Maria Dueñas Jacobs: a family in New York

The Spanish-born fashion insider turned children’s accessories designer welcomes us into her home in the West Village, alongside her three kids and Frankie, her cat, showing us a glimpse of her fun, busy, and joy-filled life

FEBRUARY 9, 2022 3:34 PM ESTFEB 9, 2022, 3:34 PM EST

When María Dueñas Jacobs left the fast-paced world of magazines (a longtime editorial career at Elle, to be exact), she found herself… in the even more fast-paced world of entrepreneurs. Inspired by the curiosity, exuberance, and imagination of her three young daughters—Luna, Isa, and Silvi—Jacobs founded Super Smalls, a children’s accessories brand that prioritizes wonder and self-expression.

Maria Dueñas Jacobs — Photography: Icíar J. Carrasco

Jacobs found that she could mix her love of beautiful things (honed by all those years as an Accessories Editor) with her passion for bringing joy both to her girls and to kids everywhere. We caught up with this special family at their new home in the West Village. Just like Jacobs herself, it’s full of unique finds, bold choices, and of course, so much love.

Describe life at home

There’s a lot of energy! My kids are always surprising me, and they make me laugh constantly. They’re bold, confident, silly, and loving. Their relationships and development are so fascinating for me to watch as a parent. I’m in awe of them! Then… There‘s our cat Frankie, who is just a little furry doll. She has the patience of a saint. The girls love to call her their little sister!

And how does Frankie handle it?

Well, she’s 9 years old and it feels like every year she somehow becomes even more patient. Or maybe she’s just given up! She sleeps for the majority of the day and the girls definitely take advantage of that. They dress her up, hug her, put her in a stroller when she’s half asleep. But it looks like Frankie really enjoys their games. She loves her three human sisters!

“Frankie has the patience of a saint. The girls love to call her their little sister!”

Why did you decide to launch a brand for young girls?

Three years ago, I started to play with the idea of starting a brand - it was the dream stage. I had three kids, my life was full of magic, and I felt ready to create! That’s how Super Smalls was born, with the concept of creating a brand of children’s accessories inspired by the world of high fashion and fine jewelry, all transformed for a kid’s eye. The idea felt so organic because my kids always tried to play with my pieces, saying they were “shinier and prettier” than their own toys. They’d take my things to play with, having no understanding of their value (laughs). I wanted to make something that gave them that same feeling, that same “wow” factor, but that was designed for play.

There’s nothing like your girls for inspiration, right?

Right! Our apartment is a mini focus group where all our products are brainstormed and tested. Luna, my eldest, says she’s my co-founder! We have so much fun talking about the products, and they LOVE getting to be the first to wear the samples. They take them to school as a product test and they come back with their opinions and criticisms. I pay for their work in hugs.

Did they also help out with the home decorations?

No, they didn’t help with that (laughs). I designed the place with my friend Jerry, from The Cappiello. He is fantastic and such a joy to work with. We had such a fun time designing the home!

“I designed the place with my friend Jerry, from The Cappiello. He is fantastic and such a joy to work with. We had such a fun time designing the home!”

What do you like most about the place?

Everything! I love the process of designing a home - selecting furniture, picking out lighting, and wallpaper. Those were the parts of the apartment that felt like the most permanent decisions, and it was very fun to run with some risks there. We chose bold wallpaper, like the clouds in the kids’ room, which has actually become my favorite room in the apartment.