for this journey and for the incredible community that has grown alongside the brand.
Belan.J started in the midst of Covid. For 12 years, July had been immersed in the world of baby gear, promoting all the amazing brands carried by Active Baby on a daily basis. But during the stillness of the pandemic, a quiet question started knocking at her heart: Why not create a brand of my own?
She wanted to design pieces that combined the ultimate comfort of premium bamboo with a timeless, gentle aesthetic. And so, Belan.J was born. But turning a dream into reality is a wild ride, and looking back at where July started reminds us just how far the brand has come.
When Belan.J’s very first shipment arrived, it went straight to July’s garage. Back then, it felt like a "huge" shipment of 33 boxes in total!
Once they saw that the quality was everything they had hoped for, her dreams were starting to come true. July’s oldest daughter stood out on the driveway with her, helping sort through the shipment before the pieces were sent off to the retail stores.
In those early days of 2021, July was the only one managing the marketing and posting on social media. She still vividly remembers the nerves when she finally announced the arrival of Belan.J on Active Baby’s Instagram.
Without a warehouse yet, July turned her basement living room into a makeshift photo studio. If a product photo wasn't taken inside one of the retail stores, it was taken in her basement, usually with her kitten, Tammy, supervising. He was only 3 months old back then. Today, Tammy is five years old, the exact same age as Belan.J.
Perfecting the Details (8 Times Over!)
From day one, July promised herself she would never compromise on quality or design. In fact, Belan.J’s very first shipment didn’t even include sleep sacks because she was determined on getting them right.
July spent months revising samples, obsessing over the fit, safety, and feel. It wasn't until the 8th revision that she finally felt confident enough to approve final production. She wanted the sleep sacks to be perfect, which is why she designed them with the widest bottom available on the market, giving babies plenty of room to grow and kick comfortably.
The brand launched with just a handful of options - Aqua Bay was the very first solid color, and Watercolour Floral was the very first floral print (which you can still shop today). Flash forward to today, and Belan.J has launched over 100 custom prints and 60 unique colors over the past five years!
Finding a Home
As the brand grew, July’s basement and garage simply couldn't hold the dream anymore. She was incredibly lucky to stumble upon an old, abandoned auto-repair shop and transform it into the beautiful warehouse Belan.J calls home today.
The moment July first walked into the building and looked up at an unfinished mezzanine, she had a vision. She knew instantly that it was going to be her dream photo studio. Today, it’s exactly where all of Belan.J's new collections come to life.
Thank You for 5 Incredible Years
Belan.J started with July’s dream and today, it is a thriving Canadian brand wrapped in the softest bamboo, trusted by thousands of parents.
Whether you have been part of the family since the days of Aqua Bay / Watercolour Floral, or you just discovered the brand this year, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for letting Belan.J be a small part of your family’s story. We couldn't have reached this milestone without you.
