What do a failed experiment and chalk have in common? They both helped to create TWEE, an artisanal chalk company based in Philadelphia.
When her kids were younger, Owner and CEO Margaux DelCollo started TWEE — British slang for “too cute” — as a classroom project gone wrong. The failed experiment caused DelCollo to realize that artisanal chalk was like nothing she’d ever seen on the market before. “There wasn’t anything that spoke to kids where they’re at,” she says. “The toy market was lacking a [chalk] product that catered to kids, instead of dumbing things down to a lower age level.”
DelCollo launched TWEE out of her garage, taking the time to perfect her recipes. Although she doesn’t have a business degree, DelCollo put her public relations skills to work and facilitated a contract with Nordstrom during a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip with her mom. From there, it was only a matter of time before TWEE was in every Nordstrom store nationwide.
Despite its initial success, the company never lost its independent spunk. When the Nordstrom truck driver arrived to collect TWEE’s products, he pulled up behind DelCollo’s Philadelphia rowhouse. “The driver said, ‘You know, I’ve never picked up from someone’s house before,’ to which I responded, ‘Well, we’ve never shipped pallets before, so we’re all in the same spot!’” DelCollo recalls.
THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
As a business, TWEE operates behind the motto “always say yes.” According to DelCollo, “It’s always say yes, and then you figure out how to make it happen.” This sentiment has helped the small business grow, starting with its very first appearance at Toy Fair New York. At the end of the event, TWEE was approached by scouting company Cool Hunting to collaborate with an unnamed partner. Prior to this meeting, TWEE had not worked with anyone else and was still learning as it was growing. Although this collaboration was new for the freshman company, DelCollo thought back to her motto and refused to say no.
The business collaboration turned out to be a positive one. TWEE was matched with Audi for its Summer of Audi Event and tasked with making chalk versions of Audi R8 cars. “That’s one of the good things that happened from not saying no,” says DelCollo. “We didn’t say no, we said yes, and we had to figure it out.”
From there, TWEE began branching out into different shapes, such as unicorn horns and succulents, and collaborating with other companies — never saying no. One of the company’s most beloved products is called Mason’s Planets. The chalk planets are geodes, meaning that as kids use the chalk, the first layer of color is worn down to reveal another, different color.
Inspired by DelCollo’s son’s childhood friend, each purchase of Mason’s Planets results in a $2 donation to support autism research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “People really resonate with the give back and the cause it supports,” DelCollo says.
CHALK IT UP TO A NEW STYLE
Each chalk design is handmade in TWEE’s Philadelphia studio, which DelCollo refers to as her “makery” — a combination of a maker’s space and a bakery. The process itself is a lot like baking: The chalk is measured out, blended with a hand mixer, and poured into molds. When it has set, the chalk is then popped out and taken to the drying room. “It’s really important to us that every design is as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than the one that just debuted,” DelCollo explains. “I think the realism of the designs is the part that keeps kids so attracted to our products.”
It’s easy to see what DelCollo is talking about. TWEE has made a name for itself with its hyper-realistic chalk designs, stemming from its Sushi Maki Roll set that comes packaged as sushi takeout to its Sam’s Slider & Fries, a hamburger that looks good enough to eat. “Our favorite thing is when kids realize that the chalk is realistic, but they can draw with it,” DelCollo says. “How grown up they must feel when they play with something like sushi — food they know their mom eats.” When kids are little, all they want is to have things that make them feel like an adult. TWEE’s products cultivate this sense of independence, but also help to encourage kids to get their hands dirty and inspire them to get creative.
LEAVING THE PLANET BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE
TWEE is an eco-friendly company that strives to have the smallest ecological footprint possible. Its packaging is recyclable, down to the “plastic” vegetable-based screen that accompanies each box. Although TWEE started out using glitter, DelCollo quickly learned that glitter was just tiny pieces of plastic. In order to combat this plastic waste, TWEE shifted to using mica in its products, an ingredient commonly used to make eye makeup sparkle. “I wouldn’t want my kids to use something that wasn’t eco-friendly,” DelCollo says. “If that’s the standard I have at my house, why would I produce something that has a lower standard for other people’s houses?”
These eco-friendly habits don’t just end with TWEE’s products. The company’s business practices also factor in Mother Earth: “We just really like this idea of something not being considered trash or finished with,” DelCollo says. “It has a second life and we continue to use it for that kind of stuff.” Due to the nature of chalk, the products can often break apart, cause a paint explosion, or simply have too much glitter. Instead of throwing these products out and causing more waste, TWEE started a program called Misfit Toys. All of TWEE’s broken, misshaped, or otherwise incorrect chalk pieces are donated to schools and nonprofits so that those organizations can expand their art programs.
This environmentally conscious company is also a woman-owned and female-led business, making a name for itself in a field largely dominated by men. The company employs mainly women, which is rare for a growing toy company. Although the business is physically manufacturing each product itself, DelCollo can’t wrap her head around calling herself a manufacturer. “I’ve always shied away from using the term manufacturer because, in my mind, a manufacturer is an older man who has been doing it forever,” she asserts. “Until I realized that there are very few women in manufacturing. Now, I’m proud to say that we are a woman-owned manufacturer!”
Above everything else, DelCollo is just proud to be in the toy space. “I love this company that we have built collectively, and feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who believe so much in TWEE’s mission and goals,” she raves. Her passion is palpable — you only have to hold TWEE’s chalk in your hands to feel it.
This article was originally published in the June 2022 edition of the Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue!
