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Follow the Leaders: Established Collections at the Bubble Spring 2008 Exhibition Indie designers might have made a splash at the recent Bubble show (July 29-31, 2007), but the collections exhibited by the established manufacturers below set impressive standards. To discuss prevalent themes at the show would be to miss the point of this collective. These designers create intuitively following their own inspiration.
INFANTS AND UP: ELIZA GRAN Homebase: New York, NY DESIGNER: Eliza Gran Sizes: 3 months to 8 years; Wholesale prices: $32-$50 Theme: Country girl circa 1976 For the first time, Gran is designing her own prints. The result is a collection of utterly sweet infant and girlswear with her usual timeless quality.
Favorites: The colors are bold, the pattern whimsical and the cotton voile is as light as air. Here's one outfit for the keepsake box. Tel: 718-434-2298 E-mail: eliza@elizagran.com
FLORA AND HENRI Homebase: Seattle, WA DESIGNER: The Flora and Henri design team, Sizes: NB to 10 years; Wholesale prices: $11-$200 Theme: Understated elegance The Flora and Henri Collection isn't trendy. This is couture crafted, timeless apparel without an iota of stuffiness.
Favorites: This little navy and white number is appropriate with bare feet on the beach or beneath a jacket with a pair of patent leather Mary Janes. Tel: 206-749-0004 E-mail: Darren@florahenri.com
SERENDIPITY Homebase: Klampenborg, Denmark DESIGNER: Sofie Tobaisen Sizes: 3 months to 13 years; Wholesale prices: $15-$45.50 Theme: "Great luck to find something wonderful." Serendipity features loose cotton wear colored in the cool tones of the Scandinavian landscape. The patterns - tiny dots, stripes and ginghams - are meant to mix and match. Clean sky blue in the girls' and boys' groups add an especially fresh note to the line.
Favorites: Even with a surplus of ruffles, the mood of these two outfits is cool and modern. Dahlia Distribution Tel: 831-685-1200 E-mail: michelle@dahliadistribution.com
SCOUT Homebase: Oakland, CA DESIGNER: Ellen and Mimi Leinbach Sizes: NB to 4T; Wholesale prices: $10-$17 Theme: "Organics for your little explorer" The Leinbach's embellish each of their organic Pima cotton knit pieces with a symbol from global cultures. This season, they've turned to polar opposites: Peru and Hawaii to inspire their "Pacific" collection.
Favorites: Scout's pieces with the intriguing textural appliqués make a learning experience out of an hour in the sandbox. Tel: 510-868-2871 E-mail: mimi@scoutbaby.com
TODDLERS AND UP: BLACK RABBIT Homebase: Agoura, CA DESIGNER: Marguerite de Balincourt Sizes: 2 to 7; Wholesale prices: $22-$52 Theme: Modern clothing with a vintage soul de Balincourt worked with a color palette of cream, dusty aqua, subtle pink and cocoa with touches of denim to achieve cohesive groups for girls and boys. There are a few ruffles, and yes the girls' prints are dainty, but this well edited collection is all about simplicity.
Favorites: Dusty pink and cocoa and a judicious use of adornments make this a pinafore with panache.
Yes, those are anchors on the shirt but this is no ordinary nautical look. The shorts have no detail at all, which makes them the most versatile piece in a boy's closet. Tel: 323-314-9210 E-mail: marguerite@myblackrabbit.com
BLUEBIRD Homebase: San Francisco, CA DESIGNER: Stephanie Scarpulla Sizes: 3 months to 12 years; Wholesale prices: $13-$42 Theme: Aflutter over prints Scarpulla trilled a happy song this season with Sixties' style sundresses and smock tops in the happiest prints around.
Favorites: With all the empire styles and A-lines on the market, this fitted-to-the-waist dress in the fresh green floral looks especially new.
Who doesn't love roses especially when they're this lush and richly colored? Tel: 415-206-1107 E-mail: info@bluebirdcollection.com
CHASE 'N SKY Homebase: Honokaa, Hawaii DESIGNER: Lindsey O'Neill-Myers Sizes: Infant to 6 years; Wholesale prices: Contact manufacturer Theme: Dresses and separates as breezy as a Hawaiian beach The sun-bleached tones of O'Neill-Myers' small collection of washable linen dresses and separates are taken directly from her hometown: Hawaii.
Favorites: All of the designer's wares are so feminine and exert such charm. The pale pink dress here with the touch of metallic at the bodice is cut to allow ocean winds to ruffle the sleeves and blow the skirt into a buoyant circle. Tel: 808-775-1431 E-mail: chasenskybaby@chasensky.com
EDENSTAR Homebase: Melbourne, Australia DESIGNER: Therese Bourne Sizes: 2 to 10 years; Wholesale prices: $18-$59 Theme: Grown up garden Whenever I see Bourne's collections I think, this is a person born to design childrenswear. Her collections are always cohesive with a single theme threading through the garments. This season, she works with a natural element in the form of clean, linear embroidery, yet there's nothing remotely flowery about it. And the shapes, well, see for yourself.
Favorites: Why muck up a gorgeous fabric with superfluous detail when a single twist will do?
The shift has grown up colors and lines and a playful spirit.
Again, Bourne melds a sophisticated concept: the carefully tailored suit, with a touch of whimsy. And that jacket! And those pants! Tiny Ginger Tel: 212-228-9514 E-mail: gingerhaliwal@gmail.com
KICOKIDS Homebase: Somerville, MA DESIGNER: Tia Cibani Sizes: 2-12 years; Wholesale prices: $18-$100 Theme: Let's have fun When a company names their color combinations "Mac-n-Cheese," "Sugar-Puff" and "Twinkle" you know they're intent on having a joyful season. Cibani worked in a palette of bright blue, Kelly green, lemon, orange, cherry and fuchsia with cream, beige and navy calming down the works. Yes, the look is vivid, but the simple tailoring and luscious fabrications give the collection a grown up edge.
Favorites: The cream colored jacket is all about beautiful tailoring. Atop the green jersey skirt, the piece appears to bloom.
A yellow raincoat turns sophisticated when the hue is toned down with a tincture of brown and is teamed with an elegant print button-down. Tel: 617-764-0352 E-mail: kittypu@kicokids.com
MOPPIT Homebase: Northcote, Australia DESIGNER: Jenny Moon Sizes: 2 to 10 years; Wholesale prices: $18.95-$28 Theme: A Seventies' style rainbow Moon's washed denims, candy-colored seersuckers and vividly striped polo shirts transported me right back to the Seventies.
Favorites: A denim smock and happy striped skirt team up in this meant for a good time ensemble.
The lean lines of the polo shirt shake off that preppy boy image for good. Tiny Ginger Tel: 212-228-9514 E-mail: gingerhaliwali@gmail.com
SES PETITE MAINS TINY CHIC CLOTHING Homebase: San Francisco, CA DESIGNER: Beth Miles Sizes: 12 months to 6 years; Wholesale prices: $29-$44 Theme: Classic with a twist? Modern with a nod to tradition? Either definition fits this original, feminine collection. Favorites: It's hard to narrow down favorites when I'm in love with every piece. Here are a few stellar items:
The "Gemma" blouse in light dotted Swiss with the genteel tuxedo ruffled front and the fabulous "Imogen" trouser in the gay ticking stripe. The outfit is classic with just a touch of today.
The waist-length "Dandio" jacket with the tie in back is a Miles' trademark. The piece goes with everything, and is ideal over the "Somerset shirtwaist" with its subtle reference to Fifties' dressing. Tel: 415-533-1695 E-mail: Bethmiles@sespetitesmains.com
FOOTWEAR: GUCIO SHOES Homebase: Krakow, Poland DESIGNER: Slawomir Piwowarczyk Sizes: Infant to toddler; Wholesale prices: Approximately $28-$33 For stores who need to source footwear, Sandra Wright of I'm Still Me, the sole U.S. distributor for Gucio shoes, reports this line was a huge success with retailers at the show.
Favorites: These hand made shoes have everything going for them: Soft leather, a great rich blue with a vivid yellow sole and pure comfort. I'm Still Me Tel: 203-938-2984 E-mail: wrightsan@optonline.net
Originally published August 22, 2007
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