About Me

My name is Lesley Fleming and I live in Raleigh, NC. I am a mom & small business owner. In 2006 I left a job in healthcare marketing to pursue the long-time dream of running my small business and Cheeky Banana, LLC was born.  I always maintained sewing as a hobby but I quickly learned that this was a very different world. There is nothing groundbreaking in my story. The truth is I simply can't sit still and I drive everyone around me nuts. I absolutely needed a creative outlet that I could immerse myself in and designing clothing came naturally to me. I envisioned a look for girls that was fun, contemporary and wearable.... yet still classic with clean lines and a girly fit - something I could see Jackie O wearing as a little girl. What I didn't envision is the amount of detail, the technical challenges, and the amount of accuracy involved in the apparel design & manufacturing. I was surprised by how fascinating and daunting this industry could be. In my quest I was surprised to find there was more geek in me than I ever thought possible and enough details to inflame my perfectionist streak. This blog is a culmination of personal experience and professional experience that I learned through the realization of running an apparel manufacturing business whilst being a mother to two children.    I have been married to a great guy for over 17 years who has supported my business and overlooks the fact that our home looks like a warehouse.  We have two children, an 11 year old girl and a 7 year old boy.   About my business Cheeky Banana is a boutique girl's clothing line in sizes 2-12 proudly made in the USA.  It is my eternal quest to offer a great fit, clothing that looks BETTER on a child than on a hanger. As a result, most pant & skirt styles feature adjustable waistbands to ensure a better fit. I am always adding, tweaking, and doing fittings to ensure a proper look & fit. I will begin offering some items in sizes 12-24 months for spring of 2012 based on popular demand!   Most Cheeky Banana clothing is available at boutiques throughout the southeastern US. I have a list of stores on my website. I hope to offer a way to target the location of a particular style & size via my website sometime in the future,  but for the time being I welcome inquiries from customers looking for the current season and will gladly direct them to a store nearby that has the particular product they are looking for. If no store near them is available and I have that item in stock I can sell it to them as well. I use my Facebook page to showcase current and past collections in stock or in stores. Aside from my online shop for past season collections, my website is geared more towards the wholesale customers.