A successful Greenock-based nursery provider has branched out into children's clothing, with a collection aimed at pleasing little darlings as much as their mums and dads.

Bernie Devlin and his wife Marissa got the idea for the Enchanted Forest and Friends range from their experiences running four nurseries in the west of Scotland, which also go under the name Enchanted Forest.

The collection, for boys and girls aged 18 months to five years, aims to match the likes of upmarket Jo Jo Mama Bebe in terms of design and quality, but is competitively priced to compete with high street stores such as Next.

Released last month, the t-shirts, tops, leggings, wellies and rucksacks are designed around a cast of cute animal characters with names including Miss Bun Bun, Zed Fox, Humbellina Bumblebee, Bertie Bluetit and Sirrell Squirrel. They feature not only on the clothes themselves, but also on an interactive website where young children can let their imaginations take over. Through online interaction, kids can make friends and play with the creatures from the forest that appear on their clothes.

According to Bernie, the couple's daughter Roisin, aged two, played a key role in getting the idea off the ground. She also stars in the impressive advertising campaign, which was shot at five-star resort Mar Hall in Renfrewshire.

"Roisin was a really big inspiration," says Bernie, 48. "I've watched her light up when she has her favourite toy, t-shirt or wellies on. We road-tested the range with her."

Although he had never been involved in the fashion industry before, entrepreneur Bernie was confident that his knowledge of children and parents - gleaned from a decade in the nursery sector - would stand this new venture in good stead.

"We opened our first nursery 10 years ago and the logo has always been a tree and a door, with golden light coming out," he explains. "I always used to wonder - who lives behind that door? The combination of all these things led to that lightbulb moment. We knew the target market really well."

Bernie worked on the brand for eight months with a team of designers. He says it was also key to ensure the range was high in quality and ethically produced. And he's delighted with the results.

He says: "Children are the toughest customers when it comes to how they want to look. The range we have created is cute and interesting to kids, and also appeals to parents who are looking for modern yet friendly clothes for their family.

"The feedback we've had over the first few weeks has been fantastic. Not only do the kids love the characters, but it seems the quality - how well the clothes wash - is really impressing parents."

The range is currently only available online, but Bernie is keen for it to be stocked by selected retailers in future so parents can feel for themselves the quality of the clothes. The potential for the brand is endless, he believes - a book based on the characters is already in the pipeline and other activities could soon take shape.

"It's all about bringing the story alive for children," explains Bernie. "And, of course, it's about the quality of the clothes. We are a small fish in a big pond. We're not all about world domination - we'd be extremely happy if we were successful here in Scotland, with our customers living in a 40-mile radius."

www.enchantedforestandfriends.com