Fruit-scented hosiery – in a choice of apple, cherry or strawberry – to be marketed under the name Aroma Socks was among the 58 brands of children’s clothing new to the UK which made their debut at the recent Premier Kids trade fair held at the NEC exhibition complex in Birmingham.
This year’s event drew international exhibitors from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, though – perhaps predictably as the now global children’s wear market becomes ever more fashion-oriented – the greatest proportion of overseas exhibitors came from style-conscious France and Italy. Thirty four French and eighteen Italian manufacturers took part and, by the last day of the three-day event, virtually all reported a “greater than anticipated” level of orders placed at the show.
Emphasis on fun
That foul weather gear can be fun – especially for under-fives – was a key message, for some of the brightest garments in the show were those designed to protect against a downpour. Checkpoint’s plastic macs, for instance, sold with matching toddler size umbrellas, invited their young wearers to imagine themselves ladybirds or bees.
The ladybird set came in scarlet with black spots while the bee brolly was topped with a pair of fluttering yellow fabric “wings” and matching yellow mac embellished with horizontal black stripes.
Other exhibitors also made it clear that insects aren’t expected to scare the young – Nipper for instance used a hairy black spider to decorate their latest ranges of children’s T-shirts.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataVividly coloured rainwear was also on view on Puddlehunters’ stand where the washability of the fabrics employed is suggested as an added sales appeal feature even for garments destined primarily for wet weather.
Faux fur in fashion
Similarly, snow and ice should hold no terrors for next winter’s tots. Fur coats for tinies are very much in vogue. One of widest ranges was to be found on the Little Miss Greenfield stand where accurately simulated mink vied with black and white faux fur inspired by the latest Disney Dalmations movie. Also important in this collection are ocelot outfits and a honey and cream pile fabric with cut-out heart motifs. This fur coat comes with its own matching muff, a feature which, say Little Miss Greenfield staff, makes it particularly appealing to little girls.
Meanwhile shades of the hippy 60s are evoked with a range of junior size mock leather coats trimmed with simulation Mongolian lamb.
Little Miss Greenfield is itself an offshoot of a company that was one of the pioneers of selling faux coats for adults and which today remains one of the leading UK manufacturers active in that field.
“We started offering an experimental range of children’s coats three years ago and the business has been building steadily ever since “
“We started offering an experimental range of children’s coats three years ago and the business has been building steadily ever since with orders already suggesting that winter 2001/2 will be the biggest year yet,” say the sales team.
Feedback from retailers suggests that while parents usually opt for novelty fabrics like the new heart patterned pile, given the chance to make their own choice the tinies always head for the faux furs which look most like “the real thing.”
“Within the UK parental concern about wild life and animal welfare means we rarely if ever use real fur trimming,” say Couche Tot which made a particular feature of neatly tailored mock leather jackets with fake fur collars and cuffs dyed to fashion colours.
“If we were offering similar styles in France, Germany or Italy they would almost certainly sell better in real leather and real fur despite the extra cost and the need for specialist dry cleaning,” comments Couche Tot.
Not that the current interest in fake fur and leather is confined to clothes. In designer label footwear the Kenzo range now includes toddler size ankle boots in ocelot print leather while the Dolce & Gabbana Junior collection of pink suede boots with cuffed tops in purple fake fur are shown alongside gilded trainers and gilt boots in mock crocodile leather.
 |
Little people |
Gender gap
For boys the leather-look craze in outerwear expresses itself in the Miniman range of ruggedly macho looking mock sheepskin jackets and three-quarter length “car coats” scaled down to the proportions of two to five year olds.
“Boys even this young want to look like their Dads or at the least their older brothers, whereas girls have a more romantic view of what looks good on them,” say Miniman. That more romantic view was enshrined in the Little People collection whose speciality is primarily christening gowns and first communion dresses.
“These are usually thought of as being saleable only in the primarily Catholic countries of Continental Europe. What is often overlooked is the presence of strong Catholic enclaves in the British Isles. For instance Glasgow is a major market for us and one where retailers’ customers are happy to shop at the upper end of the price range,” say Little People.
“First communion dresses have traditionally been loosely modelled on wedding gowns but today the styles most in demand are those which mirror most closely the fashion trends in adult wedding dresses.”
So according to Little People ivory has now almost completely replaced optical white as the first colour choice, and slimline sleeveless dresses with lavish crystal beading are taking over from the old, simple styles.
The downsizing of adult fashion for the children’s market doesn’t stop there. “We are now taking the same styling through to the christening market with miniature versions of best selling first communion dresses now also best sellers in the christening gown trade,” comments Little People.
But at Birmingham, babywear’s biggest break from tradition concerned not styling but fabric with the launch of the Green Baby collection which promises that all the cotton used in its collection has been organically grown and produced as part of a “fair trade” designed to assist growers in the under-developed countries.
