Haylie Duff’s New Children’s Clothing Line Encourages Mixing, Matching and Definitely Playing

Haylie Duff’s New Children’s Clothing Line Encourages Mixing, Matching and Definitely Playing

Much like the moon, kids go through phases – and now, there’s finally a clothing line that embraces the constantly changing nature of childhood.

Inspired by those exact celestial patterns, actress Haylie Duff is launching a new clothing brand with business partner Jessica Frank called Little Moon Society.

The company’s first summer line features comfy tanks and t-shirts, as well as soft, simple dresses and leggings built for play – all handmade in the U.S. Duff’s own daughter, Ryan, 21 months, serves as one of the brand’s first models.

“I really was wanting to find things that fit really well and were meant for unlimited play,” Duff tells PEOPLE of being inspired by her own shopping experiences, “but also things that were made really well and last well, and were still really quality pieces.”

Duff, 32, says that the design process behind the line’s pieces varied, but kicked off with a harem pant that was a staple of Frank’s previous brand, Emerson Apparel.

“It was one of the reasons I really wanted to partner with her because I love the fit of her clothes, so for us I really wanted to keep those harem pants true to the people who used to buy her clothes – so they were really comfortable and confident buying Little Moon,” explains Duff, adding, “So that pant was a no-brainer for us, it was something that I knew fit really great. We just re-invented it with new fabrics and a new vibe.”

Duff’s other favorite pieces include the brand’s twist-back swing tank that’s covered in burnout stars, and what they’ve dubbed the “magic dress” – a cotton gauze and t-shirt dress that looks good on every kid.

“Everything out of this first little summer collection for us has a lot of focus on being a really great basic but with textures or something a little bit unique about it,” says Duff. “That’s what we’re always looking for too in our kids’ closets: great basics.”

The star calls her daughter “the Little Moon Society persona,” explaining that one day she’ll want to dress up in a tutu and wear bows, while the next, she’ll be all about soccer shoes and borrowing cousin Luca‘s (Duff’s sister Hillary Duff‘s son) hand-me-downs.

“Her personality is different every single day and I think, like most kids, they’re always exploring who they are,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s why we really wanted to focus on making unisex pieces too because it gives kids the ability to wear their brother’s t-shirt or wear their cousin’s tank top.”

Duff encourages her customers to mix and match the pieces (“get creative and funky”), which were all designed to go together.

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“Just try unexpected things would be my advice,” she says. “I think like letting your kid mix and match as well, because they always tend to come up with things we don’t think of.”

Little Moon Society will be available in early April.