Who we are

Our team of professionals have been in the design and manufacturing business for over 15 years. The company’s founders are graduates of the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology and have worked with some of the most renowned fashion houses in New York City. They bring a unique blend of creative talent and industry expertise, offering a fresh perspective while maintaining a strong commitment to excellence.

Meet the Principals

  • Shanlee Johnson headshot

    Shanlee Johnson

    Co-Founder

    Shanlee is the founder and CEO of both Little Birdies Boutique and the Pineapple Sunshine brand: two go-to brands in the American children’s wear market. As both a fashion designer and business woman, she has built both brands with a mission to provide premium products while incorporating unique details, whimsical prints, and superior fabric quality.

    After spending nearly a decade working in key fashion and retail roles for brands such as Catherine Malandrino and Tory Burch, she launched her children’s boutique in Georgetown, D.C. in 2013. Later launching Pineapple Sunshine with an aim to provide quality, sophisticated, sweet, affordable children’s clothing. Since then, she has been creating unique designs and offering premium quality products that are loved by mothers and children throughout the US and abroad.


    She believes in quality that not only looks adorable but lasts through many washes and wears. These whimsical, yet classic designs are long-lasting enough to be passed down, yet fun enough to be worn every day. Starting from Pineapple Sunshine’s tropical brand name, Shanlee gets her design inspiration anywhere from lemon groves in the Almafi Coast to beautiful beaches in Porto de Ghalinas, Brazil.

  • Darlene Sullivan headshot

    Darlene Sullivan

    Co-Founder

    Darlene Da Rè Sullivan is a textile artist and creative director working in Italy and New York. Her travels both inspire and inform all areas of her work. She's a dreamer who has always carved her own path in life from NYC to Hawaii to Italy. She's passionate about circular design and eco-social practices, and strives to find innovative ways to create with our world’s best interest and a bit of fun in mind!

    Her expertise includes illustration, textile pattern design, fashion design for kid's wear, women’s wear, pet apparel, plush toy design, full-color CAD work, production management, sustainability design and production consulting, design direction, social media management, and catalog design.

    Darlene has a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Eco-Social Design. She's worked and collaborated with brands such as EGG New York, Andy & Evan, Minnow Swim, Magnetic Me, Lucy and Co., Olivia Wendel, Something Vintage, MarMax, Cora Happywear, and many others. Her textile surface design is know for bright pops of color with a blend of hand-painted brushwork and vector illustration.