Hamptons-based mom Maria Dueñas Jacobs adds some sparkle to the small set with her children's accessory line, Super Smalls.
Leave it to former Elle Accessories Director Maria Dueñas Jacobs to level up the accessory game for even the tiniest Hamptonites with the launch of her line, Super Smalls. Inspired by her own daughters—that’s 7-year-old Kid-in-Chief Luna and 5-year-old twins and Directors of Rainbow and Magic Isa and Silvi to you, thanks—the maven mama is just getting started with their offering now available at Hamptons haute spots like LoveShackFrancy. “Everything we make has to ‘wow’ our little customers, so we are building our offering to be a collection of truly magical items,” says Jacobs. Up next? “You will see jumbo sticker books (think laptop size!), crown and tiara decorating kits, bejeweled mermaid goggles, play shoes and even a real four-leaf clover necklace!” We polled Jacobs for an inside look at how she juggles being a mogul and mama in the Hamptons this season.
SWIMWEAR: Some of my favorites [for swimwear] include Primary and Minnow Swim, and Maisonette also has a great selection. I really like when all three girls match their bathing suits because they are easier to spot, and so cute, but they don’t always let it happen!
BEACH: We try to go to the beach every weekend, even if for just a short while (even during winter!). Georgica Beach and Wainscott Beach are our go-tos, and we love walking the beach, finding where the pond meets the ocean. It’s a magical spot!
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LAUNCH THE COLLECTION FOR LITTLE ONES? I’ve worked in the creative world for many years and have always had the ‘inventor bug.’ My years as a fashion magazine editor were an education in style and beauty and that period sparked in me a confidence to create, combine and change constantly. When I had children, my love for art, fashion and the aesthetic space started to refocus on a child-centric application. I was decorating their rooms, styling their clothes, and when they were big enough, crafting and creating with them. As they got older, my girls started showing their own appreciation for beauty and style. They loved to dress themselves and would always reach for my jewelry, not understanding its true value (because they are 5, 5 and 7!) and thinking it would make a suitable toy for their entertainment. As you can imagine, they love everything sparkly and rainbow-colored, and I could never let them play with my things because they are not toys. It was actually my oldest daughter, Luna, at the time 5 years old, who challenged me and asked me to find her jewels that looked like mine. She didn’t want to settle for the trinkets I was offering her. There was nothing in the market that was for her but that also lent the same importance to design and beauty as real luxury does. So, in an effort to wow my own kids, I decided to see if I could design and source something luxury-looking but made for them.
BRUNCH: Tavern in Amagansett is a perfect spot that keeps both parents and kids happy, and they have great picnic tables in the back. We also love picking up sandwiches from Mary’s Marvelous and eating at the beach.
My first big compliment was when I showed my girls the very first samples of the now bestselling Mega Sets. They gasped and asked, ‘Mommy, can we touch it?’ This time I was able to tell them, ‘Yes! Yes! It looks like Mommy’s but it’s for play and it’s for you!’
PARRISH ART MUSEUM: We get outdoors as much as possible—tennis, horseback riding, adventures through all the nearby trails and of course lots of beach time! Depending on what’s showing, we also venture out to Parrish Art Museum. The space is so vast and gorgeous, and they have wonderful exhibits.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LOOK IN THE NEW COLLECTION? This new collection is ultraextravagant. As always, we are inspired by the glitzy grown-up stuff like Harry Winston and Tiffany, and all of the jaw-dropping high jewelry pieces out there. My favorite of them all is called Emerald Ball, which was inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic Bvlgari emerald necklace. It’s so over the top that I feel like it transports you and kind of frees the spirit, you know? Sometimes, I even wear it over a sweater myself for a pick-me-up. And for kids, it has a magnetic closure that makes it easy to pull on and off without parental help!
Photography by: FROM TOP: PHOTO COURTESY OF SUPER SMALLS; PHOTO BY JAKE ALLISON/UNSPLASH; PHOTO BY BROOKE LARK/UNSPLASH; PARRISH ART MUSEUM PHOTO BY TIMOTHY SCHENCK/COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND KASMIN GALLERY
