Meet Sherrin, Founder of Anak Ketjil

Say hello to Sherrin — founder of Anak Ketjil, Bondi local, fashion lover, and proud mum to baby Isabelle and Bowie the bulldog (yes, he’s very much part of the fam).

Anak Ketjil is Sherrin’s love letter to creativity—turning big ideas into little clothes that kids (and their parents) love to wear. When she’s not sketching new designs or working on her next pop-up, you’ll find her cruising the Bondi Markets, fuelling up at Lox in a Box, or deep in a Netflix true crime binge once the baby’s asleep.

The best part is Anak Ketjil is a brand where community meets creativity — every piece supports working mums across Australia and Indonesia, and we are so here for that kind of magic.

What inspired you to start Anak Ketjil?

I studied fashion after school in Indonesia, so I have always had an interest in this world. 

I’ve also always wanted to create something of my own that allowed me to turn my interest and passion into a career - isn’t that always the dream, to derive a sense of purpose and fulfilment from work? When I got pregnant and took time away from work, the dream of Anak Ketjil turned into something more tangible. And with the days…and nights at home with my baby, saw the beginning of the brand. 

What’s the best part about working on Anak Ketjil?

It’s hard to pick, but I’d say the two things that spring immediately to mind are creativity and the sweat ratio. 

I love just loving the process of turning ideas to life! Seeing a concept in your mind’s eye develop into a drawing to a sample to something people (not just someone you know, but complete strangers!) buy and love! It still feels so surreal that more babies and kids are dressing up in Anak Ketjil. 

And the sweat ratio is knowing that every hour I spend working now is toward the success of Anak Ketjil. I used to get…passionate in my last job about things being perfect, to the point that I’d get frustrated, and my husband would try to remind me that it isn’t worth my emotions. I was sweating so much for someone else, and it didn’t really make sense, but I’m just wired to give my job my all. Now that ratio feels right because it’s for me and my family’s future. 

Tell us about your ideal day out with your plus one.

My ideal day is a plus 3 and starts with waking in sunshine (and hopefully baby sleeping till 7 a.m.). We get ready and go to our first café, My Flower Man, for a relaxed cap, and an ideal day sees my hubby buy me flowers. Then we walk toward the beach, maybe walk the promenade so Bowie the dog can see the waves before sitting down for a leisurely breakfast at Lox in a Box. After this, we look through the Bondi Markets, and then we relax at home till dinner, where hubby cooks me mussels in tomato and basil. If the brand has had a good week we might treat ourselves to Chloe's, also in Bondi. And before bed we watch something about serial killers on Netflix if the baby is asleep, haha. 

What’s your go-to place/thing to do when you have a kid-free moment?

Realistically, this is working on Anak Ketjil, and I do love it. Kid-free moments are absorbed by the brand. If I have time without the baby and Anak Ketjil, I want to go for food with my husband and my Bowie. 

What's one thing motherhood has taught you that you wish you’d known earlier?  

It’s harder than I realised, and I never truly appreciated the selflessness of my parents to raise me and my siblings. I don’t know if this is true for everyone, but I realised I never duly considered or thanked my mum. Now that I have a baby, I respect and admire her, and all mums in the world, much more than before. As a first-time parent, it was a shock to the system how you lose yourself to motherhood - there are many blessings, and they come with a cost, both sides of the coin impossible to measure.

What sets Anak Ketjil apart?

Our clothes of course!

As an adult I can find clothes that speak to me, have the quality and vibes I want. I love my style and I wanted to give that opportunity to mums and dads for their babies and children. I’m super proud of the unique and amazing styles we have on offer. 

When you buy from Anak Ketjil, you support the community that creates every piece. Every person in the supply chain is a working mum, from my graphics designer, photographer, and website developer to my clothes manufacturers.

I have met them all, including visiting the small textiles facility and meeting the young women and mums that are supported by my business.

Anak Ketjil lets kids live their most colourful life whilst adding to the lives of mums across Australia and Indonesia. 

Is there anything new and exciting that you're working on that you can share with us?

We have an exciting pop up event happening in Jakarta! I am from there originally and have found the marketplace receptive to our brand. The pop up event is happening in Plaza Indonesia in June and it will coincide with the launch of our mini collection inspired by athleisure. The mini collection will of course be available online after the pop up event.

We also have something very exciting in the works for 2026, so stay tuned!