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Established Collections at Children's Club Spring 2008: Looking Good Established designers did an about face, for Spring 2008 at Children's Club (July 29-31, 2007), leaving behind the subdued grays of fall and jumping head first into the tropics. Manufacturers loosened up shapes, threw in a ruffle or two for fun, and sourced the farmers' market for fresh greens and juicy fruit tones. Even those who worked in black and white, found a way to make the graphic combination playful not austere.
INFANT COLLECTIONS: KISSY KISSY Homebase: Red Bank, NJ DESIGNER: Tatiana design team Sizes: Preemie-24 months; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: Classic, casual layette wear Kissy Kissy is an invaluable source for quality infant store stockers, as well as those who appreciate a classic look with a little surprise.
Favorites: This terrycloth one-piece is adorable as is or worn over a bathing suit. The material is soft to the touch and the cozy hood, lined in a whimsical fish print, makes it the "go-to" item for a day at the beach. Tel: 732-345-5073 E-mail: custservices@kissykissyonline.com
PIXIE LILY Homebase: Charleston, SC DESIGNER: Leda Jackson Sizes: NB-18 months; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer When Jackson opened Pixie Lily in 2000, she had no idea that her simple silk kimono for babies would be such a hit. Seven years later, that design is still in the line as well as her timeless cotton one-pieces, sleep sets and Pima cotton separates.
Favorites: This little baby sack gift set made from the silkiest Pima cotton sports an understated bird design. The quiet charm of the print and the couture workmanship is what Pixie Lily is all about. Tel: 843-579-0411 E-mail: Info@pixielily.com
INFANT AND UP: CECECO Homebase: Holmdel, NJ DESIGNER: Daisy Lim Sizes: NB-6T; Wholesale prices: $29-$39 Theme: A candy store of good taste You can almost smell the sugar and cream when you walk into Lim's candy shop of a booth filled with her pale pink, creamy white, ethereal blue and tan knitwear for infants.
Favorites: This set with the delicious cherries is ripe for the picking. Tel: 732-888-9988 E-mail: info@cececo.com
CHARABIA Homebase: Garancieres, France DESIGNER: Lena Barenton Sizes: NB to 12 years; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: Trends filtered through a modern prism I don't think this collection has ever experienced a less than stellar season and this collection is no exception. The colors are high end and utterly wearable; the cuts are playful with no extraneous detail; and the textiles. Can you say "couture"?
Favorites: Using light, sheer materials and playful floral embroidery makes the sophisticated yellow and gray combination childlike.
Boys are as fashion forward as their sisters in this mix of black and white prints, a cool washed denim jacket and sleek white trousers. Jamari International Tel: 212-695-1733 E-mail: Jlevine@jamariltd.com
FEATHER BABY Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Sude Dellinger Sizes: NB to 4T; Wholesale prices: $9.50-$38 Theme: Classic layette pieces in a palette of lilac to plums Each season, Dellinger tweaks her collection of simple cotton knit infantwear with a few new pieces and one or two rich colors. This season she's thrown in a few ruffles and silver stenciling for holiday sparkle.
Favorites: The Asian inspired top has a touch of silver, and the flirty ruffles on those leggings are edged in a deeper tone of plum. Both pieces say "special occasion" without a whole lot of glitz. Tel: 646-485-7314 E-mail: joe@featherbaby.com
JUDITH LACROIX Homebase: Paris DESIGNER: Judith Lacroix Sizes: 3 months to 12; Wholesale prices: $18-$45 Theme: Saying "fun" in black and white If you're looking for lots of ruffles and embellishment, Judith Lacroix isn't the designer for you. Instead of flourishes, Lacroix coaxes out the best qualities of the luxurious textiles she employs to fashion the modern shapes that define her collection.
Favorites: Using a glittery knit for a classic cardigan shakes up the staid piece. Teaming the sweater with a jaunty A-line in a casual geometric print just adds to the fun.
For an elegant brother/sister look, dress the boy in a sleek, menswear stripe tunic and coordinating flares. Tel: 33 14 28 21 250 E-mail: judithlacroix@aol.com
LILI GAUFRETTE Homebase: St. Maur, France DESIGNER: Lili Gaufrette design team Sizes: 3 months to 16 years; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: Unusual color and a minimum of embellishment No matter how many times I view this collection, I find one or two pieces that are simply perfect in their combination of color, shape and materials.
Favorites: The narrow lines and feminine flourishes of the dusty lime colored sweater set, complements the fullness of the simple cocoa pleated skirt. It's one of those outfits that took years of design experience to appear so effortlessly pulled together. tel: 011 33 476 634 975 email: ohlala@ohlala.fr
MY VINTAGE BABY Homebase: McKinney, Texas DESIGNER: Jessica Wiswall Sizes: NB to 14; Wholesale prices: $23-$70 Theme: Vintage chic Jessica celebrates the lovely embroidered handwork of the Forties and Fifties, as well as the vivid tablecloth prints of that era in her patchworked creations.
Favorites: Wiswall crafts a charming one-of-a-kind infant gift when this friendly embroidered poodle finds a new home on the front of a playful romper set. Curly Girls Tel: 212-967-6457 E-mail: Curlygirls@aol.com www.jamesgirone.com/curlygirls
SAGE CREEK ORGANICS Homebase: Tarzana, CA DESIGNER: The Sage Creek design team Sizes: NB to 4T; Wholesale prices: $9-$33 Theme: Affordable organics Every fiber used in the company's creations is organically grown and SKAL approved. The cotton, dyes, snaps and zippers are tested to ensure the absence of nickel, lead, formaldehyde, pesticides and heavy metals. Besides being easy on the environment, they're deliriously soft and adorable.
Favorites: This ultra-soft cotton dress in the pretty peach shade is one of those pieces that a girl will want to wear everyday - with leggings, over a bathing suit, dressed up with decorative sandals. Tel: 877-513-2183
TEA Homebase: San Francisco, CA DESIGNER: Emily Meyer Sizes: 3 months to 5 years; Wholesale prices: Daily Tea: 6 pieces = 9 outfits = approx. $100 retail Theme: The best of Tea at unbeatable prices Retailers are doing the math and liking the sum when they add six pieces in Daily Tea's girls' and boys' groups and come up with nine great outfits.
Favorites: Asian inspired prints and go-with-everything geometrics; simple shapes and that luscious pinky peach and cocoa combination. Math has never been my strong suit, but I can count 10, 12, 15 outfits. Tel: 415-621-9400
TODDLERS AND UP: JACKSON CLAY Homebase: Agoura Hills, CA DESIGNER: Paige Apar and Paula Speert Sizes: 18 months to 7 years; Wholesale prices: $12-$48 Theme: Girls are casually feminine; boys are ruggedly stylish Speert and Apar introduced their first collection for girls. The new line is decidedly feminine with lots of flowers, puckers and even delicate insect motifs. For boys, it's another season of comfortable separates with hip details.
Favorites: Every girl is a blooming flower with this lovely butterfly resting between her shoulders.
Jackson Clay scores a bulls-eye with this cool tee and brushed cotton cargo pants. Tel: 818 735-0104 E-mail: pcspeert@aol.com
ONE KID Homebase: Westport, CT DESIGNER: Sabine Beysel Sizes: 2T to 10; Wholesale prices: $10-$29 Theme: Sweet with a touch of funk One Kid may be the hardest working collection on the market. Beysel packs the styles with fashion forward trends, and adds just enough edgy details to make the items appealing to funky as well as classic retailer venues.
Favorites: This comfortable T-shirt and shorts roar into the season with plenty of panache. Tel: 203-254-9978 E-mail: info@onekid.com
WATI DESIGN Homebase: Palo Alto, CA DESIGNER: Wati Grossman Sizes: 4 to 14; Wholesale prices: $12-$28 Theme: Island paradise Every season, Grossman immerses herself in a different era drawing the best colors, shapes and patterns from the period and channeling them through her own creative lense. For the warmer months, she's taken the heat of an Indonesian island to color her jewel like, flamboyantly feminine collection.
Favorites: With all the sky blue and apple greens on the market, this periwinkle tunic and bright orange skirt look especially fresh. The black and white dress with the asymmetrical ruffled detail has a precious, one-of-a-kind feeling. At her prices though, the clothing only looks costly. Tel: 650-224-7478 E-mail: wati@bywati.com
ZOE LTD. Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Sue Mandel Sizes: 3 months to 10 years; Wholesale prices: $20-$130 Theme: Modern dresses meant for the dance floor Mandel's modern printed dresses in easy-to-move-in shapes are the answer to conservative special occasion dresses.
Favorites: These two silky numbers possess an Edie Sedgwick, "It" girl quality. Tel: 212-967-2279 E-mail: sales@zoeltd.com
SWIMWEAR: OLA LOLA Homebase: Los Angeles, CA DESIGNER: Carina Goldfarb Sizes: 6 months to 14; Wholesale prices: $20-$41 for swimsuits, $6-$35 for cover-ups Theme: Trend forward swimwear The first collections I visit when I'm scoping out new swimwear trends is Goldfarb's. This season she's big on Pucci prints and delicate mesh cover-ups.
Favorites: A tankini manages to be body conscience yet not overtly sexy. That's great for little girls. So is the chic Pucci print in cool blues and the flirty tie at the hip. Ali's Market Tel: 212-695-2300 E-mail: Allison@alismarket.com
Originally published August 22, 2007
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